Old Florida Mitigation Bank
Location
Pasco County, FL
Resource
Wetland
Solution
Mitigation Bank
Status
Approved
Joe Williams
Assistant Director of Markets
OLD FLORIDA MITIGATION BANK in Pasco County is one of the largest wetland mitigation banks in the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The bank hosts a mosaic of ecosystem types, including old growth pine flatwoods, cypress wetlands, and freshwater marshes.
EIP’s restoration plan for this site included filling a major drainage ditch, planting native flora and trees, restoring natural wetland hydrology, and instituting a prescribed fire regime. These combined methods reversed years of impact from cattle grazing and plantation timber management. Today, the area is a thriving example of a recognizable native mosaic landscape, with species important to the area, including wood stork, making the habitat their home.
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Credits from Old Florida Mitigation Bank are approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fulfill mitigation requirements of Section 404 Clean Water Act permits — and are also approved by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) to satisfy compliance under the Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) Program.
CREDITS AVAILABLE
Wetland
– Palustrine Emergent (Corps)
– Palustrine Forested (Corps)
– Freshwater Forested (SWFWMD)
– Freshwater Herbaceous (SWFWMD)
Habitat
– Wood Stork
SERVICE AREA
Crystal-Pithlachascotee (03100207) subbasin
aka Upper Coastal watershed
Our Partners
Greensource Environmental has collaborated with EIP since the beginning of our work in Florida. At Horse Creek, Old Florida, and Upper Coastal Mitigation Banks, Greensource conducted a thorough evaluation of historical land use, and pre-restoration conditions. The team delivered insights that translated into an effective restoration plan — one that only comes with a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of ecological and hydrologic function. As our “Ecological Sherlock Holmes,” the firm helps us find clues on the ground that let us maximize ecological uplift in our restoration designs.