New Search
Review Draft Eastern Gateway Wetland Restoration Site -- Annual Report <br /> ■ minimization of construction impact to surrounding environment. <br /> • ability to complete the entire project in one construction season. <br /> Location and description of mitigation site <br /> The restoration site, located east of Bailey Hill Road between Fifth and Seventh <br /> Avenues in Eugene, Oregon (TSR:17- 04 -35 -22 tax lots : 2800 & 2900) was <br /> purchased by the BLM in 1993. The site also demarcates the eastern edge of the <br /> Bertelsen Slough wetland complex. (Refer to vicinity map) Known as Site E2e <br /> in the WEWP inventory, the 17 acre site has been evaluated as having <br /> significant wetland restoration potential. The site was also rated as a high <br /> priority acquisition site for the BLM acquisition program. In fact, this was the <br /> first parcel purchased by the BLM using federal Land and Water Conservation <br /> Funds. The parcel contains approximately nine acres of wetlands recommended <br /> for protection in WEWP. Approximately 6.8 acres of former wetland were <br /> initially identified for restoration. The 6.8 acre restoration project called for <br /> removing fill material placed on the site prior to state and federal jurisdiction <br /> over wetlands. and creating prairie wetlands, emergent wetlands and enlarging <br /> an existing pond on the site. <br /> From historical aerial photographs we learned that the site had been used as a <br /> fill deposal site. A site analysis conducted during the winter of 1993 -94 <br /> revealed that a significant portion of the site (between 1/3 to 1/2) was at least 1 <br /> foot higher in elevation than the elevation in the early 1960's. Most of the fill <br /> was relatively shallow, between 1 to 2 feet in depth, and very little of the area <br /> was more than 2 feet higher than elevations on the 1962 topographic map. In <br /> contrast, some portions of the site remained in relatively natural condition, with <br /> no evidence of fill and showed no significant elevation change between 1962 <br /> and 1993. _ <br /> Bank participants and Mitigation Requirements <br /> The wetland restoration project combined the mitigation needs of four separate <br /> projects: <br /> • The Eugene Airport Runway Extension: <br /> -- • E. The purpose of the project is to increase the capacity of the 1egene Airport in <br /> order to meet present and future needs. The work includes: 1) extending <br /> Runway 16 North, 2) extend the parallel taxiway and connecting taxiway <br /> North; 3) construct a run up area adjacent to the parallel taxiway, 4) relocate <br /> various FAA navigational aids as required for the runway extension, and 5) <br /> construct drainage facilities for the runway and taxi extensions. The project <br /> would fill approximately .84 acres (removal of 6,600 cubic yards and placement <br /> Page 2 <br />