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HC Farms In-Lieu Fee Mitigation - Stream and Wetland Restoration

The Indiana Stream and Wetland Mitigation Program (SWMP) is a statewide ¡°in-lieu fee¡± program that offers developers an option to mitigate certain impacts their projects may have on wetlands and streams. Administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the program allows developers to purchase stream or wetland mitigation credits to meet compensatory mitigation requirements under federal and state regulations. DNR retained our team to plan and perform this stream and wetland restoration work at HC Farms to add the site to the SWMP portfolio.

Owned by Hamilton County Parks and Recreation, HC Farms is an ecologically significant site that has been degraded by development and agricultural activity. It has sensitive ecosystems that include seven streams, wetlands, and ravines and cliffs. To incorporate the site into the SWMP, it needed to be restored to a more ecologically sound state by converting farmland to wetland areas, rehabilitating streams, improving habitat quality, and managing invasive species.

We installed a combination of in-stream structures to improve channel stability, stabilize the streambank, and enhance fish and macroinvertebrate habitat. Wetland work included the enhancement and restoration of current or previous wetlands on site and the establishment of new wetlands. We planted 45 acres (18 hectares) of native seeding, sourced by our Native Plant Nursery, and managed invasive species across the site.

The project created nearly 10 acres (4 hectares) of wetlands on previous agricultural land and restored an additional 58 acres (23 hectares). It¡¯s the first in-lieu fee mitigation site permitted and constructed in Indiana.

When it opens to the public, HC Farms will feature 2.5 miles (4 kilometres) of trails, allowing visitors to explore prairies, wetlands, and old-growth forests. In addition to helping mitigate the environmental impacts of development in the region, it will offer a space for education, recreation, and connection to nature.