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NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
State Agency Collaboration
on Stream Mitigation
2015 NHANRS Annual Conference
Lori Sommer, NHDES
Wetland Mitigation Coordinator
Mark Hemmerlein, NHDOT
Bureau of Environment
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
NHDES Wetlands Bureau
● Wetland regulatory program that issues permits and requires
mitigation for certain projects that meet a minimum threshold
● Wetland impacts > 10,000 square feet
● Perennial Stream impacts > 200 linear feet
(bank + channel + bank)
● Intermittent Stream Impacts > 200 linear feet measured
along the thread of the channel
● Temporary and secondary impacts (ACOE) to buffers of
streams and vernal pools.
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
NHDES Wetlands Bureau
Four forms of Compensatory Mitigation
1) Wetland & Stream Restoration
2) Upland Preservation Through
Permanent Conservation
3) Wetland Creation
4) In-lieu fee payment provided into
DES mitigation fund
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund
● Statutory revisions in 2006 & 2010 authorized DES to accept mitigation
payments into Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund (“ARM”).
● Option for projects that have difficulty in finding good, timely mitigation.
● Process of providing a payment into a
fund that pools money together to
be spent in the “watershed” where
impacts occurred.
● Funds go toward restoration,
preservation of land adjacent to aquatic
resources, wetland creation or aquatic resource improvements.
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Target Important Aquatic Resources
• Greatest potential to restore or protect
aquatic resource functions & values;
• Restore important wildlife & fisheries
habitats with a goal to improve aquatic
fish passage;
• Restore and/or protect systems of
regional and statewide significance;
• Protect significant features relative to
drinking water resources;
48 Projects Funded over 6 Grant Rounds
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Existing Stream Mitigation Options
• Perform a riparian habitat/stream
restoration project in the area of the
impacted stream reach or in the same
watershed
• Record a conservation easement on a
riparian upland buffer with a minimum of
100 feet along both sides of a stream
• Deposit mitigation funds into ARM Fund
account prior to construction to be used
with other collected funds for a
watershed/stream improvement project
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Stream Passage Improvement Program
• Collect history of failure or record of emergency measures
implemented at deficient/problem crossings (Filter 1).
• Screen information by desktop analysis for identification of most
important locations to collect field information (Filter 2).
• Collect stream assessment data in the field on crossings to determine
deficiencies based on and aquatic organism passage and geomorphic
compatibility (Filter 3).
• Develop criteria for prioritizing candidate replacements (Filter 4).
• Assist and provide funds for improving a state/municipal crossing that
is deemed eligible for the stream mitigation program.
NHDOT Data
Collection
Query maintenance
personnel on trouble
spots, Filter 1 Condition
Report
Collect field data with
Ipads
Post collection data
review and georeferencing
NHDOT Culvert Assessments
Collect a pool of data on substandard
State Highway river crossings
Provide NHDES compliant data to assess
Aquatic Passage and Flood Damage
Issues
Utilize information for
mitigation option to
replace deficient
crossings for aquatic
passage and address
infrastructure needs
“SADES”
Statewide Asset Data Exchange System
Cloud Based / ArcGIS Online
Ipad, Web and Desktop applications
WiFi / Cell Data / Ethernet Connection to
the Cloud
Multiple users using the same data,
crowd-sourcing
Ipad (field collection)
NHDOT Data Round Up
NHDOT – 164 crossings
DES – 269 crossings
Regional Planning
Commissions – 304 crossings
Municipal crossings -1,254
Total – 1,991 crossings
on State Highways which
include 508 named rivers
Web Based
Classic ArcGIS Desktop
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
NHDES Geological Survey assists in the analysis of the culvert
database and performs quality control and rankings
Geomorphic compatibility Total ranked = 559
Fully incompatible = 8 (1%)
Mostly incompatible = 154 (28%)
Partially compatible = 150 (27%)
Mostly compatible = 216 (39%)
Fully compatible = 31 (5%)
Aquatic organism passage compatibility Total ranked = 800
No AOP (including salmonids) = 168 (21%)
No AOP (except salmonids) = 21 (3%)
Reduced AOP = 558 (70%)
Full AOP = 53 (6%)
Web-based tool that provides “probability” prediction
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Berry Brook, Dover
1941
Insert Slide Lori sent of BB outline
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Site History
Insert Slide Lori sent of BB outline
Existing Conditions
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Stream and Restoration Activities
Intermittent rain, sunshine and continued
warm weather helped with restoration
activities through the fall (October below)
and into December (Photo to the left)!
21 March 2012
Pile-NW
09 June 2013
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
Berry Brook Watershed Restoration
Wetland & Stream Restoration, Buffer
Development and LID Retrofits
• Restored 0.9 miles of 1st order
stream to the Cocheco River
• Removed fish barriers
• Provides treatment of 164 acres of
the watershed
• Restored 2.5 acres
wetland/floodplain habitat
• Preserved 5 acres of land at the
mouth of the Cocheco River
• Engaged abutting landowners by
planting riparian area and improved
recreational opportunities
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
2015 ARM Fund Grant Round
Deadlines
8 watersheds with available funding
2 Page Pre-proposal deadline:
April, 2015
Final application materials deadline:
August, 2015
Site Selection Committee review:
September, 2015
Army Corps and Wetland Council Review:
November, 2015
Awards Announced
December, 2015
NHDES
Aquatic Resource Mitigation
Program
For Additional Information
www.des.nh.gov/wetlands
(603) 271-2147
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Rules, forms, fact sheets
Mitigation checklist
Draft easement language
Calculator for ARM payment
Ledger of payments received
ARM application packet
ARM Fund annual reports
Watershed awards/disbursal
reports