NCDOT 65-92 Mitigation SR 1175 Smith Creek

tLA+ r 6P5 De-D I I �.rcNORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
, ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
October 15, 1999 DIVISION OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT
A:79A
IF V. Charles Bruton, Ph.D.
NCDENRAssistant Branch Manager
Project Development and Environmental Analysis
NC Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 25201
JAMES B. HUNT JR. Raleigh,NC 27611-7687
GOVERNOR
Re: Mitigation Sites,New Hanover County, TIP Project No. B-2059B-2156; State Project No.
8.2560701; COE Action ID No. 199101126, CAMA Permit Number 65-92.
WAYNE MCDEVITT
SECRETARY - Dear Dr. Bruton:
This letter is in response to your correspondence dated June 17, 1999 to the Division of Coastal
Management and recent phone conversations with Shannon Simpson of your staff regarding the
DONNA D. MOFFITT regulatory release of the New Hanover County Mitigation Sites located near Bridge No. 1 over
DIRECTOR
Spring Branch and Bridge No. 2 over Smith Creek on SR 1175 (North Kerr Avenue).
;;rv, It appears, according to the description in your letter,that most of the success criteria for these
mitigation sites have been met. DCM concurs with your recommendation to discontinue
" �"� II. monitoring of the B-2059B-2156 mitigation site since the goals of the mitigation project have
Ot n !:. .t��; 1
k. ' 4A ,`, been met to the extent that a swamp forest representative of a natural swamp forest community
.r has been restored.
110
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1.44
3°' ' *� Please note, the success criteria for this site as outlined in the document titled"Restoration
Guidelines," an attachment to your 1992 CAMA permit application, includes proper species
< composition as follows: bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, (35%); black gum,Nyssa sylvatica,
' (35%); and water oak, Quercus nigra, (30%). Your letter dated June 17, 1999 does not mention
'44 water oak as a component of this site in its present condition,therefore it appears that the oak
4
"Y / component of this swamp forest has not survived. This is disappointing. However, Kelly
•._ Williams,DCM Wetland Restoration Specialist, has visited these sites and agrees that swamp
I' A . 1-:- forest has been satisfactorily restored at both locations.
1 .0
If you have any questions, please call me or Kelly Williams at(919) 733-2293. Thank you.
Sincerely,
:: i—T
Cathy Bri gham
--4-9 -- - Transportation Project Coordinator
..r.- .•44.::' cc: Gordon Cashin,NCDOT
" - .;rIr-', David Cox, WRC
411 --*�" iU - ti John Dorney,NCDENR
r David Franklin,USACE
+ "�s _,,,�
.�. 1 �,. '' Shannon Simpson,NCDOT
`'�" �- Dave Timpy,USACE
'� Randy Turner,NCDOT /
.�. Kelly Williams,P.W.S.,NCDCM V 1638 MAIL SERVICE CENTER, RALEIGH, NC 27699-1638
44.e - 2728 CAPITAL BLVD., RALEIGH, NC 27604
$L' PHONE [phone] FAX [phone]
-.r AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY /AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER - SOq RECYCLED/10% POST-CONSUMER PAPER

oer
"1 ;='' RECEIVED
JUN 3 0 1999
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
JAMES B. HUNT JR. P.O. BOX 25201, RALEIGH, N.C. 27611-5201 DAVID McCOY
GOVERNOR ACTING SECRETARY
June 17, 1999
Doug Huggett ��
Division of Coastal Management e \OS6
P.O. Box 27687 \ C/
Raleigh, NC 27611-7687
Re: Mitigation Sites, New Hanover County, TIP Project No. B-2059/B-2156; State
Project No. 8.2560701; COE Action ID No. 19910112E
Dear Mr. Nugget'
The North Carolina Department of T ransportation(NCDOT) has monitored tr v
referenced mitigation sites since 1995. No hydrologic monitoring was required on this
site. Vegetation monitoring has been conducted for three growing seasons.
The sites are located near Bridge No. 1 over Spring Branch and Bridge No. 2
over Smith Creek on SR 1175 (North Kerr Avenue) in New Hanover County. These
sites consist of restoration of the following swamp forest species:
Bald Cypress — Taxodium distichum
Black Gum — Nyssa sylvatica
Water Oak — Quercus nigra
The sites were planted in December of 1994. Areas at both sites under the old
bridge approaches were graded to natural ground level and planted with appropriate
species. No monitoring plots were established. NCDOT began monitoring the site in
1995. The success criteria established requires a survival rate of 32 stems per 0.1
acres (320 per acre).
At the time the 1996 Annual Report was prepared, the sites were thriving well as
brackish (tidal) marshes with a dense stand of Juncus and Spartina sp. Colonization of
these marsh species was beginning throughout the sites due to adjacent marsh habitat.
However, it had been determined by visual observation that none of the trees planted
had survived. Supplemental planting was done at both sites in January 1997.
As of the 1997 Annual Report, a site inspection revealed that the replanted trees
were doing well throughout both areas. From visual observation it was concluded that
there were greater than 32 stems per 0.1 acre on both sites. The sites continued to
function as brackish (tidal) marshes. Site 1 (east side of bridge) was growing well with a

mixture of black willow, bald cypress, tulip poplar, black gum, Juncus, giant cordgrass,
and cattails. Site 2 (west side of bridge) also was successfully growing with a
predominant mixture of bald cypress and black gum, along with some wax myrtle, alder
and pine on the higher elevations at the bottom of the fill slope.
By visual observation during the third year of vegetation monitoring in 1998, the
average tree density remained greater than 320 stems per acre on both of the planted
sites. The 1998 Annual Monitoring Report concluded that the site has met the
vegetation success criteria.
At this time, NCDOT would recommend discontinuing monitoring of the B-
2059/B-2156 mitigation site. If you have any questions, please call Shannon Simpson,
Natural Systems Specialist, at 733-7844 ext. 330. Thank you for your continued
support and cooperation.
Sincerely,
'�
CLA
V. Charles Bruton, Ph.D.
Assistant Branch Manager,
Project Development and Environmenta'
Analysis Branc-
cc: Mr. David Franklin, USACE
Mr. Dave Timpy, USACE
Mrs. Kelly Williams, DCM
Mr. David Cox, WRC
Mr. John Dorney, NCDENR
Mr. Gordon Cashin, NCDOT

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