Mitchell Hammock Mitigation Bank

The proposed mitigation bank (shown in green above) includes the restoration of historical wetlands that are currently used for agricultural production. A major drainage canal passes through the center of the proposed bank, and the land serves as a flood storage reservoir for the Howell Creek watershed. The watershed that drains through the proposed bank consists of 2500 acres of suburban development. The Saint Johns River Water Management District and Seminole County are seeking an improvement in the water quality of Lake Jesup, which is the receiving water body.

An ICPR4 continuous simulation model (graphically shown above) was developed and calibrated using historical flooding events to determine the balance between floodplain storage and the hydration requirements for the restored wetland. Groundwater modeling was included to improve the accuracy of the simulation (shown above as the blue honeycomb pattern). The stormwater model is also used to demonstrate how the mitigation bank is performing as an offline stormwater treatment pond to improve water quality discharged from the Oviedo watershed. Storage nodes and links are shown as circles and lines in the graphic.