BANKS

The Crooked Lake Mitigation Bank is a 166.52-acre conservation area in the process of being established to provide compensatory mitigation for wetland impacts located in the Kissimmee Ridge and Kissimmee River Basin. The Bank consists of a mixture of freshwater marsh wetlands at the lowest elevations, wet prairie wetlands immediately upgradient, wet pine flatwoods and mixed forested wetlands at the highest wetland elevation, and pine mesic oak upland buffers. Most of the wet prairie has been converted into improved pasture. The entire site is currently degraded by agriculture (cattle grazing), exotic, nuisance and cultivar species invasion, substantial and prolonged fire suppression, and hydrological alterations. The restoration of the Bank will consist of backfilling ditches, treatment of agricultural runoff, creation of new wetlands, removal of cattle, exotic species eradication, supplemental planting, and reintroduction of prescribed fire to restore all of the wetland and upland buffer habitats to their optimal condition.

The Crooked Lake Mitigation Bank will have palustrine forested and palustrine emergent credits available approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The Crooked Lake Mitigation Bank will also have freshwater forested credits available approved by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD).