Wetland Mitigation and Habitat Restoration
Wetlands Delineation Mitigation and Restoration Projects Palm Beach County, Florida
Environmental Quality, Inc. is the environmental consultant chosen by the School District of Palm Beach County to address issues associated with wetlands delineation, mitigation, restoration and ongoing maintenance at several sites located throughout the School District. The firm also attends various meetings on behalf of the School District on technical issues related to wetlands and associated upland buffers, restoration strategies, permitting issues related to threatened and endangered species, and the creation of mitigation banking areas.
In the field, our teams are responsible for identification and ongoing removal of exotic, nuisance and invasive vegetation from permitted wetland and upland areas. Our teams design and implement Preserve Area Management Plans for properties owned by the School District and implement the construction and maintenance outlined in the management plans.
Technical expertise of our staff members in various ecosystems including swamp, mosaic, upland pine forests, wetlands, marshes and coastal sites is utilized to address the increased need to balance growth within the district and preservation of the natural resources in the community.
Environmental Quality, Inc. prepares Annual Monitoring Reports for permitted sites owned by the School District and works in close association with regulatory agencies, including South Florida Water Management District, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Project Characteristics
Wetland Bank Development Removal of Exotic Vegetation and Habitat Restoration Wildlife Habitat Restoration and Creation Wetlands Quality Improvements
Invasive Exotic Vegetation Species Removal J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area
J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area
Initial treatment of 800 acres of remote habitat to remove invasive exotic species Lygodium microphyllum.
EQI was selected as a prime contractor to treat and remove the targeted invasive exotic species from approximately 800 acres within the 60,348 acre J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Palm Beach and Martin counties, Florida.
The project site completed by EQI was comprised of approximately 17% cypress slough, 34% basin and depression marsh, 7% wet prairie, and 42% mesic pine flatwoods. The cypress slough, north of Trail 7 that extends east/west across the area contained heavy Lygodium densities with greater than 80%, many areas covering entire cypress domes. Work was completed using removal techniques including foliar application of glyphosate using hand spraying via low flow backpacks, tank spray application and cut and treat methods.
Project Characteristics
Initial treatment of 800 acres of remote habitat to remove invasive exotic species Lygodium microphyllum
Water Quality Monitoring
Everglades Stormwater Program North New River Basin Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County, FL
Environmental Quality, Inc. (EQI) served as the prime contractor to South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for the Everglades Stormwater Program in the North New River Basin. Tasks included collection of surface water samples and multi-parameter readings to support ongoing efforts to monitor water quality within and near the Everglades Protection Area.
This project monitored stormwater quality during storm events and identified potential sources of water quality concerns within the basin. The water quality data provide appropriate and defensible information necessary to identify possible remedial actions, if necessary. The data from this project were also used to monitor compliance with the Everglades Stormwater Project permit with water quality standards. EQI water quality specialists collected water samples and physical data during storm events in accordance with approved Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and SFWMD Field Sampling Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Samples were submitted to the SFWMD laboratory in West Palm Beach for analyses.
Project Characteristics
Collection of surface water samples Collection of multiple physicalparameter data Coordination with SFWMD Analytical Laboratory
Automated Weather & Water Quality Stations
Data Logger Maintenance Services, Automated Weather & Water Quality Station, Data Collection and Maintenance South Florida Water Management District
Environmental Quality, Inc. performed monthly site visits to 25 remote locations throughout the South Florida Water Management District from Orange to Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach to Collier Counties to maintain weather stations ensuring accurate and uninterrupted flow of data from 25 monitored project sites.
EQI environmental field personnel with experience in environmental science and electrical functions performed routine maintenance, data collection and verification, and emergency maintenance tasks. These tasks ensure accuracy of the hydrologic records, keep sites in good operating order and remedy routine problems.
The real time weather stations are vital to support the District’s mission of flood control, and environmental monitoring and assessment. Often, operational decisions for flood control and water conservation are made based on the data reported to the District and future decisions are influenced with the historical data output. The Automated Weather Stations include sensors to measure rainfall data, relative humidity, atmospheric temperature, total radiation, photosynthetic active radiation, net radiation, water temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind direction, wind speed and water level. The Automated Weather Stations rely on RF telemetry and CR10X communications for transmitting data.
Environmental Quality, Inc. performed routine maintenance, calibrations and installations of tipping bucket rain gauges, net radiometers, photo radiation sensors, wind sensors, dataloggers, solar panels, staff gauges, pressure transducers, incremental encoders and communications with central data stations.
Project Characteristics
Meteorological monitoring Real-Time Data Collection SCADA Information Management System
