The Agencies developed a restoration plan for the resource injuries caused by the spill. That plan is found within the Final Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the December 7, 1997 Alafia River Spill released in 2000. The Agencies recovered the anticipated costs to implement the restoration actions outlined in that plan in a 2003 settlement with the Mulberry Phosphates, Inc. (MPI) and its insurer. The restoration actions identified in that plan are expected to improve the health of the Alafia River and the Tampa Bay watershed by restoring and creating wetlands and productive fisheries habitat, and increasing fishery abundance.

The Agencies will monitor these projects to ensure that they restore the natural resources harmed by the release. Moreover, these projects will help improve scientific understanding of habitat restoration, so that future environmental problems - whether from acidic releases or other causes - can be mitigated.

The restoration actions identified in that plan are:

Project: Release of juvenile snook into Alafia River
Status: Completed in 1998

This fish release project was undertaken in 1998 to directly replace snook in the Alafia River, in order to partially offset the spill’s kill of similar sized snook. In April 1998, Agencies were notified of the availability of a limited number of juvenile snook suitable for potential release into the Alafia River. The fish had been reared at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Stock Enhancement Research Facility and pending funding for transport, were ready to be returned to the Alafia River. The fish were transported, acclimated and released into the Alafia on May 22, 1998 after being tagged and passing a health certification. A total of 154 snook averaging 11 inches in length were released in six locations between the I-75 Bridge and the mouth of the river and six locations east of the bridge.

Project: Freshwater wetland restoration
Funding: $2.3 million (from MPI settlement)
Status: In planning phase

At least 18 acres of freshwater habitat will be created by converting non-native uplands, such as agricultural lands or filled historic riverine habitat, into freshwater floodplain wetlands, or by returning disturbed vegetative communities to an original or more desirable wetland community structure.

Projects of this nature will restore higher quality wetland vegetation and provide a comparable array of ecological services as the freshwater wetlands that were injured. Restoration of freshwater wetlands will, over time, also help remove amounts of nitrogen similar to the amounts added to the system due to the release.

The funding for this project includes estimated costs for site identification, land acquisition (if needed), permitting, construction, performance monitoring, and any mid-course corrections needed to ensure restoration success.

FDEP and the FWS are leading this planning effort.

Project: Estuarine wetland restoration and oyster reef creation
Funding: $1.3 million (from MPI settlement)
Status: In planning phase

The goal of the estuarine wetland restoration and oyster reef creation project planning effort is to create at least four acres of oyster reef habitat and restore at least four acres of estuarine wetlands (or equivalent combinations) in the lower Alafia River or nearby areas of Tampa Bay. Estuarine wetlands and oyster reef are each productive fisheries habitats and projects of both types will be used to replace the fishery biomass lost. Projects of these types will also benefit birds-which depend on fish as a food source, the water column-as oyster reefs assist in removing suspended sediments from the water column, benthos-as wetlands provide productive habitat for benthic organisms, and recreational anglers-who depend on fish for their catch.

Wetland restoration projects may involve converting non-native uplands or previously filled wetlands into tidally influenced habitat, or replacing nuisance or exotic-dominated vegetation communities in estuarine areas with more productive estuarine vegetation.

Oyster reef creation projects will involve the placement of hard substrate in open water, on shoreline or in intertidal areas to create three-dimensional structure suitable for colonization by oysters. Created reef areas will enhance the availability of prey items, create new foraging opportunities for fish and other aquatic fauna, and enhance fisheries production.

The funding for this project includes the estimated costs of site identification, land acquisition (if needed) , project design, permitting, construction, performance monitoring, and any mid-course corrections needed to ensure restoration success.

FDEP and the NOAA are leading these planning efforts.