Omaha Wetland Mitigation at Fontenelle Forest Lowland

Wetland fill activity by Omaha Public Works is currently being mitigated by the construction of replacement habitat at lowlands of Fontenelle Forest on Gifford Point, east of Bellevue, Nebraska.

Mitigation wetlands at two sites near the Great Marsh will comprise a few-tenths less than 4 acres, and are being done at a rate where for every acre of wetland impacted, 1.5 acres are meant to be created, according to project details known to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. City of Omaha, and the Fontenelle Forest Association, the site owner.

The mitigation is the result of natural wetlands being filled due to facility improvements at the Missouri River Wastewater Treatment plant in southeast Omaha, along the Missouri River.

One of the sites is adjacent to a previous mitigation site of 2.5 acres constructed through regulated project activities associated with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, according to a FFA personnel.

A local contractor created ground depressions to "promote ponding" and the growth of wetland plants. Culverts to allow stormwater movement were also part of the recently completed construction activities.

Wetland plants will be planted this autumn by the Prairie Plains Resource Institute, with assistance by volunteers associated with the forest, director William S. Whitney indicted in an email. "Our greenhouse manager has grown a few thousand wetland grasses and forbs for transplanting into the engineered wetlands." Examples of species to be included are swamp milkweed, prairie cordgrass, winged lythrum, pink joe-pye and others, he said. There will be at least 600 individual plantings, according to plans defining project requirements.

Gifford Farm, a state-owned site used extensively for school-children education, is located just to the north of the locale, so the wetlands can also be used for educational activities, and well as the obvious habitat and floral diversity values.

This is the first project for PPRI in the immediate Omaha area, Whitney indicted in an email.

The approximate final cost for the project financed through Omaha Public Works is approximately $360,000, a city official indicated.

This project was required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to meet mitigation requirements of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

Monitoring of the site will continue for a ten year period, to ensure project goals are met.

June photograph of one of the the project sites. Image courtesy of the Public Works Department.

 

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The following details were provided by the Omaha office of the Corps of Engineers regarding the species of plants associated with the mitigation sites at Fontenelle Forest.

PPRI Wetland Species List 2014-2015 (119 spp.)
Grasses (11)			Wetness	% of Mix
Calamagrostis	canadensis	Bluejoint	OBL	0.49%
Calamagrostis	stricta	Northern Reedgrass	FACW	0.37%
Elymus	trachycaulus	Slender Wheatgrass	FACU	0.34%
Elymus	virginicus	Virginia Wildrye	FAC	3.48%
Glyceria	striata	Manna grass	OBL
Hordeum	jubatum	Foxtail Barley	FACW
Leersia	oryzoides	Rice Cut Grass	OBL	0.47%
Panicum	acuminatum	Tapered Rosette Grass	FACW
Pascopyrum	smithii	Western Wheatgrass	FACU
Spartina	pectinata	Prairie Cordgrass	FACW	4.42%
Sphenopholis	obtusata	Prairie Wedgegrass	FACW	0.03%
Sedges/Rushes (30)			Wetness	% of Mix
Carex	brachyglossa	Yellowfruit Sedge	FAC
Carex	brevior	Fescue Sedge	FAC
Carex	cristatella	Crested Sedge	FACW	0.14%
Carex	emoryi	Emory's Sedge	OBL	0.21%
Carex	gravida	Wetland Gravida	OBL	1.81%
Carex	hystericina	Bottlebrush Sedge	OBL
Carex	interior	Interior Sedge	OBL
Carex	laeviconica	Smooth Cone Sedge	OBL	6.09%
Carex	molesta	Troublesome Sedge	FAC	0.34%
Carex	pellita	Wooly Sedge	OBL	0.09%
Carex	praegracilis	Clustered Field Sedge	FACW
Carex	sartwellii	Sartwell's Sedge	OBL	0.03%
Carex	scoparia	Broom Sedge	FACW	1.03%
Carex	stipata	Saw-beak Sedge	OBL	0.70%
Carex	tribuloides	Blunt Broomsedge	FACW	1.36%
Carex	vulpinoidea	Fox Sedge	OBL	0.14%
Eleocharis	palustris	Common Spikerush	OBL
Eleocharis	erythropoda	Bald Spikerush	OBL	0.03%
Fimbristylis	puberula	Hairy Fimbry	OBL
Juncus	balticus	Baltic Rush	OBL	0.16%
Juncus	dudleyi	Dudley Rush	FACW	1.47%
Juncus	interior	Interior Rush	FAC	0.30%
Juncus	marginatus	Grassleaf Rush	FACW
Juncus	torreyi	Torrey's Rush	FACW	0.06%
Schoenoplectus	acutus	Chairmaker's Rush	OBL
Scirpus	atrovirens	Dark Green Bulrush	OBL	2.73%
Scirpus	maritimus	Prairie Bulrush	OBL
Scirpus	pallidus	Pale Bulrush	OBL	0.30%
Scirpus	pendulus	Rufous Bulrush	OBL	0.27%
Scirpus	pungens	Common Threesquare	OBL
Legumes (5)			Wetness	% of Mix
Astragalus	canadensis	Canada Milkvetch	FACU	0.25%
Dalea	leporina	Foxtail Dalea	FACU
Desmanthus	illinoensis	Illinois Bundleflower	FACU	1.82%
Glycyrrhiza	lepidota	Wild Licorice	FACU	0.06%
Lotus	purshianus	Deervetch	FAC	0.11%

