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HomeMy WebLinkAboutoak island beach nourishment bioROY COOPER NORTH CAROLINA Governor Environmental Quality MICHAEL S. REGAN Secretary BRAXTON C. DAVIS Director October 21, 2019 Mr. Johnny Martin Moffatt & Nichol 4700 Falls of the Neuse, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27609 Dear Mr. Martin: The Division of Coastal Management hereby acknowledges receipt of your application, acting as agent for the Town of Oak Island, for State approval of the Town of Oak Island's beach nourishment project, located from 101h Place West to SE 631d Street, in Oak Island, Brunswick County, and adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. It was received as conditionally complete on 10/9/19 and appears to be adequate for processing at this time. The projected deadline for making a decision is 12/23/19. An additional 75-day review period is provided by law when such time is necessary to complete the review. If you have not been notified of a final action by the initial deadline stated above, you should consider the review period extended. Under those circumstances, this letter will serve as your notice of an extended review. However, an additional letter will be provided on or about the 75th day. If this agency does not render a permit decision within 70 days from 10/9/19 you may request a meeting with the Director of the Division of Coastal Management and permit staff to discuss the status of your project. Such a meeting will be held within five working days from the receipt of your written request and shall include the applicant and project designer/consultant. NCGS 113A-119(b) requires that Notice of an application be posted at the location of the proposed development. Enclosed you will find a "Notice of Permit Filing" postcard which must be posted at the property of your proposed development. You should post copies of this notice at a conspicuous point along the project area where it can be observed by the public. Failure to post this notice could result in an incomplete application. An onsite inspection will be made, and if additional information is required, you will be contacted by the appropriate State or Federal agency. Please contact me if you have any questions and notify me in writing if you wish to receive a copy of my field report and/or comments from reviewing agencies. Sincerely, .eathcCoat � � Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator cc: MHC Files, DCM David Kelly, Town of Oak Island Ronnie Smith, COE Dawn York, Moffatt & Nichol North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management Wilmington Office 1127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington. North Carolina 28405 910.796.7215 DIVISION OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT APPLICANT'S NAME: Town of Oak Island LOCATION OF PROJECT SITE: The project site is located on Oak Island, from 10" Place West to SE 63" Street, Brunswick County. Approximate State Plane Coordinates — Approx. Lat: 33.914404' N (start)/ 33.907539' N (end) Long: 78.171628' W (start) / 78.10263 P W (end) 3. INVESTIGATION TYPE: CAMA / D&F 4. INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE: Dates of Site Visit — 9/26/19, 10/11/19 Was Applicant Present — No 5. PROCESSING PROCEDURE: Application Received—10/9/19 (conditionally complete) Office — Wilmington 6. SITE DESCRIPTION: (A) Local Land Use Plan — Town of Oak Island (B) AEC(s) Involved: OH, PTA (C) Water Dependent: Yes (D) Intended Use: Public (E) Wastewater Treatment: Existing — Municipal Sewer Planned - N/A (F) Type of Structures: Existing — Primarily residential structures and accessways Planned — Dune construction and beach renourishment project (G) Estimated Annual Rate of Erosion: 0'-2'/year SBF: 2'/year HABITAT DESCRIPTION: [AREA) DREDGED FILLED OTHER (A) Vegetated Wetlands (coastal) (B) Other (Below MHW) 304 acres — 122 acres (C) Other (Above MHW) —71 acres (II) Total Area Disturbed: —193 acres of beach fill Primary Nursery Area: No (1) Water Classification: SB Open: No 8. PROJECT SUMMARY: The applicant is proposing a beach nourishment project from 10'h Place West to SE 63`d Street. wnm ra�ououD_E Q�/ � ae.��a urao�.oww.mr� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management Wilmington office 1127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405 910.796.7215 Town of Oak Island Beach Nourishment Page Two 9. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Town of Oak Island is a south facing barrier island located in Brunswick County between Lockwoods Folly Inlet and the Town of Holden Beach to the west and the Town of Caswell Beach and the Cape Fear River to the east. The Town of Caswell Beach is also located on the island. The Town of Oak Island is approximately 9 miles in length. It is bordered by the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIW W) to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The island is accessed via 2 bridges. The western bridge leads into the Town of Oak Island located off NC Highway 211 via Middleton Blvd. The eastern bridge leads onto the island between Oak Island and Caswell Beach and is accessed from NC Highway 133. The project site extends approximately 21,000 linear feet from IOth Place West to SE 63rd