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Home My WebLink About20170359 Ver 2_Tier I Analysis_2019111211/11/19 Hazen and Sawyer Grandfather Golf & Country Club GrandfatherGolf&CountryClubTierIAnalysisinsupportofProposedLochDornieDredgingOperations Hazen performed a Tier I analysis to evaluate the potential for contamination to be present in the materialstobedredgedfrom LochDornie. TheanalysiswasrequestedbytheNorthCarolinaDepartment of Environmental Quality – Division of Water Resources (DWR) in response to the submittal of a Pre- Construction Notification, requesting an Individual Water Quality certification under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. The analysis was performed based on guidance provided in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Evaluation of Dredge Material Proposed for Dischargein Waters of the U.S. – Testing Manual. Existing information was collected from a variety of publicly available sources. The information was reviewed and is summarized herein for consideration by DWR staff. Data sources include the United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic quadrangle maps of the area, current and historical aerial photography, communication with Grandfather Golf & Country Club (GGCC) staff familiar with the area, DWR documents, and readily available sources for physical, biological, and chemical information in the projectareaandwithintheproject’swatershed. Collecteddatawasreviewedtoidentifypotentialsources of contamination, pathways of contamination transport, and naturally occurring substances which may be harmful to aquatic biota. TheUSGStopographicquadranglesofthedrainageareacontributingflowstoLochDornieareGrandfather Mountain and Valle Crucis, North Carolina. The contributing drainage area encompasses approximately 2,353acres. The drainageareaisboundbytheridgeof GrandfatherMountainto theeast, the Tennessee Valley Divide to the north and northwest, the peak of Flattop Mountain to the west, and the Loch Dornie dam tothesouth(Figure1). Thequadranglesshowthatthemajorityofthedrainageareaisforestedwith small areas of development along Highways 105 and 184. Drainage patterns within the area generally floweithersoutheastoffFlattopMountainorwestoffGrandfatherMountaintoLinvilleRiver,LittleGrassy Creek, or Big Grassy Creek. Both Little Grassy Creek and Big Grassy Creek flow into Linville River within the GGCC development. The mouth of Big Grassy Creek is immediately upstream of the project area. LinvilleRiverflowsintoLochDornie,amanmadeimpoundmentontheriverwithinandmanagedbyGGCC. The most recent publicly released aerial photography was reviewed to identify current land uses, characterize vegetative cover, and compare historical aerial photography to ascertain development trends in the drainage area (Figure 2). Current land uses include residential, portions of two private golf courses and associated recreational features, state park lands, and a small area of commercial development. The commercial development includes office space, retail business, and a gas station. In most areas within the drainage area, retention of forest stands has been maximized during land development activities. Residential development has generally not involved large-scale land clearing typically seen in association with construction of moderate to high density subdivisions. Historical aerials were reviewed at approximately ten-year increments, including photographs taken in 1983, 1993, 1998, 2010, and 2019 (Figures 2 through 5). Within the drainage area in 1983, the GGCC community, Blue Ridge Village Resort area, and commercial properties at the intersection of Highways 105 and 184 were evident in similar footprint to the present extent. Development of the Linville Ridge community on Flattop Mountain had begun prior to the 1983 aerial photograph. The community was very small at the time of the 1983 aerial photograph. A large portion of the community was developed between 1983 and 1993. During the same ten-year period, little development occurred elsewhere in the drainage area. 11/11/19 Hazen and Sawyer Grandfather Golf & Country Club A significant amount of residential development withinLinville Ridge community occurred between 1993 and1998. GGCC andareasalong Highway184alsoexperiencedsomenewresidential constructionin the years between 1993 and 1998. Construction of the bank at the intersection of Highways 105 and 184 as well as residential development primarily associated with the Linville Ridge community was observed to have occurred in the drainage area between 1998 and 2010. A small amount of residential development since 2010 is apparent on the aerials, primarily within the Linville Ridge and GGCC communities. Surface waters within the project area and within the project’s watershed include the headwaters of Linville River, two named tributaries to Linville River, Little