 

Composites (28)			Wetness	% of Mix
Achillea	millefolium	Yarrow	FACU
Aster	ericoides	Heath Aster	FAC	0.35%
Aster	novae-angliae	New England Aster	FACW	0.09%
Aster	prealtus	Blue Willowleaf Aster	FACW	0.48%
Aster	simplex	Tall White Aster	FACW	0.35%
Bidens	comosa	Threelobe Beggarticks	OBL
Boehmeria	cylindrica	False Nettle	OBL
Boltonia	asteroides	False Aster	FACW	0.10%
Coreopsis	tinctoria	Plains Correopsis	FAC	2.63%
Erigeron	strigosus	Daisy Fleabane	FACW
Eupatorium	maculatum	Spotted Joe Pye Weed	OBL	0.57%
Eupatorium	perfoliatum	Boneset	OBL	0.45%
Euthamia	graminifolia	Grassleaf Goldenrod	FACW	0.01%
Grindelia	squarrosa	Gumweed	FACU
Helenium	autumnale	Sneezeweed	FACW
Helianthus	grosseserratus	Sawtooth Sunflower	FACW	0.70%
Iva	annua	Small Marsh Elder	FAC	0.14%
Lactuca	canadensis	Canada Lettuce	FACU
Lactuca	ludoviciana	Wild Lettuce	FAC
Liatris	lancifolia	Thickspike Gayfeather	FACW	0.07%
Ratibida	columnifera	Upright Prairie Coneflower	UPL
Rudbeckia	hirta	Black-eyed Susan	FACU	0.14%
Rudbeckia	laciniata	Cutleaf Coneflower	FAC	0.11%
Silphium	integrifolium	Entire-leaf Rosinweed	FACU
Silphium	perfoliatum	Cup Plant	FAC
Solidago	canadensis	Canada Goldenrod	FACU
Solidago	gigantea	Giant Goldenrod	FACW	0.03%
Vernonia	fasciculata	Ironweed	FAC	0.52%
Misc. Forbs (45)			Wetness	% of Mix
Agalinis	tenuifolia	Slender False Foxglove	FACW	0.07%
Alisma	trivale	American Water Plantain	OBL	0.06%
Allium	canadense	Canada Garlic (Sets)	FAC	0.34%
Allium	canadense	Canada Garlic (Seed)	FAC	0.07%
Ammania	coccinea	Tooth Cup	OBL	0.29%
Anemone	canadensis	Meadow Anemone	FACW
Asclepias	incarnata	Swamp Milkweed	OBL	0.04%
Asclepias	speciosa	Showy Milkweed	FAC
Asclepias	syriaca	Common Milkweed	FAC	0.34%
Epilobium	coloratum	Cinnamon Willow Herb	OBL	0.11%
Impatiens	capensis	Spotted Touch-me-not	FACW
Lobelia	cardinalis	Cardinal Flower	OBL
Lobelia	siphilitica	Blue Cardinal Flower	OBL
Lobelia	spicata	Palespike Lobelia	FAC
Lycopus	americanus	American Bugleweed	OBL
Lycopus	asper	Rough Bugleweed	OBL
Lysimachia	ciliata	Fringed Loosestrife	FACW
Lythrum	alatum	Winged Lythrum	OBL	0.15%
Mentha	arvensis	Field Mint	FACW
Oenothera	villosa	Common Evening Primrose	FAC	0.06%

