9496

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9496
• Author: Colorado Riparian Association
• Title: Editor
• USFW Year: Series
• USFW - Doc Type: no date
• Copyright Material: NO

Limon Wetland Mitigation Bank

Location:

Town of Limon
100 Civic Center Drive
Limon, CO 80828
Contact: Joe Kiely (7 I 9) 775-2346

Landowner:

The town of Limon, Colorado

Restoration
Objectives:

To create 8.2 acres of wetlands for the treatment of wastewater.

Directions: Take Highway 7 I east. Take exit 359 (Main street/Highway
40/287) 1.5 miles to Fourth Avenue. Alternate route: take Exit 36 I, and travel 0.4
mile to Second Avenue.

Goals: To create the first wetland bank for the Colorado Department
of Transportation (COOT) to mitigate for highway related wetland impacts.
The created wetlands would then uti I ize the treated water fi'om the town's sewage
treatment plant. The wetland project is part of the town's recreational trail
system, therefore, one of the town's major goals was to provide a high quality
and aesthetically pleasing environment to attract waterfowl.

Methods: A 14-acre abandoned sewage lagoon was regraded to create
four ditferent wetland "cells" of various water depths. A total of 12,000 2- Y. inch
potted wetland plants, and 2,000 plugs that were harvested fi'om an adjacent wet-
land and planted in the creation areas.

Results: Sixteen ditferent species of waterfowl were observed during the
first year. Following the tirst full growing season, approximately 8.0 acres of wet-
land had established from the potted and transplanted material. Vegetation is
healthy and lush and the constructed wetlands are in excellent condition. The
developing vegetation has provided a variety of protected habitat community
types in which waterfowl can breed and rest. Based on the successful perfor-
mance of the tirst growing season, COOT anticipates a continuing increase in the
density and diversity of the plant material, and in the occurrences of wildlife.

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