U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards Construction Contract for Big Cypress Bayou

Published Oct. 11, 2012

FORT WORTH, Texas – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District officials issued a notice to proceed on a $2.9M ecosystem restoration project September 25 for the Big Cypress Bayou. The construction project has been awarded to Bristol Design Build Services, LLC of Anchorage, Alaska, under authority of Section 1135 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986. Project completion is scheduled for July 2013.

The construction project will improve bottomland habitat by planting hard and soft mast producing tree species, providing sites for establishment of bald cypress and bald cypress/water tupelo vegetative communities and improving an emergent wetland adjacent to existing riparian/bottomland hardwood forest tracts. Developing permanent backwater wetlands to restore waterfowl nesting, brood rearing and wintering habitat and reestablishing a contiguous riparian corridor to allow free migration of avian and wildlife species throughout the project area and restoring habitat for neotropical migratory birds and bats are features of the ecosystem restoration. The project will also benefit resident species of wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits, deer, raccoon, various reptiles and amphibians.

Prior to the impoundment of Lake O’ the Pines, Big Cypress Bayou had significantly more areas of wetlands, bottomland and upland forests. The project will restore approximately 30 acres of upland and bottomland hardwood forests, 2.9 acres of bottomland hardwood wetlands, 5 acres of urban wildscape, 0.25 acres of emergent wetland and modify an abandoned railroad bridge for bat roosting and nursery abodes. Construction of an aquatic restoration element for this project consisting of 1.84 acres of instream spawning habitat for approximately 40 species of fish and other aquatic organisms was completed in the summer of 2008 under a separate contract.

Additional project information may be obtained from Project Manager Marie Vanderpool, at 817-886-1424 or email marie.j.vanderpool@usace.army.mil.

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About the Fort Worth District: The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was established in 1950. The District is responsible for water resources development in two-thirds of Texas, and design and construction at military installations in Texas and parts of Louisiana and New Mexico. Visit the Fort Worth District Web site at: www.swf.usace.army.mil and SWF Facebook at: www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Worth-District-US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers/188083711219308


Contact
Clay Church
817-886-1314

Release no. 13-002