The 405-acre Clay Station Mitigation Bank (CSMB) is located in southeast Sacramento County, California. It historically supported vernal pools and other seasonal wetland habitats but was leveled and converted to agricultural uses approximately fifty years ago. As part of the Clay Station Mitigation Bank Project, ECORP mapped existing habitats, conducted biological surveys, and completed feasibility studies to determine its potential for sustaining compensation wetlands for Elliott Homes of Sacramento.
Using historic aerial photos and current soil data, ECORP prepared a restoration plan that included over 90 acres of vernal pools, seasonal wetlands, and marshes. Regulatory agencies approved The CSMB as off-site mitigation for impacts at Elliott’s Churchill Downs Apartment project.
Wetland construction and habitat restoration occurred in two phases:
- Phase I was completed in October 1994 and approved by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) as appropriate mitigation for the federally listed fairy and tadpole shrimp.
- Phase II and III were completed in August 1999, following five consecutive years of monitoring the wetlands to confirm they functioned hydrologically and floristically as designed.
The project created more wetland acreage than was necessary for the Churchill Down neighborhood, optimizing cost by an economy of scale and establishing a “bank” of functioning wetlands for future compensation needs. All three phases of the CSMB were recognized by the USACE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USFWS, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) as a formally established wetland mitigation bank. The USACE Waterways Experiment Station additionally upheld the CSMB, its design specifications and success criteria, and the monitoring methods developed by ECORP staff.
Since the creation of the CSMB in 1994, ECORP has assisted the Elliott Conservancy with the credit sales and credit availability tracking of the site and continues to assist the Elliott Conservancy with providing on-call assistance for the CSMB. ECORP is also currently responsible for conducting annual long-term monitoring and reporting as part of the Clay Station Mitigation Bank Project, which includes annual vegetation monitoring of the constructed wetlands.
Environmental Consulting Services Provided:
- Habitat Restoration, Conservation, and Land Management Services
- CEQA and NEPA Documentation Services
- Biological Resources Management Services
- Threatened, Endangered, and Special-Status Species Surveys
- Threatened and Endangered Species Permitting
- Wetlands and Waters Assessment and Delineation Study
- Botanical Services
- Geospatial Services
- Geographic Information Systems and Mapping
- Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Services
- Land Use Entitlement Planning & Development Feasibility Analysis
- Construction Monitoring
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Services