 

Penstemon	digitalis	Smooth Penstemon	FAC
Penstemon	gracilis	Slender Penstemon	FACU
Penthorum	sedoides	Ditch Stonecrop	OBL	0.34%
Physalis	longifolia	Common Ground-cherry	UPL
Plantago	patagonica	Wooly Plantain	UPL
Polygonum	coccineum	Swamp Smartweed	FACW
Polygonum	hydropiperoides	Mild Water Pepper	OBL
Polygonum	lapathifolium	Pale Smartweed	OBL
Polygonum	pensylvanicum	Pennsylvania smartweed	FACW	0.08%
Potentilla	norvegica	Norwegian Cinquefoil	FACU	0.32%
Prunella	vulgaris	Self-heal	FACW
Pycnanthemum	virginianum	Mountain Mint	FAC
Ranunculus	macounii	Macoun's Buttercup	OBL	0.06%
Sagittaria	brevirostra	Shortbeak Arrowhead	OBL	0.07%
Sagittaria	calycina	Hooded Arrowhead	OBL
Sagittaria	latifolia	Broadleaf Arrowhead	OBL
Scutellaria	galericulata	Marsh Skullcap	OBL
Sisyrinchium	montanum	Strict Blue-eyed Grass	FAC
Teucrium	canadense	American Germander	FACW	0.03%
Thalictrum	dasycarpum	Purple Meadow Rue	FACW	0.12%
Tradescantia	bracteata	Bracted Spiderwort	FAC
Tradescantia	occidentale	Western Spiderwort	SAND
Verbena	hastata	Blue Vervain	FACW	0.18%
Verbena	stricta	Hoary Vervain	UPL
Verbena	urticifolia	Elm-leaf Verbena	UPL
				38.57%

Don't Mess With This Hawk

This vibrant hawk was eating breakfast and was ready to take on the world this morning. Another hawk was sitting atop a nearby utility pole, just being an observer, but perhaps waiting to swoop in and feed on the remains. It was the threat calls uttered by nearby passerine birds during my bicycling past that meant some human sort of attention was given to the situation.

This seems to be a female, because of size differences. A decent distance was kept away from this beautiful hawk to ensure that it could continue to feed as needed to survive. There were a couple of glances that conveyed some questioning about a tall intruder. My presence was done in a manner to never be excessively intrusive and certainly never a threat. The hawk continued to feed on some unknown prey upon my departure along the street. A guess about the food? Perhaps a rabbit nest?

The sheer intent and veracity of this bird is dramatic. It obviously conveys: don't take from me what is mine because there might have some interloper threatening survival. With its sort of perspective, may this bird thrive! The photo is the not the best of those taken but chosen for display because the character. It is the intensity that was captured and something to appreciate. What is surprising is the extent of feathers on the hawk's legs.

Perhaps a reason for the situation is that a Great-horned Owl that was heard during the night in some nearby trees.

A few Purple Martin were moving in the beautiful skies of the morning with such beautiful clouds, that myself and another visitor to the Walnut Hill Reservoir were visually gushing. After we enjoyed our own space as the clouds passed and the sun began to shine, the significance of the clouds were discussed (with one opinion comparing them to facets of the skin, and its textures and subtleties). The value of the green space was obvious. Even the local Chimney Swifts (at least nine) seemed happy as the bird clan, including what had to young of the year twittered overhead. The bird moment of the day was explaining to a fellow aficionado of skies that the little birds were not bats, but bug-eaters that live in chimneys.

Can't forget the nighthawk, nuthatch, a little bunch of chickadees saying "hello" in their merry refrain, robins of course, the voice of the cardinal, downy woodpecker, the mournful sound of the mourning dove. The House Sparrows enjoy the calm of the evening when they can get a fresh drink, once the human visitors depart to dry off and get warm. There was an subtly expressive Eastern Wood-Pewee, and the nice sound of a Chipping Sparrow, as well. A crow was off in the distance somewhere.

