Robinsong Ecological Resources, Inc.is a natural resource management company founded in Huntsville, Alabama, 1990. Robinsong used its in-depth knowledge of wetlands restoration, stream channel and wetland design, and knowledge of environmental permitting and mitigation requirements to open Alabama's first commercial wetland mitigation bank. The bank, known as the Flint Creek Wetlands Mitigation Bank, located in the Tennessee Valley adjacent to Flint Creek in Hartselle, Alabama, sold out of credits in 2006. Upon completion of credit sales, the bank's land was given to Morgan County, Alabama, as an educational and recreational resource. The Flint Creek watershed continues to enjoy the ecological lift provided by the bank (see details below, also a discussion of specific environmental improvements here.

Development of the Flint Creek Wetland Mitigation Bank
Flint Creek is one of the largest watersheds in the Wheeler Basin of North Alabama’s Tennessee River [HUC 0603002].

The bank was established to

• restore 650 acres of forested wetlands
• provide timely, ecologically sound, off-site mitigation options for the public and private sector
• provide water quality improvements to the Flint Creek Watershed
• offer educational and recreational opportunities to the community

The high level of pollution in the Flint Creek Watershed—ranked by EPA as third most polluted in the nation—and the importance of the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, located at the mouth of the Flint Creek at the Tennessee River led EPA to select Flint Creek as its pilot watershed project in 1992. The water quality of the Flint Creek Watershed was such that the dissolved oxygen levels fell below the fish and wildlife classification for all segments of the 25 mile length of Flint Creek. The City of Hartselle, Alabama, was forced to abandon an intake and water treatment facility on Flint Creek as a result of excess nutrients. That same year it was determined that swimming in Flint Creek could provide health risks due to pathogens.

The Bank’s 650-acre wetlands system is having a positive impact on the water quality of the Flint Creek Watershed. The cooperative agencies involved in the Flint Creek Watershed Project (EPA, US Fish & Wildlife Service, TVA, Morgan County, ADEM, Alabama Forestry Commission and Geological Survey of Alabama) have embraced the Bank wholeheartedly.

Restoration activities began in November 1999 after the previous owner removed one thousand cattle and feedlot operations. More than 30 ditches were plugged and transformed into ponded areas. In February 2000 much of the 522.3 acres that comprise Phase One of the Bank was reforested with over 14 native hardwood species represented in 160,000 trees. Monitoring was completed in 2002 and annual performance standards were met.

An MOA for Phase Two Stream Mitigation, submitted to the USACE in March, 2003 cleared the way for the development of stream mitigation through the Bank within the three major HUC watersheds within the Tennessee Valley of north Alabama [HUC0603001, HUC0603002 and HUC0603005]. One hundred and twenty-seven acres of stream frontage on-site at the bank [of a total of 623 acres] were developed as stream mitigation resources for HUC0603002.

Development and subsequent sales of credits
Work on Phase One of the Bank restored 522.3 acres of prior converted cropland, which yielded 429 wetland mitigation credits of hardwood bottomland wetlands. Two hundred fifteen (215) credits were released upon approval of the mitigation banking instrument; 214 credits were released when five-year performance standards were met to the Corps of Engineers' criteria in 2005.

The Bank was reforested with over 14 native hardwood species represented in 160,000 trees.
A flood event in 1998 innundated the bank with over twelve feet of water in some places. This photo depicts the potential of the bank to act as a protective feature of the local watershed.
One of the bank's ponded intermittent streams during the wet season.
Tracks in the bottom of a different segment of the same intermittent stream shows that it is a highway for turtles entering the dry season.