Photo courtesy of MCSWS

In response to the recognition that successful restoration of riparian wetland habitat is often inhibited by a lack of organic matter in the soils of restoration project sites, organic matter amendments were planned for wetland cells within the restoration of the Hidden Valley Ecological Garden (HVEG) stream and floodplain of Little Sugar Creek in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Researchers from the Duke University Wetland Center worked with Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services (MCSWS) to develop a set of experimental soil organic matter amendments to test whether those amendments would increase restoration success. Three treatments were established; 1) Topsoil-Only, 2) Low Compost at a ratio of 4:1 topsoil:compost, and 3) High Compost at a ratio of 2:1 topsoil:compost. Upon completion of restoration activities in July 2004, DUWC personnel initiated a five-year monitoring program of quarterly ambient stream water quality sampling and annual surveying of stream habitat and geomorphology development, and the soils and vegetation in the wetland cells. Within the stream channels, ambient flow water quality data have thus far shown little evidence of significant processing or uptake within the stream, with the exception of a decline in inorganic phosphorus (P) concentration within the combined stream flow below the confluenc