Wetlands do more than provide habitat for plants and animals in the watershed. When rivers overflow, wetlands help to absorb and slow floodwaters. They help absorb excess nutrients, sediment, and other pollutants before they reach rivers, lakes, and other waterbodies.
The United States loses about 60,000 acres of wetlands each year. Some of the loses are due to infastructure projects that pass through wetlands. To combat this, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires mitigation to offset the destruction of the existing wetland and create a new wetland. Creating a new wetland helps offset the adverse impacts to the ecosystem.
It is critical that the new wetland can support the native ecosystem. The wetland is designed so that specific water depth will be established to support specific plants and animals.
Flexamat is used on wetland mitigation projects to protect waterways and overflows from eroding. The ability for native vegetation to grow through Flexamat makes Flexamat the obvious solution for permanently controlling erosion on a wetland mitigation project. This ensures that the wetland performs exactly the way it was designed.
Click here to download the Flexamat Wetland Handout.
|
Numerous ponds were constructed throughout this wetland mitigation site. They were designed so that storm water would first enter the ponds at higher elevations, and then overflow into the ponds at lower elevations. |
It was important to maintain specific water depths for the native wetland species. Flexamat was used at the overflows to ensure that they would not erode over time, lowering the water depths. |
|
Native vegetation thrives within Flexamat.
|
The ability to support native vegetation makes Flexamat the best permanent hard armor solution. |
|
Rock rip rap absorbs heat from the sun. When storm water passes over the hot rocks, the water temperature rises. Many ecosystems in wetlands cannot survive the hot water. |
Flexamat is installed 10' in this wetland overflow. Vegetated Flexamat does not absorb heat. When water passes over, it maintaines its natural temperature. |
