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0 0 <br />Port of Houston Authority <br />Wetland Mitigation Plan <br />MONITORING <br />Z�Ll 5 D- o (R,-, ;s �'_k) <br />The PHA will conduct Wetland Monitoring to document wetland success. Wetland performance <br />monitoring will be conducted in two phases: <br />Phase I, which is considered a post -planting growth phase, will be initiated after construction <br />and planting are complete, and will continue for three (3) years. Phase I activities will include <br />monitoring and maintenance. Wetland performance standards will be met before Phase I is <br />concluded; <br />Phase II, a performance maintenance period, begins after the conclusion of Phase I. Phase If <br />will continue for two (2) years to assure performance standards achieved during Phase I are <br />maintained. <br />During both Phase I and II, monitoring will be conducted using both qualitative and quantitative <br />field methods. The methods employed during a particular monitoring event will be dependent <br />upon the specific objective for that Phase or monitoring event. Qualitative monitoring will <br />involve visual inspections, ground -level photographs, and professional judgment of the field <br />biologists. Quantitative surveys may include aerial photography to document growth trends and <br />surveys of vegetation survival and growth. Quantitative monitoring will be used to document <br />progress toward performance standards. <br />Monitoring Schedule and Requirements <br />Phase I Monitoring <br />Phase I Monitoring of the wetland creation project will be initiated after planting of marsh <br />vegetation is complete and construction has been approved by the USACE. The completion of <br />planting shall serve as time zero for monitoring, reporting, and time related Success Criteria <br />(i.e., the initiation of Phase II). The objective of Phase I monitoring will be to document <br />vegetation survival and growth trends in the constructed wetland. During Phase I, PHA will <br />monitor marsh development at least twice during the first growing season, and semi-annually <br />until performance standards have been achieved. Informal monthly site inspections will be <br />conducted during the first growing season in order to quickly identify potential problems. <br />Benchmark Ecological Services, Inc. June 2002 <br />