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This project will create a healthy, productive saltmarsh habitat (9 acres, including complete restoration of 2 acres of historical marsh habitat filled with spoil as a result of dredge activities and enhancement of 7 acres of saltmarsh) in North Peninsula State Park, Volusia County, Florida.

The Chipola River Watershed (HUC # 03130012) is located in northwest Florida/southeast Alabama and includes parts of Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Washington and Bay Counties in Florida and Geneva and Houston Counties in Alabama. Some of the smaller tributaries that encompass the Chipola River watershed include: Chipola River Dead Lakes, Spring Creek, Muddy Branch and Otter Creek (subunit 020, 050). The Chipola River Watershed traverses over 100 miles through 812,800 acres with 200,000 acres being utilized in crop production, which is vital to the economy of the region and is the primary socio-economic resource. The Chipola River is defined by Northwest Florida Water Management District as a major Florida river. It originates from freshwater springs in the upper watershed and accounts for approximately 20% of the waters to the Apalachicola River, which is the largest river in Florida. High base flow in Chipola River is supported by over 63 known Floridan aquifer springs. The Chipola River is defined by Florida Department of Environmental Protection as an “Outstanding Florida Waterbody”. However, threats have been identified that could degrade water quality, reduce habitat, or negatively impact rare or imperiled species within the Chipola River watershed. In the past three decades, nitrate concentrations in spring waters have increased substantially in northern and central Florida. Jackson Blue, a tributary to the Chipola and first magnitude spring has the second highest concentration of nitrates of any spring in Florida. The Chipola River and its subunits Dead Lakes (WBID 51B), Muddy Branch (WBID 175) and Otter Creek are 303(d) listed due to agricultural non-point source pollution within the watershed area (EPD 305b report). A great diversity of habitats exist within the watershed from xeric upland longleaf pine forests, to bottomland hardwood swamps, freshwater wetlands, numerous natural springs, and meandering creeks with multiple tributaries. These habitats support rich animal communities with several hundred species of fish and wildlife. There are six federally threatened and endangered mussels species that occur within the Chipola River i.e., oval pigtoe, fat three-ridge, Chipola slabshell, Gulf moccasinshell, purple bankclimber, and shinyrayed pocketbook. The Chipola River is also a managed resource for striped bass and the unique shoal bass fishery. Other threatened and endangered species include: Amphibians & reptiles- American alligator, eastern indigo snake and flatwoods salamander; Fish; Gulf sturgeon; Birds; Arctic peregrine falcon, southeastern kestrel, bald eagle, wood stork, red-cockaded woodpecker; Mammals: i.e. Indiana bat and gray bat. Chipola plants listed on the state or federal endangered list include Marianna columbine, sicklepod, and Apalachicola wild indigo. Endangered and threatened species under serious threat from habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation have been documented and a watershed based plan of action should be developed and initiated for their recovery. A Chipola River watershed partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have been initiated since 2006. The purpose was to develop and lead a research-based platform for environmental restoration and conservation. The Service, along with FWC, West Florida RC&D; Council and others developed a Chipola River Watershed Management Plan (CRWMP) to achieve management and conservation of fish and wildlife resources. This proposal is for the next steps toward management activities under the CRWMP.

The Rector Chute backwater will be restored to prevent conversion of aquatic habitat to terrestrial habitat through sedimentation. Select areas will be dredged with a Mudcat hydraulic dredge.

Six riparian sites have severe erosion from loss of riparian vegetation and heavy recreational use. Riparian habitat function will be restored by stabilizing stream banks and planting vegetation. Stream habitat cover will increase with addition of materials to repair stream banks. Campsites will be designated and hardened. To measure effectiveness, water samples taken every 3 months over the past 4 years will continue for at least the next 4 years by the Cossatot River Watch Stream Team to compare pre- and post-restoration.

This project will improve the habitat in tributaries leading to North Sylamore Creek (Arkansas) through the addition of large woody debris.

This project, located in South Berwick, ME will restore approximately 800 feet of habitat for diadromous fish species and enhance approximately 4.3 miles of habitat in Shoreys Brook. A partially-breached dam will be removed, a failing perched culvert will be replaced with an open-arch culvert, and the streambed will be restored to its approximate original condition.

Eelgrass meadows support complex trophic food webs and provide habitat for the forage, shelter and juvenile development of fisheries species. However, this habitat is declining in part due to damage from boating infrastructure. Traditional mooring chains drag on the seafloor, causing direct scour of eelgrass plants and degradation to the quality and function of eelgrass beds through increased turbidity. The project will restore eelgrass (Zostera marina), by replacing traditional moorings with elastic conservation moorings that minimize impacts to the seafloor by preventing chain drag. Please note, the mooring of boats and the establishment of mooring fields in seagrass beds is generally recognized as a significant source of damage to these important ecological communities across their range. As such, the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership is only providing support to specific remediation actions at this and other designated project sites, which address historic damage caused by the scouring effects of traditional chain and block-anchor mooring systems.

Marine meadows play an important role in providing ecosystem services while serving as preferred or essential habitat for a wide array of native fish species. In New York waters, it is estimated that over 80% of eelgrass habitat has been lost since the 1930’s due to natural and anthropogenic causes. To address the need to re-establish submerged aquatic vegetation in the Peconic Estuary, areas suitable for eelgrass restoration will be identified and restoration planting conducted. The public will have an opportunity to take part in these restoration efforts through participation in two land-based workshops.

In Northwest Creek, a channel will be constructed and an overflow pipe will be replaced with a weir to allow fish passage into Staudinger’s Pond. In Alewife Brook, an undersized culvert will be replaced and stream debris will be removed to allow fish passage into Scoy Pond and to improve tidal flow. Additionally in Alewife Brook, invasive Phragmites will be removed and the surrounding habitat will be enhanced. This project will ultimately restore access to approximately 18 acres of diadromous fish spawning and maturation habitat and enhance the ecologic function of nearly 1000 acres of estuarine habitat.