KCI, in partnership with the firm’s in-house specialty contracting group Environmental Technologies and Construction (ETC), is leading efforts to restore the 60-acre Meachem Wetland back to its natural state.
The preserve was drained over the past 100 years to support agriculture and a quarry operation. Restoration of the degraded wetland involved returning the area to its preexisting condition, which called for extensive efforts all the way from site identification to monitoring. KCI was responsible for site acquisition, assessment, planning, design and construction of the restoration and will continue to lead monitoring and management throughout its 10-year process.
Working in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), it was determined that the restoration of the Meachem Wetland could address many of the watershed threats identified in the Environmental Protection Agency-approved Pike River Watershed Plan, which aims to increase flood storage, slow runoff, improve water quality, and create valuable habitats for native species. Identified as a green infrastructure parcel, the site supports the plan’s goals to promote storage and infiltration of stormwater and be permanently protected under a conservation easement. The restoration of the site will also help generate wetland credits to offset impacts in the watershed from other development projects.
The Meachem Wetland Preserve is the largest among several KCI projects in the Pike River watershed to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.
