Blackwater Creek Mitigation Bank
The Blackwater Creek Mitigation Bank (BCMB) is 466 acres located in the Wekiva River Nested Drainage Basin. BCMB is approved by the St. Johns River Water Management District and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to provide both freshwater forested and herbaceous wetland credits. The BCMB was a former sand mine operation. The property was mined below the water table in most areas. As a consequence of mining, the hydrology of the site was altered and overburden was deposited on the adjacent wetlands and uplands. Extensive restoration includes earthwork to restore the historic hydrologic conditions as well as extensive planting of native wetland vegetation. The St. Johns River Water Management District has determined the Wekiva Basin to be of critical concern and designated it as a Nested Basin. The BCMB is located adjacent to environmentally sensitive tracts of land that are contiguous with the Ocala National Forest.
Bear Creek Mitigation Bank
Located on 3,002 acres in Bay County, Bear Creek Mitigation Bank (BCMB) is situated at the basin divide of the Chipola River Basin and St. Andrews Bay Basin. BCMB is approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to provide freshwater forested and wet prairie/flatwood wetland credits to portions of Bay, Calhoun, and Gulf Counties. Mitigation activities for BCMB include pine harvesting and leveling of bedding; mechanical vegetation reduction; prescribed fire; hydrologic enhancement through construction; and supplemental planting and seeding. Upon successful implementation, BCMB will provide a regionally significant habitat corridor in the St. Andrew’s Bay and Chipola River Watersheds and will also provide an important link to the Northwest Florida Ecological Greenway.