In collaboration with the Manatee County Ecological and Marine Resources Division, Cummins Cederberg developed an Oyster Restoration Master Plan to support the County with their ongoing oyster restoration efforts within the Manatee River. The goal of the Master Plan was to establish a framework for prioritizing future restoration efforts and provide Manatee County with a comprehensive, data-driven framework to guide oyster restoration, prioritize investments, and advance projects toward construction as part of a long-term habitat restoration strategy.

The planning effort included a comprehensive desktop evaluation of existing data, including historical oyster distribution, water quality parameters (e.g., salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH), biological resources, bathymetry, tidal conditions, and sea level rise projections. Field assessments were also conducted at natural oyster reef sites to evaluate environmental conditions and identify key success criteria. These analyses informed the identification and prioritization of 45 potential restoration sites within the Manatee River system.

Following the Master Plan, Cummins Cederberg performed field investigations, marine engineering design, and permitting services to advance priority restoration sites toward implementation. This work included marine resource surveys, limited coastal analyses, sediment probes and geotechnical borings, and bathymetric surveying across eight (8) sites along the Manatee River. Field investigations documented seagrass and benthic habitats, collected current and water level data, and characterized sediment conditions to support evaluation of site suitability.

After selecting three (3) sites for implementation, design drawings were developed, including plan views and representative cross-sections illustrating proposed oyster restoration features. Cummins Cederberg worked with Mantee County to refine designs to align with County goals and preferences, account for site-specific environmental conditions, wave energy considerations, and constructability constraints, and adapt the implementation approach to support to research interests.

With final designs selected, Cummins Cederberg processed environmental permit applications through state and federal permitting agencies to secure the appropriate authorizations for the proposed project. The project was designed to be self-mitigating with a net gain of ecological services which ultimately alleviated the need for mitigation. The successful permitting effort positioned the project for implementation while advancing the County’s restoration and ecological enhancement objectives within the Manatee River.