The Forrest Creek Stream and Buffer Mitigation Bank is located approximately seven miles northeast of Hillsborough, NC (Neuse River Basin 03020201). The mitigation bank is designed to replace lost functions and acreage or linear footage of streams and buffers adversely impacted by permitted activities under CWA Section 404/1. The Forrest Creek site is located on one of the last remaining dairy farms in Orange County, NC owned by the Latta Brothers. Over 10,000 linear feet of main stem and tributaries to Forrest Creek were restored, enhanced and/or preserved. This area is undergoing active development pressure and this farm is being preserved through conservation easements on both uplands (Orange County Open Space) and stream corridors (FC Mitigation Bank). (Earth Mark Mitigation Services develep this project. Rich Mogensen Managed development)
Degraded streams were restored using Natural Channel Design concepts. The design created a stable pattern, profile and dimension along the degraded streams. These techniques included the installation of rock cross-vanes, single-arm rock vanes and onsite rootwads. Cattle were fenced out of the flood plain areas and alternative watering devices were installed . The bank was one of the first approved under separate federal and state laws within the same site. Both stream mitigation units (SMU’s) and buffer mitigation units (BMU’s) were generated for sale in the Neuse 01 watershed. The bank is successfully closed out.