The Katy-Cypress Wetlands Mitigation Bank (KCWMB) is one of the nation's first privately owned facilities which allows landowners to meet federal and state wetland guidelines. KCWMB is an important resource for the environment because it is committed to the business of building and maintaining high-quality wetlands. Over one hundred and thirty acres of upland prairie have been converted into wetlands by building numerous levees, berms and diversion dams to regulate the amount and flow of water across the property. Three tributaries surround the wetlands, which include ponds, natural grasses and hydrophilic plants that create tremendous wildlife habitat. Herons and wading birds feed on crawfish, frogs, insects and plants found throughout the site. Ducks and geese use it as a resting and feeding stop during their long winter migrations. Deer nibble on tender plant shoots while raccoons and opossums search for food at night.

KCWMB is a Commercial Wetlands Mitigation Bank approved bythe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is privately owned and does not receive any public funds. By law, any developer who develops land containing jurisdictional wetlands must mitigate this impact by creating new wetlands. Such traditional wetland mitigation is a long and expensive process with a high rate of failure. Alternatively, landowners can buy wetland credits from KCWMB, thereby expediting their wetland permitting process while eliminating most of the costs and liability issues surrounding wetland mitigation. Governmental agencies benefit by consolidating their oversight of many small, poorly designed projects into one large, professionally managed mitigation bank. At the same time, society benefits by having the assurance that new, successfully created wetlands have been set aside to compensate for any impact to wetlands during land development.

Wetland Mitigation Alternatives Comparison

I. Katy-Cypress Wetlands Mitigation Bank (KCWMB)

• Forested Wetland Impacts with Agency Approval
• Pre-approved Non-forested (herbaceous) Wetland Impacts (all state and federal approvals)
• Pre-approved 1:1 Wetland Mitigation Ratio (wetlands are replaced on an equal basis)
• Pre-approved Elimination of Liability (applicant has no liability for mitigation project)
• Proven, Successful Mitigation
• Multi-County Service Area (Harris, Chambers, Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Matagorda, Calhoun, Wharton (east of the Colorado River), Austin, Waller, Montgomery, and Liberty Counties)
• Cypress Creek, Brazos River, Trinity River and Buffalo Bayou Watersheds
• Timely (decreased Corps of Engineers Section 404 permitting time)
• Lowest Cost
• No Planning, Selection, or Design Studies of Mitigation Site)
• No Additional Costs for Wetland Maintenance and Monitoring
• No Hidden Consultant Fees

II. Traditional Off-Site Wetland Mitigation and In-Lieu Fee Programs

• Must secure suitable mitigation site that meets watershed location requirements
• Must conduct extensive planning and design studies of mitigation site
• Mitigation Plan must obtain State and Federal Approval
• Minimum 2:1 Wetland Mitigation Ratio, Higher for Forested Wetlands
• Liability (applicant/developer assumes complete liability for the success of the project) which cannot be transferred to any other party or agent
• No Guarantee of successful mitigation
• No Pre-approved Service Area
• Increased Permitting Time
• Higher, Unknown Costs
• Additional Costs for Wetland Maintenance and Monitoring (5 years)
• Hidden Consultant fees