Schucks Park Wetland Mitigation

Schucks Regional Park wetland mitigation area monitoring and redesign are two of the projects that Landmark’s Scientists and Engineers conducted for Harford County, Maryland over several years under a  Parks & Recreation Department on-call environmental contract.  Other projects completed have included: Phase I Bog Turtle Investigation at the Ma and Pa Connector Trail in Bel Air, a Phase I environmental site assessment (ESA) at 801 Conowingo Road, and a Water Street environmental assessment.

Shucks Regional Park Wetland Mitigation Monitoring

Landmark’s Professional Wetland Scientists conducted weekly and monthly monitoring of the hydrologic and groundwater conditions (using Groundwater Monitoring Wells and IRIS Tubes) within a created mitigation wetland at the Schucks Regional Park property during the wetland’s first year of creation.  Annual Monitoring Surveys of the vegetative, soil, and hydrologic conditions, as well as wildlife use and percent survival rates of planted trees, within the created wetland were also conducted.  Annual reports suitable for submission to the regulatory agencies summarizing the results of the monitoring surveys are submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District. Agency coordination regarding wetland condition and function is on-going.

Landmark’s Professional Wetland Scientists conducted weekly and monthly monitoring of the hydrologic and groundwater conditions (using Groundwater Monitoring Wells and IRIS Tubes) within a created mitigation wetland on the Schucks Regional Park property during the wetland’s first and third years post creation. Annual Monitoring Surveys were conducted of the vegetative, soil, and hydrologic conditions, as well as wildlife use and percent survival rates of planted trees, within the created wetland. Annual reports suitable for submission to the regulatory agencies summarizing the results of the monitoring surveys are submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District. In 2021, the Baltimore District USACE determined that the project was successful and the area is a functional wetland.

Wetland Mitigation Redesign

During the wetland’s fourth growing season, the regulatory agencies determined that the created wetland (which was designed and planted by others) contained insufficient hydrology and woody plant survival rates. Landmark Engineers redesigned the wetland and Landmark Scientists summarized corrective actions in a report and produced a new planting plan.  Landmark Scientists successfully proposed the corrective actions to the regulatory agencies.  The corrective actions included regrading of a higher area and excavation based on seasonal high groundwater levels, widening of the wetland area to meet the required acreage of functioning wetland, and replanting and reseeding of the regraded portions. In 2021, the Baltimore District USACE determined that the project was successful and the area is a functional wetland.