We established the North Fork Crow River Mitigation Bank to provide credits to offset wetland impacts during expected development north and west of the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. The 85-acre bank provides offsets for permitted state and federal wetland impacts.
The site was selected because it supported restoration of a mosaic of wetland types that have been altered due to tilling and subsequent agricultural use. The bank enhances existing riparian wetlands dominated by invasive vegetation and establishes an upland buffer of native species.
The bank is established in an area with appropriate hydrology, topography, soils and adjacency to existing protected lands managed for wetlands and wildlife. The low-lying portion of the bank will gradually restore to a wet meadow and shallow marsh wetland complex.
As hydrology to support wetland plant species has been restored via subsurface drain tile removal and surface ditch grading, it is anticipated that a dramatic increase in wetland functions and values will provide a sustainable mitigation solution, supporting regional ecology.