Harris County Umbrella Wetland and Stream Mitigation

SWCA assisted HCFCD with development of a county-wide umbrella wetland and stream mitigation bank to serve all of Harris County’s mitigation needs for the next 50 years. Initially created from a vision to help restore properties along Spring Creek, this umbrella mitigation bank is the USACE Galveston District’s first true umbrella mitigation bank, made up of multiple small- to medium-sized tracts located in multiple watersheds.

SWCA provided long-term natural resources studies and monitoring for HCFCD in developing wetland and stream mitigation sites for the mitigation bank. SWCA developed a mitigation banking instrument (MBI) for HCFCD that provides a mechanism by which multiple wetland and stream mitigation sites throughout Harris County, Texas may be developed and included in the bank. SWCA completed a feasibility study initially, and the second phase included preliminary coordination, prospectus, wetland delineation, and functional assessments for identified parcels.

SWCA has worked with the sponsor to develop mitigation site plans for the first phase of sites to be developed for the bank. SWCA’s studies include vegetation and wetland surveys, jurisdictional waters delineation, endangered species habitat evaluation, restoration plans, assisting in developing designs, and evaluation of permitting requirements. SWCA teamed with project engineers to identify mitigation site plans that minimized implementation cost while maximizing ecological lift for the candidate properties.