Any visit on a hot summer day - because a best fountain in Omaha is here - for residents of buildings is about the water. "IT IS TOO COLD" was a common refrain heard during my late July interlude one day.

Plovers and Terns Thrive on Flood-created Sandbars

Sandbar habitat from the "great flood" have been providing a safe haven in 2015 for terns and plovers as an increased amount of water is being released from Gavins Point dam.

"Water levels in 2015 have caused no issues for these birds," said Douglas Latka, a biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Omaha. Both the Least Tern and Piping Plover have been using sandbar habitat with an elevated height well above the measured flow levels in the Missouri River below the dam.

A notable increase in the extent of water released from the dam at Gavins Point occurred in early July. The higher water level has not been detrimental to the terns and plovers, as the fledglings utilize sandbar habitat that is not inundated by river water.

Habitat conditions along the Missouri National Recreation River this nesting season and in the previous few years, make management much easier, said Latka.

Sandbars used as nesting sites this year are a result of the "great flood" of 2011 when an extensive amount of sediment was deposited, increasing the availability of sandbars with an elevation notably above the river flow, Latka said. Nesting plover and terns have not needed to utilize less than optimum habitat, such as sites that might have been prone to being flooded by higher water releases.

Details on nesting activities for 2015 indicate there were fifteen nesting localities for the Least Tern, and of the 181 nests, at least 41 were successful, and 77 chicks were observed by the research team managed by the Corps. Of the 184 Piping Plover, 105 nests were observed to be successful, with 257 chicks observed.

"These are the boom years," for both species, Latka proclaimed, since ample high-quality habitat has been available. Annual vegetative management efforts have also helped to clear areas where plants might have otherwise encroached to an extent that the site would not be conducive for these ground nesting birds.

After nearly three decades of studies, "we understand the variables between habitat management and water flows during the breeding success," said Latka, This helps ensure that any actions minimize any unwanted "take" of birds.

The Corps has been monitoring populations of both species along the Missouri River since 1986.

Increased releases of water from Gavins Point dam this season have occurred to accommodate a barge which is transporting building materials for a fertilizer plant at Sioux City, Latka said. A second reason has been to achieve a flood level target for Kansas City, which has had a significant influence on river flows this year.

Birders Help Fledgling Vireos at Nebraska Park

Courtesy of Luther Haige. Photographs by Joe Manning.

"Joe Manning and I spent a little time fishing today at Memphis State Recreation Area today while Sam did his usual bird survey of the area. After about three hours of birding, Sam found three extremely small Yellow-throated Vireo chicks (not fledglings) lying on the ground under a tree. [I don't know how this guy does it. These birds were about an inch tall and two inches long. Two of the chicks did not have their eyes open most of the time we were on the scene. Any other person would have walked right by the chicks without noticing them.]

"The original nest was about 40 feet up in a nearby tree. There was no way we could get the chicks back up into the nest. The parents were present and continued to feed the chicks even while we were standing about eight feet away from the chicks. We fabricated a replacement nest from an empty strawberry container (clear plastic with small holes for drainage in it) and lined it with dry grass. We fastened it up in the tree about 10 feet off of the ground (all the higher we could get it without a ladder) with some old tent rope we found in a nearby dumpster.

"The parents continued to visit the chicks and feed them as we did our work. The largest of the three chicks was a little trouble-maker. She did not want to sit still. I'm guessing she was responsible for getting the chicks into their situation. When I put the chicks up in the make-shift nest, that little trouble-maker hopped up my index finger and out of the make-shift nest twice. Each time she got herself in a more precarious position.

"After making sure all three chicks were in the nest, Joe and I returned to our fishing, and Sam accompanied us. Two hours later, we returned to the nest to check on the chicks. We found our little trouble-maker friend impossibly wedged between two small branches about three inches below the nest. I climbed up on the top of the car one more time to rescue her again. I think she was so exhausted from her this last predicament that she seemed very content to be safely back in the make-shift nest. Mom and dad were still vigilant and were busy bringing food to the new nesting location."

Young Yellow-throated Vireo