Old Creek Place Mitigation Bank

OLD CREEK PLACE MITIGATION BANK focuses on restoring and preserving streams and wetlands to enhance ecological sustainability and improve the Coosawattee River catchment. The project employs a combination of stream restoration, riparian buffer enhancement, wetland rehabilitation, and hydrology improvements to promote long-term environmental benefits. 

Restoration efforts include riparian buffer restoration, in-stream channel reconstruction, and the enhancement and preservation of key stream reaches. Wetland rehabilitation focuses on improving vegetation, hydrology, and soil conditions to support a palustrine forested wetland. Additionally, hydrology improvements enhances watershed runoff characteristics and establish better hydrologic connectivity to the Coosawattee River through the development of a step-pool system using natural channel design techniques. 

Old Creek Place MB preserves 3,119.52 linear feet of stream and more than 7 acres of associated riparian buffer, while reconstructing 234.38 linear feet of stream using Priority I restoration techniques and reestablishing over 0.5 acres of buffer. Wetland enhancements covers more than 10 acres, alongside over 11 acres of associated native upland buffer. Additionally, more than 23 acres of wetland and 20 acres of upland buffer are being restored. These efforts help reestablish first- and second-order Ridge and Valley streams, improve slope wetland functions, and strengthen the hydrologic connectivity between wetlands, streams, and the Coosawattee River floodplain. 

CREDITS 
Stream, Wetland Slope (2018)

SERVICE AREA
Primary: Conasauga HUC (03150101), Coosawattee River HUC (03150102), Oostanaula River HUC (03150103), and Upper Coosa River HUC (03150105)
Secondary: Etowah River HUC (03150104) in Georgia.