|
|
|
NRC provided technical assistance to design a 350-acre wetland mitigation bank in Stevens Point, Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). NRC staff led geomorphologic, hydrogeologic, soil, hydrologic, and wetland assessments during pre-design studies to evaluate soil, groundwater, and surface water interactions. The project included assessing watershed characteristics to determine hydrologic inputs and develop a water budget. To evaluate site-specific groundwater response to the restoration, NRC worked with hydrologists from UW-Stevens Point to complete a
groundwater model that included a multi-year groundwater monitoring program consisting of 15 shallow observation wells and automated data loggers. NRC staff also completed a pilot test to measure local groundwater response following installation of a ditch plug.
NRC lead a multi-discipline design team and completed a final design plan that included a diverse wetland complex including 2-miles of naturalized stream channel to replace low quality drainage ditch habitat. NRC also completed a landscaping plan that included a diverse mix of riparian, forested wetland, wet meadow, shallow marsh, and upland prairie habitats. The final design included a recreational trail system with links to regional trails.