Wetland Mitigation and Restoration
WSSI scientists, engineers, and regulatory staff are at the forefront of wetland mitigation assessment and design. We create functional, viable wetlands that attract wildlife and maintain the biodiversity of natural wetlands. Such high quality systems are born of personnel having extensive knowledge of the structure and function of natural wetlands in the region, exceptional technical experience in wetland design and engineering, and attention to detail that is critical to the success of wetland mitigation efforts.
WSSI has designed and constructed more than 1,000 acres of wetlands, including the first privately developed wetland mitigation bank in Virginia, as well as the first three in northern Virginia:
- Julie J. Metz Wetlands Bank (1994), the first approved wetland bank in Virginia. The bank is named in honor of the late Julie Metz, who led the committee responsible for federal policy on wetlands mitigation banking. We are pleased that this bank has become part of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail - the first statewide program of its kind in the United States. The Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, a not-yet-completed project, will connect the bank to other nearby parks and with the 830-mile Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail that stretches from Pittsburgh to Virginia's Northern Neck.
North Fork Wetlands and Stream Bank was created in 2000 and was Virginia's first mitigation bank to offer stream credits. WSSI donated North Fork to the Boy Scouts of America to become part of Camp Snyder; it's now a key component of their environmental education programs and activities.
- Cedar Run Wetlands Bank consists of eight different tracts of land comprising a total of approximately 715 acres, all located within the Cedar Run watershed in Prince William and Fauquier Counties, Virginia – with each phase having its own unique design elements. Cedar Run Wetlands Bank represents the largest mitigation bank in the D.C. Metropolitan area. All phases host thousands of breeding frogs and toads in the spring, and attract numerous wetland-dependent bird species such as herons, egrets, waterfowl, gulls, and shorebirds. To date, more than 125 bird species have been recorded including northern harriers, osprey, hawks, falcons, and bald eagles.
WSSI’s wetland mitigation projects aim to create wetlands that not only meet predetermined success criteria, but are also ecologically functional, aesthetically pleasing, and self-sustaining. Our mitigation projects have earned a reputation of being the industry standard in aquatic resource banking, securing WSSI a high level of trust and respect among federal, state, and local agencies.