Grassy Creek and Big Grassy Creek, and numerous unnamed tributaries to the three named streams. The Linville River (DWR Index #11-29-(4.5)) from GrandmotherCreektoLinvilleFalls, whichisdownstream ofLoch Dornie, wasratedasGoodin2002 andasGood-Fairin2007forbenthos. TheLinvilleRiver(DWRIndex#11-29-(19))fromsouthernboundary ofDanielBooneWildlifeManagementAreatoLakeJames,whichisdownstreamofLochDornie,wasrated as Excellent for benthos from 1989 until 2012. Linville River (DWR Index #11-29-(1)) from its headwaters to Grandmother Creek, and Big Grassy Creek (DWR Index #11-29-3) from its headwaters to Linville River, are upstream of the project area, have an Integrated Report category of 3c, and are not currently reported as being impaired for their designated useclassificationofC; Tr. ClassC arewaters thatare protected for theirdesignatedusesand ClassTrare trout waters. Little Grassy Creek (DWR Index # 11-29-2) from its headwaters to Linville River is upstream of the project area, has an Integrated Report category of 3c, and is not currently reported as being impaired for its designated use classification of C; Tr; ORW. The Little Grassy Creekwatershed is listed as an HQW/ORW area. HQW’s are High Quality Waters and ORW’s are Outstanding Resource Waters. All waters in North Carolina are designated as impaired for mercury in fish tissue. Water quality issues upstream of, in, and downstream from the project location have not been documented by DWR in Basinwide Water Quality Plans, 303(d) listings, or Integrated Reports. Reviewofreadilyavailabledatabasesandresources wasperformedfor the projectarea and the project’s watershed. Two facilities within the project’s watershed are reported as having underground storage tanks (USTs), and incidents are listed as having occurred in association with both UST sites. Other than the two aforementioned leaking UST (LUST) sites, no hazardous waste sites; current, closed or pre- regulatory landfill sites; industrial or municipal wastewater discharge sites; sewer overflows; releases from Superfund or other hazardous waste sites; dry cleaners; manufactured gas plants; brownfield sites; federal remediation sites; or illegal discharges of oil, chemicals or other hazardous waste were found to be documented in the reviewed information within the project area or the project’s watershed. Additionally, no surface water intakes, water supply watersheds, or air depositions were found to be documented in the reviewed information within the project site or the project’s watershed. Thetwo LUSTsitesinthe project’swatershedare theScotchman#100andthe LinvilleRidgeCountyClub. The Scotchman #100 gas station/convenience store is located at 4530 Tyncastle Highway at the intersectionofHighways184and105inBannerElkandreportedtohaveUSTs. TheScotchmangasstation is located along the northern central watershed boundary approximately 1.4 miles north northeast of Loch Dornie. A LUST incident at Scotchman #100 is reported as having occurred in 1986, and the Scotchman #100 facility is listed by the State as an intermediate risk site. The Linville Ridge Country Club, located at Highway 105 in Linville, is reported to have USTs. The Linville Ridge Country Club is located in the southwestern portion of the project’s watershed adjacent to a 11/11/19 Hazen and Sawyer Grandfather Golf & Country Club tributary to Loch Dornie and approximately 0.2 mile from Loch Dornie. A LUST incident at the Linville RidgeCounty Clubis reported as having occurred in 1991, and the gas station facilityis listed by the State as a low risk site. Linville River and portions of numerous unnamed tributaries to Linville River located upstream of the project area flow through a golf course and its associated residential community that abut the project site. Wastewater generated by the golf course and its associated residential community is collected in a package wastewater plant, treated, and discharged into Linville River downstream of the Loch Dornie environmental release channel. Undigested solids are hauled offsite for disposal. No spills or releases from the golf course’s package plant are reported has having occurred. Residences and commercial facilities in the watershed that are located outside of the golf course community are anticipated to have septic tanks. Most of the project area and watershed consists of undeveloped, wooded land, and impervious surfaces comprise a very small amount of the project area and watershed. No agricultural areas of row crops are present in the watershed, although a small amount of pastureland is present in the northern portion of the watershed. Stormwater runoff in the project’s watershed does not contain urban or agricultural runoff. The use of herbicides and fertilizers on the golf course, the golf course residential community, other developed areas within the project’s watershed, and on the above-water portions