2012 FDOT Mitigation Plan - Southwest Florida Water Management ...

REGIONAL MITIGATION PLAN
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Mitigation Project: Fox Creek Regional Off-Site Mitigation Area (ROMA) Project Number: SW 79
County: Sarasota County
Location: Sec. 20, 29, T38S, R19E
IMPACT INFORMATION
(1) FM: 4063143, I-75 – North River Rd. (CR 577) to SR 681* ERP #: 43034226.000 COE #: 2008-02298 (IP-JPF)
(2) FM:1980172, US 41 - Center Rd. to US Bus. 41 (Unknown) ERP #: ___________ COE #: _________________
Drainage Basin: Lower Coastal Water Body(s): Fox Creek, Salt Creek, Curry Creek, Cow Pen Slough
SWIM water body? N
*Note – this I-75 segment also has tidal creek wetland impacts mitigated at Sarasota’s Curry Creek ROMA (SW
88).
MITIGATION ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
Mitigation Type: Creation, restoration, enhancement and preservation
Mitigation Area: 9.2 credits
* Note – the total parcel covers 140-acres, the credits designated for FDOT mitigation will be determined based
on the final acreage and habitat value of the proposed wetland impacts. The UMAM assessment method is used
to evaluate the proposed wetland impacts and associated mitigation.
SWIM project? N Aquatic Plant Control project? N Exotic Plant Control Project? Y Mitigation Bank? N
ROMA? Y WMD ERP# 43027077 ACOE # SAJ-2004-5757-MEP Drainage Basin: Lower Coastal
Water Body(s): Fox Creek, Cow Pen Slough SWIM Water Body? N
Project Description
A. Overall project goal: Sarasota County acquired the 140-acre Fox Creek parcel in 2004 with the goal of
preserving, enhancing, and creating a variety of diverse native habitats on the tract. In addition, these activities
have been proposed to provide mitigation to compensation for unavoidable wetland and upland habitat impacts
associated with public infrastructure projects; including County and FDOT roadway improvements in the Lower
Coastal basin. The mitigation project objectives include a combination of freshwater wetland creation (forested
and herbaceous), freshwater wetland enhancement (forested), estuarine wetland creation, upland scrub creation
& enhancement, mesic hammock restoration & enhancement, and pine flatwood habitat enhancement and
preservation. (Figure B) Details are provided in Attachment A and within the permits issued to Sarasota County.
B. Brief de scription of pre-construction condition: The parcel includes the lower reaches of Fox Creek,
mesic hammocks, improved pasture, semi-improved pasture, pine flatwoods of various quality and coverage,
and a large borrow pit. Site description information is provided in Attachment A.
C. Bri ef description of current activities: The Fox Creek parcel has been delineated into 16 mitigation areas
with a variety of proposed habitat improvement activities based on the existing conditions and overall objectives
of creating a mosaic of inter-related habitat conditions. Many of the improved and semi-improved pastures are
being graded to create wetland habitat, with the northwestern pasture enhanced and restored into appropriate
scrub habitat conditions (Figure B). The dredged material from constructing wetlands is used to partially fill the
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