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  • The Red Creek Consolidated Mitigation Bank consists of several projects including stream, forest and habitat restoration.
  • Many of the stream banks within the Red Creek project site were severely eroded like this one. Restoring a stream to health includes grading the bank to the proper slope and installing erosion control practices.
  • Stream Restoration: Before constructing a new stream channel, the site is cleared of overgrown brush and some trees.
  • Removed brush is prepared as "toe wood" for use as stream bank erosion control.
  • Lower Holly Creek Stream Restoration: The site of a future new channel is marked with paint.
  • Excavation of the new stream channel begins.
  • A log structure is installed to prevent erosion of the stream bed.
  • Filter fabric is installed behind the logs to keep soil from washing out under the structure.
  • Soil is replaced in the stream bed behind the structure.
  • In another location on the same channel, a spot is excavated for installation of "toe wood".
  • The backhoe is used to place the "toe wood" into the stream bank which helps control erosion and stabilize the bank.
  • The "toe wood" is covered with soil.
  • Erosion control blankets are installed along the stream bank.
  • Lower Holly Creek after construction of a new channel. Notice the erosion control blankets and "toe wood" used to stabilize the bank.
  • Upper Holly Creek Stream Restoration: Step pools are constructed to protect the high-quality up-stream portion of the creek from erosion.
  • Step pools at Upper Holly Creek after construction.
  • This high-quality stream is located up-stream of the step pools.
  • Upper Holly Creek after construction. Notice the floodplain and newly planted trees along the stream.
  • Forest Restoration: Thinning loblolly pine plantations along the streams and in the uplands in preparation for longleaf pine forest restoration.
  • After thinning the loblolly pines, longleaf pine seedlings and native hardwood trees are planted.
  • Habitat Restoration: Mechanical brush cutting is used to clear unwanted brush in wet pine flats in preparation of control burns.
  • Control burns, also know as prescribed fire, are used to restore the natural process of fire back on to the landscape.
  • Herbicides are selectively used to control unwanted invasives such as cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), a tropical plant that spreads rapidly and displaces native vegetation and wildlife.
  • Monitoring Restoration Success: Wells are used to monitor the elevation and distribution of ground water. Monitoring is necessary to assess meeting of wetland success criteria.
  • Conservancy scientist, Dustin Shaneyfelt, assists with plant monitoring which helps determine the effectiveness of management activities.
  • Conservancy scientist, Andy Peck, monitors macro-invertebrates (animals without backbones) in streams at Red Creek: high macro-invertebrate species diversity indicates improved/sustained stream health.
  • Conservancy staff, Elizabeth Hanson, Donald Newman and Becky Stowe, inspect a sample for macro-invertebrates.
  • Red Creek - The Conservancy's Red Creek restoration project will improve the quality of the water flowing into Red Creek.
Restoration Project at Red Creek Consolidated Mitigation Bank
Construction and Restoration Process