Street. The long-term erosion rate for the project area ranges from 0'-2'/year. The Division's calculated 100-year storm recession line for the island was predicted to be 180'. In 2001, the Town of Oak Island received sand on its beachfront via a deepening project of the Wilmington Harbor federal channel and a federal habitat restoration project. The Town also periodically receives sand along the eastern portion of its shoreline through ongoing maintenance of the federal navigation channel through the Wilmington Harbor Sand Management Plan. The Town also constructed a project in 2015 which dredged a portion of Eastern Channel with beneficial placement of sand on the west end of Oak Island (State Permit #21-15 & ACE Action ID #2014-02180). Earlier in 2019, the US Army Corps of Engineers placed a small quantity of sand on the western end of the island through maintenance dredging of the Lockwoods Folly Inlet crossing. Following Matthew, a dune restoration project was also authorized in 2017 that permitted the Town to repair the eroded frontal dune. That project ultimately resulted in the placement of material that elicited significant compatibility concerns (Minor Permit #0I- 17-11). Due to ongoing storm erosion, the frontal dune throughout the project area ranges from being heavily eroded to absent. Most of the material from the 2017 constructed dune project has since eroded, with exception of a few diminished sections at the eastern end of the project and near Ocean Crest pier. The applicant has identified a —304 acre borrow site off Jay Bird Shoals to supply sand for the project. The current water depths at the site vary from approximately -20 to -28' NAVD88. (See Sheet C-301/ Index 21 of 22). Sediments collected via Vibracore samples within the borrow site showed a Unified Soils Classification System (USCS) designation of predominantly SP-SM or SW. Gravel sized material (>4.76mm) ranged from 0-7% with a maximum composite weight of 4.25%. Fines (<0.0625 mm) in individual samples ranged from 1.29% to 9.87% with a maximum composite weight of 6.79% overall. A a low -intensity, long -duration linear feature was identified within the borrow site by a remote sensing survey and a minimum 50' buffer area on each side of the anomaly is proposed (see Appendix D- Archeological Remote Sensing for more information). A follow-up Phase II Remote -Sensing Archeological Survey was later submitted for inclusion in the application package. Additionally, a question came up at the local stakeholder group with neighboring communities whether contaminated sediments could be found within the borrow area due to the Duke Energy Brunswick Electric Steam Plant outfall. The outfall (conveying non -contact cooling water from the nuclear plant) terminates approximately 2,000' (-0.38 miles) offshore, south of the discharge canal at Caswell Beach. The borrow area is located approximately 1 mile off Caswell Beach, a distance of more than half a mile from the outfall. According to a representative of Duke North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management Wilmington Office 1127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405 910.796,7215 Town of Oak Island Beach Nourishment Page Three Energy, a composite sampler at the outfall pipe is tested by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), testing levels for gamma emitters and tritium have consistently tested negligible to absent, and results are in compliance with NRC guidelines and the State's National Pollutant Discharge Eliminatory System (NPDES) permit. The native beach was characterized using data collected by Athena earlier this year. Fines were calculated at 1.88%, with sand comprising 98.96%, and granular and gravel material each at less than 1%. Mean grain size was calculated at 0.27mm. Calcium carbonate was reported at 9.72%. Clast counts of shell and rock material greater than 3" in size was initially evaluated at three 50,000 square foot sites; however, only one location (Area 2) was within the project area boundaries. Concerns were expressed by the applicant that the count performed within the project area may be artificially low due to recent bulldozing. Forty-four (44) shells or rocks greater than 3" in size were found in Area 2, located between Stations 490+00 and 500+00. Due to rule language that requires the 50,000 square foot area assessed to be within the project area, additional sampling from another area was requested of the applicant if it is felt that the count at Site 2 does not accurately represent native material. Another cast count was subsequently conducted between 22nd Place East and 25" Place East. In that area, 743 clasts were reported by the applicant within a 50,000 square foot area. However, the report noted that most of the material was rock remnants from the 2001 Turtle Habitat Restoration Project. As such, DCM does not concur that the area qualifies as representative of the native beach and is requesting another location be evaluated. This information will be relayed to agencies upon receipt of an acceptable report. The waters in the project area fall within the Lumber and Cape Fear River Basins, as classified by the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR). The waters of the Atlantic Ocean are