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Monitoring at Hookers Prairie Reclamation Site
Sandra L. Patrick
IMC FERTILIZER
P.O. Box 867
Bartow, Florida 33830
Abstract
IMC Fertilizer, Inc. (IMCF) was required to create 125 acres of wetlands
to
fulfill conditions of Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER)
Permit
No. 530862379.  This permit required mitigation for mining 96 acres at IMCF's
Hooker's Prairie site, as well as stipulations for semi-annual monitoring
of the
created wetland to evaluate the success of the mitigation actions.
The 125-acre created wetland was constructed and planted in early 1990.
The wetland consists of an emergent marsh section (65 acres) concentrated
on the
south, and a forested wetland zone (50 acres) on the north, with an extension
of
both zones extending north along the east side of the reclamation unit. Two
(2)
meandering stream systems (10 acres) were also designed to restore Whiskey
Store
Creek on the west end, and an unnamed tributary at the northeast end of the
system.
After grading, approximately six (6) inches of organic topsoil, stored from
the
original covering of the site, was spread over the site.  Approximately 660,000
herbaceous plants and 35,000 trees were planted during the first six (6)
months of
1990.
IMCF will monitor the status of the mitigation area and success of reclamation
efforts until the determination of a successful restoration has been made
by FDER.
Monitoring will be made qualitatively on a semi-annual basis and quantitatively
every
year. Tree cover, density, diameter at breast height (DBH), frequency of
occurrence
of plants and trees, and diversity of species are all calculated during the
yearly
report.
The site is currently two years old and the second annul monitoring report
was completed November, 1991. Herbaceous vegetation increased in coverage
by
more than 50% over the first year's results in the marsh system and average
cover
was about 4% greater. Herbaceous cover in the other two systems also increased
significantly. After the second year of monitoring the forested system, survival
and
growth of the planted trees was rather low. Abnormally high water levels
in the
mitigation area during 1991 probably enhanced the establishment of Carolina
willow
trees and lowered the survival of the desirable woody species. In order to
bring the
site back to FDER standards, the site is currently being replanted with about
20,000
new trees. Water levels are being maintained at a lower level to ensure the
survival
of these trees. Close monitoring of the site should reveal the undesirable
species
migrating to deeper water, establishment of the newly planted trees, and
increase
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