Egans Creek Restoration Project
A project is underway to restore the portion of Egans Creek located south of Jasmine Street as a freshwater wetland system. This project was prompted by changes in the vegetation due to increased water levels and saltwater intrusion associated with the original Egans Creek salt marsh restoration project located between Atlantic Boulevard and Jasmine Street.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been working to restore this portion of Egans Creek south of Jasmine Street since the area was inadvertently damaged as part of this salt marsh restoration project. FDOT’s goal of this restoration project is to reestablish a forested freshwater wetland system with ecological and aesthetic qualities equal to or better than the freshwater system that was impacted.
The first steps taken in this ongoing effort to restore Egans Creek have been the construction of the tide barrier north of Jasmine Street, partial dead tree removal, water/soil salinity and vegetation data collection. Time and precipitation are needed to reduce the salinity in the soil. This reduction is being monitored and will occur mostly through physical process as rainfall flushes the surface and groundwater in the area. Some plants do uptake salinity from soil and groundwater (e.g., cattails have been used to uptake road salts flushed into wetlands after winter salting for road ice). The use of plants to uptake salinity will be considered in the restoration process.
A public workshop was held November 14, 2011 where concepts were presented on the next step in the restoration process. A range of options were presented at the meeting which included removing dead trees, replanting of targeted areas, continued salinity monitoring and future planting.
FDOT presented three restoration alternatives at the Fernandina Beach City
Commission meeting January 17, 2012. During the presentation, FDOT stated the
preferred alternative is the aesthetic planting alternative or alternative two.