classified as SB by the DWR. The NC Division of Marine Fisheries has NOT designated any of the areas to be impacted as a Primary Nursery Area, and there are no foreseen impacts to shellfish resources at this time. PROPOSED PROJECT: The applicant is proposing a beach nourishment and dune restoration project for the Town of Oak Island. The project area would extend from 10" Place West to SE 63`d Street in the Town of Oak Island. The overall proposed project length is approximately 4 miles (21,000 linear feet). The beach would be filled to an elevation of+7' NAVD 88 with a 20: 1 slope out to tie into existing grade from -P to -10' NAVD88. A dune is also proposed at an elevation ranging from 13.5' to 14.5' NAVD88, constructed with a 6' wide dune crest, and at a 5:1 slope. This appears to advance the frontal dune area of the beach profile approximately 35'- 65' waterward of its pre -Matthew location along approximately 30% of the project area. Remaining sections appear to more closely follow the historic dune profile. Anticipated fill volumes for the initial project range from 15 to 65 (average= 37) cubic yards per linear foot. As proposed, a gross excavated volume of up to 1.1 million cubic yards of sand has been calculated to account for an estimated placement loss of up to 30%. A final net volume of approximately 846,000 cubic yards is anticipated to be placed on the beach, given current conditions. It is currently estimated that 5,315,000 square feet would be filled below MHW (337,453 cubic yards). Of that material, approximately 2,178,000 square feet (101,166 cubic yards) would also be located below MLW. Approximately 3,085,000 square feet (508,547 cubic yards) of beach fill material would be placed above the MHW line. The applicant also estimates approximately 100' of fill would be placed waterward of the current MHW line on average, within a maximum projected distance of 330' placed below MHW. While the application states the estimated equilibrated recreational beach width (the distance between +7' NAVD88 to MHW) will roughly approximate the existing beach width prior to Matthew, additional information submitted to awaimiarm�mmm Pwh� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management Wilmington Office 1 127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405 910.796.7215 Town of Oak Island Beach Nourishment Page Four DCM showed a slight overall narrowing of the beach width as compared to the more current recreational beach width existing as of June 2019. A table provided by the applicant shows the average pre -Matthew beach width at 66', the average pre -construction (June 2019) beach width at 81', and the average anticipated post -construction equilibrated beach width at 63'. Estimated equilibration was simulated using SBEACH 2-year return period storm. The applicant has also stated this project is the first phase of the Town's overall plan and the Town intends to apply for a more comprehensive beach restoration project in the near future. As previously stated, the applicant states they propose to dredge the approximately 1.1 million cubic yards of material from the Jay Bird Shoals site at a varying design depth to reduce impacts to the integrity of the shoal feature and effects on the nearshore wave environment. The site has been divided into three zones: Zone 1 would be excavated to a depth of -27' NAVD88. Zone 2 would be excavated to a design depth of -31' NAVD88 and Zone 3's proposed dredge depth is -27' NAVD88. The material would be dredged either via a hopper dredge, and transported to offshore temporary mooring, and then pumped by submerged pipeline onto the beach, or excavated via cutterhead dredge and piped directly to the beach from the borrow area. 10. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS The proposed dredging associated with the project would result in impacts to up to 304 acres of submerged bottom state waters. The project would result in the fill of approximately 71 acres of upper beach (above MHW) and would fill approximately 122 acres of intertidal area and near -shore shallow bottom. The dredging and beach fill would result in temporary increases in turbidity. Temporary impacts to benthic and invertebrate infaunal communities can be expected. The applicant is proposing to limit work between November 16 through April 30, thereby avoiding peak periods of biological activity. The applicant has also committed to monitoring sand placement throughout the project to ensure material is compatible and complies with State Technical Standards (15A NCAA07H .0312) as well as utilizing existing permanent beach accessways with heavy equipment and via existing public access corridors. The narrative states they would locate staging areas for construction equipment off the beach, but daily equipment staging would be located on the beach seaward of the dune line. The narrative also states the applicant also agrees to abide by many of the other standard conditions as addressed in Section 4 of the Narrative (Proposed Conservation Measures). Submitted by: Heather Coats Date: October 21, 2019 Office: Wilmington North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management Wilmington Office 1 127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405 910.796.7215