of the areas to be dredged is anticipated to historically and presently occur. Analysis of existing and readily available information relative to the project site and the project’s watershed, as previously discussed herein, does not reveal the presence of specific sources or areas of concern relativetopast or current contamination that haveorhavehad thepotential to negativelyaffect the composition of the material to be dredged. No evidence of downstream contamination or impact to downstream water quality associated with the reported releases from the two LUST sites or previous or current land use in the project’s watershed is reported or anticipated to have occurred. No previously collected physical, chemical, or biological monitoring or testing of the material to be dredged or the site in which the dredged material will be disposed has been performed. The pathways between potential contaminant sources and the dredging and disposal sites are similar relative to bathymetry, water current patterns and velocities, watershed hydrology and land uses, sediment and soil types, and rates of sediment deposition. PreviousdredginginLochDornieoccurredmorethan20yearsago. Thepreviousdredgingwasperformed to create Loch Dornie, and the material dredged to create open water areas was used to create existing above-water areas (i.e. islands) in Loch Dornie. The proposed dredging will relocate the previously dredged material from the existing island areas to other areas within Loch Dornie to create new island areas. Therefore, all the material inLoch Dornietobe dredgedwill beredistributedto other areaswithin Loch Dornie with no disposal of dredged material occurring outside of Loch Dornie. Evaluation of the readily available information does not indicate that the material to be dredged is a “carrier of contaminants”. The material to be dredged and the existing material at the discharge site are from the same geographic area (i.e. Loch Dornie). Except for the above-water areas of the area of excavation,thematerialsatthetwositesaresimilarandaresubjecttothesamesourcesofcontaminants. All work will be performed in the dry. Geomatting and 18 inches of rock will be used on the exposed 11/11/19 Hazen and Sawyer Grandfather Golf & Country Club below-waterareasoftheareaofdeposition,andtopsoilwillbeplacedontheexposedareasofdeposition in the above-water areas. In conclusion, publicly available documentation of conditions within and downstream of the Loch Dornie drainage area was reviewed and determined to be sufficient for making factual determinations. The reviewed material does not meet the exclusion criteria but is sufficient to make factual determinations. Theexcavationanddischargesites,withtheexceptionoftheabove-waterportionsoftheexcavationarea, are similar and are subject to the same sources of contaminants. 2000200100 Feet 2,000 0 2,0001,000 Feet Figure 1: Drainage Area on USGS Topo MapLoch Dornie Dredging, Island Enhancements,and Linville River Stabilization ProjectGrandfather Golf and Country ClubLinville, NC1 inch = 1,793 feet® Gas Station Bank Realtor GGCC and MemberResidential Linville RidgeClub and Community Blure Ridge Village Resort Grandfather MountainUpper Parking Area Grandfather MountainState Park 2000200100 Feet 2,000 0 2,0001,000 Feet Figure 2: Drainage Area on Aerial Photo (2019)Loch Dornie Dredging, Island Enhancements,and Linville River Stabilization ProjectGrandfather Golf and Country ClubLinville, NC1 inch = 1,793 feet® Gas Station Bank Realtor GGCC and MemberResidential Linville RidgeClub and Community Blue Ridge Village Resort Grandfather MountainUpper Parking Area Grandfather MountainState Park 2000200100 Feet 2,000 0 2,0001,000 Feet Figure 3: Drainage Area on Aerial Photo (1993)Loch Dornie Dredging, Island Enhancements,and Linville River Stabilization ProjectGrandfather Golf and Country ClubLinville, NC1 inch = 1,793 feet® Gas Station Bank Realtor GGCC and MemberResidential Linville RidgeClub and Community Blue Ridge Village Resort Grandfather MountainUpper Parking Area Grandfather MountainState Park 2000200100 Feet 2,000 0 2,0001,000 Feet Figure 4: Drainage Area on Aerial Photo (1998)Loch Dornie Dredging, Island Enhancements,and Linville River Stabilization ProjectGrandfather Golf and Country ClubLinville, NC1 inch = 1,793 feet® Gas Station Bank Realtor GGCC and MemberResidential Linville RidgeClub and Community Blue Ridge Village Resort Grandfather MountainUpper Parking Area Grandfather MountainState Park 2000200100 Feet 2,000 0 2,0001,000 Feet Figure 5: Drainage Area on Aerial Photo (2010)Loch Dornie Dredging, Island Enhancements,and Linville River Stabilization ProjectGrandfather Golf and Country ClubLinville, NC1 inch = 1,793 feet® Gas Station Bank Realtor GGCC and MemberResidential Linville RidgeClub and Community Blue Ridge Village Resort Grandfather MountainUpper Parking Area Grandfather MountainState Park