Critcher Brothers Mitigation Site

Client: Wildlands-owned
Location: Wilkes County, NC

The Critcher Brothers Mitigation Site is a Wildlands Engineering-owned mitigation bank site in North Carolina. The site was designed by Wildlands Engineering and constructed by Wildlands Construction. Approximately 21,000 cool stream credits will be delivered through stream restoration, enhancement, and preservation in a rural area historically used for cattle and agriculture. Wildlands Engineering designed the site and gained IRT approval of the mitigation plan and proposed credits at the site. As part of the design, Wildlands Engineering balanced earthwork across the site by raising the valley floor and excavating new, smaller channels while filling in the old, eroded, over-sized channels. Wildlands Construction mined rock on site to use in habitat structures. Three construction crews worked on the site which included steep A- and B-type step-pool systems as well as meandering C-type streams. Wildlands Construction worked to stabilize and amend soils, using composted chicken litter from the farm. In stream structures included more than 35 rock and log vanes and sills, more than 65 constructed riffles (woody, jazz, chunky, and angled), 360 feet of brush mattress, 2,300 feet of brush toe, 100 feet of rock toe, and 45 feet of geolift. Wildlands Construction also installed a dozen culvert crossings, repaired a failing bridge, and installed nearly 20,000 feet of woven wire fencing to exclude cattle from the riparian easement. Construction was completed in 2021.

Falling Creek Mitigation Bank

Client: Wildlands-owned mitigation bank
Location: Wayne County, NC

Falling Creek Umbrella Mitigation Bank is a private Wildlands-owned mitigation bank in the Neuse River Basin. The project involves restoration, enhancement, and preservation of streams, wetlands, and riparian buffers on an active cattle and hog farm. Stream banks were stabilized and planted, reducing sediment inputs to the streams. Streams were raised and drainage ditches filled to restore natural groundwater hydrology to former wetlands. The project will deliver approximately 18,900 stream credits, 56 wetland credits, and 1.7 million buffer credits. Aquatic habitats were restored and riparian buffers were planted. The livestock that previously had access to the streams were excluded from the easement with fencing. These activities also reduced nutrient loading to the streams on site and to downstream waters through reductions of sediment and livestock waste from the streams. Approximately 390 acres of land was placed under permanent conservation easement to protect the site in perpetuity. Construction was completed in the Spring of 2018. In October of 2018 the site received approximately 30 inches of rain in three days from Hurricane Florence. Minimal aggradation in two of the channels was the only observed damage from the storm.

Lone Oak Mitigation Bank

Client: Timbervest, LLC
Location: Albemarle County, VA

Wildlands completed the construction phase of the Lone Oak Stream Mitigation Bank near Charlottesville, VA, in early 2011. The Lone Oak Mitigation Bank resulted in the restoration and enhancement of approximately 30,150 linear feet of Ballinger Creek and several tributary streams. This project delivered 40,462 stream credits. Restoration of the site and removal of the existing cattle operation is expected to aid in the removal of Ballinger Creek from the state 303(d) list. Key elements of the project consisted of developing the Banking Instrument, permit submittals, and the final design plans and technical specifications; providing construction observation and as-built surveys; and preparing the baseline monitoring report.

Box Creek Wilderness Area Mitigation Bank

Client: Unique Places, LLC
Location: Rutherford County, NC

The proposed Box Creek Wilderness Area (BCWA) Stream Mitigation Bank Site (Bank Site) will preserve a network of high-quality, ecologically significant streams and rare natural communities in the Box Creek Wilderness and surrounding natural areas in Rutherford and McDowell Counties in North Carolina. The Bank Site will be established under the BCWA Umbrella Mitigation Bank to provide mitigation to compensate for impacts to Waters of the United States and/or State Waters within Hydrologic Unit 03050105 of the Broad River Basin.

The primary component of the BCWA Mitigation Plan is the preservation of 237,417 linear feet (45 miles) of pristine cool water streams and riparian buffers in the headwaters of the Broad River Basin. Approximately 2,740 acres will be protected under a permanent conservation easement as part of the Bank. Buffer widths on the streams range from 200 feet to 500 feet, at least six times the minimum mandatory buffer width for mitigation. Based on the proposed mitigation effort, the bank site will result in up to 47,483 cool stream credits.

The diversity and rarity of species and natural communities found in the BCWA make it one of the most ecologically significant and unique natural areas in the state. Based on the number of rare species and natural communities documented on the property, a portion of the property (the Box Creek Wilderness Natural Area) ranks in the top 1% of all Natural Areas in the state (on par with flagship natural areas like Roan Mountain and Grandfather Mountain). The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) designates the Box Creek Wilderness Natural Area as “Exceptional.” This is the highest ranking given by NCNHP, and reflects the number and rarity of imperiled species and natural communities as well as for the high quality of the natural communities.