Laserfiche WebLink
M, M - M <br />"(1) their pri-r,ry procli •r i t ; , ') their special pr^duction of <br />life forms of _,cif ii.: a to rl:tn, (3) their furnishing of lslbitrlt <br />to endatigercd '0 iota, (4) l,t'ir I11 :_�:.on ;;S nutrii.ii[ irat)`; :1n:1 '_hits <br />purifiers of watf,rs, (51 i:c•ir pori action of ncitrbl nts, for i stt ar r <br />(6) their work ;!5 absorl,. t ?i di •1.1,iin, r:t:tlt"n c ner:,,itis, (7) t!,, -Ir <br />role as weather :iodiflcr-4, (°l tI!.•i- c,)nrriIMI t on of rt�c_rcatinn ,ilsi <br />aesthetic val.utl_., L' "d he it i:n: 1 e pr ?sery-it io;! t11 prec. i <br />water." <br />Following impoun,'.ment for to:;gt_tito ,ciitr.ol_ the ven,et.ation changed <br />to mangrove forest. The estu.l: i ;: :iitt.rierit source :111d nrr!;ery ground <br />functions were lost, but the e".;­inded :ignati.c :iabitat improve d cor.ditinn <br />for wading birds and :datcrfc•t.t . <br />Today these wetlands art' -,c lon�•cr pumped tltil of river water :or <br />mosquito control, but they passively impound rainwater, thus sti.11 <br />providing wetland benefits. Oit recent rains have floc.>rled m, )st of the <br />area, providing habitat for for; ge fiche wading biro ;, ducks, otter=., <br />and a variety of other animals. if t1);-;,_, impoundrients were reopened to <br />tidal access, part of the yc,ir tbev woll.ltl have less watts than at present <br />and part of the year they wou L,1 havi2 more water. TOC vogetation .:Quid <br />slowly revert back to a less forested condition. The;• principal benefic is <br />would be the Indian River eEtu;iry, for the _niti-iertt export and r_ursc'ry <br />ground functions would be re-e>,tahl ish- d . recent stuc v by Harbor <br />Branch personnel in an impoundr ont :chit h was reopene ci to the river by <br />culverts found a dramatic ir.cr• , se in t i_sh spe:_ies divc : i;ity, with 40 <br />species in the reconnected tear:�I: inc-ltiding si4;nific;irlt „'lrlhc+rs of Jiiv:_nil <br />snook and tarpon. <br />The drainage of those t; .i _c i. is wr:::l.inds i include(] in the rca(;T.r,ty <br />design because the -swamp land o: ne rs :tiid their -lies hrive. convinc _-:ci the <br />County that if they -Llow nct'7 '. r.i:dct•:iter t" reach th•'se wetlands, <br />e" <br />that the County till 'l:1tc le :>iL '. i,ii.. s1:a(F� til; t ac,ain. if <br />your culverts, which breach d i'•:r i>+til .with p tblic, funds, allow t idewett_•r�: <br />to reach this saltmarsh, as e 'r'ive :1e)r 1^undreds, if not thousands, of <br />years, they say the County l.Tili '>e Lia -Le for perceived dama;es caused <br />by the rise and fall of the tides - in short, the County accents responsi')i : <br />for an Act of God. GenLiem,!o. you are being bluffed. I have worked on <br />dredge and fill permits for the last ;.0 years, many of which have been <br />decided in court. Restoration oi'_ tidal access is routinely required in <br />the permit process. Wiien tidc­,,rriter naturally reaches areas which are <br />naturally below a tidal elevat ian, tht_re are no dama4;es involved and <br />liability can only be assigriod ro ilother Nature. <br />If you are really serioi!s c11•.out building this road in an environrien' .l.. <br />acceptable manner, let me make .)n of fcr. H'Itninate the plugs and flap <br />gates and leave the culverts o;;o.n or t"quipped with F.ashboard risers. <br />In the event spurious; claims of damages are filed against Indian �.iv'.r <br />County, I will assist you is cO,t:lining the most qualified group of <br />witnesses available to provide :�xper.t testimony to t_he fact that these <br />have been saltmarsh wetlands subjoct co periodic tidal flooding since <br />pre -historic times. <br />If you want to be con+:err. l .-; t]! :i Logit Lmate legal I'ssue, consider <br />potential lawsuits front envfronnent i or civic. organizations r.egarlli.n)g <br />the very real loss of nubli;_ ]: lei its l -hen a County road project i=; <br />directly responsible for th-- rr) mage et Priv:'-tely-owned saltmarsh <br />wetlands. All of our sa-Ltmars'.t, troth imponnde.d and unimpounded, is <br />either actively or potentially Impori-ant to the Indian River ecosysteli. <br />Any loss of these wetlands L- wcomp;inied by functional value losses for <br />the ecosystem which are often disproportionately large relative to the <br />acreage involved. As cl•2an te:! :e r, riht1i -'.int f.1sh and wildlife, and ,torr <br />protection in tilt-- Indian ,re. cl i-itnisl,od, the net result i:; lower <br />property values and a reduce io!"! in thi, qua t its of 1 i t'o for area res idem <br />The Indian liver Blvd. t:;t.n::ion project has erioligh controvers; <br />surrounding it without these, e�ii: ironmental. prObLems i.n the current <br />design which are so easily c•t•rn.-Jiod. if you are going to go through <br />with it, I urge you to do iz tf)e right. c.•ay by immediately instructing <br />your consultants to mnke rho.,,, es;r ent t_al design changes. <br />SEP 14 1981 <br />23 Box 4.7 PAP 442 <br />