Objectives of the wetland mitigation plan are to enhance and restore the historic Everglades marsh, open water, and forested wetland habitats to benefit wetland-dependent wildlife and maintain the valuable hydrologic functions that wetlands provide. In addition, permit requirements dictated that additional replacement wetlands were needed in the developed residential areas, and these were provided in the form of the littoral wetland shelves visible on the opposite side of the lakes for many of the City’s waterfront residents.  The various mitigation sites that were preserved, enhanced, or constructed in Weston include varied wetland habitat types such as open water, sawgrass marsh, forested tree islands, littoral lake shelves, aquatic refugia, and transitional upland buffer.  These areas are all interspersed throughout the City, collectively create a diverse and healthy ecosystem, and typically run along main roadways not flanked by residential properties.

Permit requirements dictated that additional replacement wetlands were needed in the developed residential areas, and these were provided in the form of the littoral wetland shelves visible on the opposite side of the lakes for many of the City’s waterfront residents.  The various mitigation sites that were preserved, enhanced, or constructed in Weston include varied wetland habitat types such as open water, sawgrass marsh, forested tree islands, littoral lake shelves, aquatic refugia, and transitional upland buffer.  These areas are all interspersed throughout the City, collectively create a diverse and healthy ecosystem, and typically run along main roadways not flanked by residential properties.

Year-round maintenance includes the elimination of specific invasive or nuisance plant species while fostering the growth of healthy native wetland vegetation, attracting and supporting a diverse population of fish and wildlife. The City of Weston contracts with a private company to provide the year-round maintenance of the mitigation areas. The company is procured through a public request for proposals for Mitigation Area Invasive Vegetation Management Services and once an agreement is executed with the City, becomes one of the City’s service providers.  The work of this aquatic vegetation management service provider is in turn inspected for mitigation permit compliance by the City’s Environmental Engineering and Wetland Management consultant.

The restored and enhanced mitigation wetland areas today blend seamlessly with the naturally formed Everglades wetlands that it borders. Water levels are monitored and managed in accordance with permit requirements, panoramic photo stations visually record environmental conditions and vegetative cover, and regular fish and bird and other wildlife observations serve as evidence for the overall health and vitality of each site. It is a sanctuary for wildlife to thrive in an undisturbed and unthreatened environment.

In 2015, the City of Weston conveyed two mitigation areas to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for inclusion within a 565-acre mitigation buffer at the north end of the proposed C-11 Impoundment Project.  Weston continues to maintain the remaining wetland enhancement mitigation areas that remain to the west of the developed City limits including:

• A 20-acre property southwest of Regional Park known as “FDEP Connector”
• A 29-acre property north of Regional Park known as “Blue Cow”
• A 40-acre strip bordering the westernmost residential areas known as “Seepage Barriers North and South”
• A 45-acre area on Manatee Isles Drive known as “Isles of Weston North and South”
• A 275-acre area west of South Post Road and south of Regional Park known as “275 East and 275 West”
• A 1,185-acre area between the Savanna community and U.S. 27 known as “1185”
• And a 1,300-acre area of Littoral Shelves incorporated in Sectors 1-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-10 and 16.
• Access to these mitigation areas is not prohibited, but all areas are protected by conservation easements granted to the regulatory agencies that permitted the City’s development, and any activity that alters or degrades the integrity of the mitigation habitat constitutes a violation of the easement agreement. Residents are encouraged to observe, experience and appreciate these preserved lands, but are also expected to act responsibly and respectfully.  Avoid damage to trees, shrubs, and vegetation, and allow the native wildlife to live as they would in the absence of human presence. Observations of exotic or invasive wildlife such as purple swamp hen, Burmese python, or Argentinean tegu should be reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. More information on the mitigation efforts and treatment procedures is provided in the Lake and Canal Maintenance page.