The Orchard Road Mitigation Site has been developed by Lochmueller for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to compensate for wetland, stream, and floodway impacts caused by the construction of the SR 61 Boonville Bypass project. The SR 61 Boonville Bypass project involved new roadway construction and improvements to the associated intersections to improve traffic flow along SR 61 in the Boonville area, increase safety around the intersection, and support economic development in Boonville and Warrick County. Construction of the mitigation site is a requirement of the Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the Section 404 Permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and a Construction in a Floodway (CIF) Permit from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).
The Orchard Road Site is just under 50 acres in size and INDOT currently owns the property. The site is located approximately 2.8 miles north of Reo in Spencer County, Indiana. The western boundary is bordered by Orchard Road. Site construction began in the summer of 2017, with the completion of tree and shrub planting in the spring of 2018. Site construction involved the development of 30.4 acres total wetland development, including 13.6 acres of emergent wetlands and 16.8 acres of forested wetlands. Nearly 11,000 native trees and shrubs were planted at the mitigation site.
Lochmueller has been performing annual monitoring and maintenance services for INDOT. As of 2024, seven growing seasons after initial plantings, many of the planted trees are exceeding 10 feet in height. Surface water is present annually throughout much of the growing season, resulting in observations of numerous species of amphibians, reptiles, songbirds, and waterfowl. The mitigation site is developing into a diverse and thriving wetland ecosystem.
