ECOLOGICAL Project Experience

Wetland Delineation / Functional Assessment / Restoration / Permitting

Pal Mar East / Nine Gems, Martin County, FL

Performed under a multi-year contract geared toward helping the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) better manage the agency's large land holdings and including lands to be utilized for future Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan projects, E Sciences worked to restore the Pal Mar East/Nine Gems parcel, a 2,886-acre parcel located in southern Martin County between County Road 711 and Florida’s Turnpike.  A portion of the site is being restored by SFWMD through funding under the Wetland Restoration Program.  The objective of the project is to enhance and restore lost hydrologic and biologic function to a mosaic of flatwoods, wet prairie, depressional marshes and sloughs that had been drained and disturbed for both native range and improved pasture cattle grazing.  The entire site will be managed by the FWC after project completion as part of the Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area.  E Sciences prepared restoration design plans, specifications and construction cost estimates for the project including coordination with the NRCS to ensure that restoration practices were accordance with NRCS standards and specifications and obtained permits for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for wetland and listed species habitat restoration.  Restoration activities for the site included invasive species control, prescribed burning, and hydrology modifications (ditch plugs) to restore hydrology and habitat.  Regionally, the purchase of Pal-Mar East by SFWMD provides the central link in a 125,000 acre greenbelt extending from Jonathan Dickinson Park to the DuPuis Management area that will ultimately connect to the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail via a mile-wide corridor. Pal Mar East encompasses most of the lands that are missing to complete the wildlife and water management corridor, and restoration efforts on this site were conducted in concert with the North Palm Beach County CERP project.

Wetland Delineation / Functional Assessment / Restoration / Permitting

CFCA Wetland Assessments

E Sciences participated in this flagship wetland assessment program upon invitation from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), as a coordinated wetland assessment effort between the South Florida, St. Johns River and Southwest Florida Water Management Districts.  The project location occurred within the Central Florida Coordination Area (CFCA)—the region where these three water management districts converge.  The regulatory working group (RWG) and the Environmental Assessment Subgroup (EAS) teams comprised of the three water management districts identified a need for a regional assessment of wetland conditions in the CFCA due to a rapidly increasing urbanization and growing demands for groundwater use.   E Sciences assessed 12 wetland sites within the CFCA area to support the effort of the water management districts.  At each wetland, a general survey was first conducted in order to establish wetland characteristics, verify the land use types present, and to evaluate whether vegetation zonation was present.  Throughout the field assessments, notes were made of listed wildlife species observed.  Mean pool, max pool, historic high, and hurricane high depths were measured, if apparent, and the hydrologic indicator used to establish each was recorded.  Observations of the habitat condition were recorded including overall health of the system and evidence of stress, including invading species, tree falls, and diseased or dying vegetation.  A comprehensive plant species list was created for the plant species that were observed within the wetland.  Following the field wetland assessments, E Sciences was requested by the SFWMD to photo-interpret historical aerial photographs for approximately 165 wetlands in Orange and Seminole counties. The purpose of the aerial research was to document alterations to the wetlands in terms of its physical or hydrological character.  The purpose of this project was to identify potential trends in the ecological health and stability of wetlands within the CFCA with information used to guide management practices and decision making, including the allocation of water use permits based on apparent effects of hydrology of the region’s wetlands.

Wetland Delineation / Functional Assessment / Restoration / Permitting

Cameron Regional Stormwater Facility Mitigation Restoration, Seminole County, FL

Seminole County constructed a 2.7 acre mitigation area adjacent to Regional Stormwater Facility (RSF) located at the southeast corner of East Lake Mary Boulevard and Cameron Avenue in Seminole County, Florida. After Seminole County completed construction of the mitigation area in 2006, it was discovered that the hydrology and grading on the site were negatively impacting planted species.  E Sciences was then contracted by Seminole County to coordinate with the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and Seminole County staff, to regrade and replant the mitigation area in order to bring it into compliance with the existing SJRWMD permit.  Specifically, this effort includes ongoing coordination of onsite activities including management and oversight of excavation and regrading efforts, coordination of herbicide treatments to control exotic and nuisance species within the upland and wetland creation areas, monitoring of hydrologic conditions, oversight of recontouring of the project area to create several wetland and upland habitat types including marsh, flood plain forest, upland forest and upland scrub forest areas, and reestablishment of native wetland species through direct planting and reseeding in accordance with plans approved by Seminole County and SJRWMD.

Wetland Delineation / Functional Assessment / Restoration / Permitting

Roman Gate Ecological Services, Hendry County, FL

E Sciences performed wetland and listed species habitat evaluations, land use, permitting and conservation planning for a 320-acre property in Hendry County. The site is adjacent to the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation. Specifically, E Sciences performed field site inspections to delineate wetlands, identify and record threatened and endangered species, as well as to identify potential habitat for these and other protected species. Approximately 75-acres of wetlands were delineated. Species observed or with potential habitat identified include Florida panther, Florida black bear and several wading bird species. In addition to protected species identification, E Sciences provided land use planning guidance on the suitability of designated areas of the site for residential and commercial development as well as conservation.

Wetland Delineation / Functional Assessment / Restoration / Permitting

850 Acres in DuPuis Management Area

Preparation of Permittee Responsible Mitigation Agreement

Florida Department of Transportation, District Four, FL

E Sciences conducted the field assessment and prepared the functional analysis using the Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method for 850 acres of land restored within the DuPuis Management Area. Using this information E Sciences prepared the Permittee Responsible Mitigation agreement between the USACE and FDOT to allow FDOT to use the DuPuis Management Area to satisfy federal wetland mitigation requirements.  The agreement sets forth the guidelines, responsibilities and standards for the establishment, use, operation, and maintenance of a portion of the DuPuis Management Area as a mitigation area funded by FDOT.