20020730 Ver 3_2015 Work Plans & Application_Bio Report_20200327

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DIVISION OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT
FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT
2.
4.
APPLICANT'S NAME: NC Department of Cultural Resources- USS NC Battleship Hull Repair and
Battleship Park Improvements c/o Mr. Tony Romaine
LOCATION OF PROJECT SITE: The USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial facility, on the west
bank of the Cape Fear River, on Eagle Island, in New Hanover County.
Photo Index - 2006: 204-6658, 7-12, H-L 2000: 204-211, 9-11, F-L 1989: 179-38, 13-15, K-Q
State Plane Coordinates - X: 2316893 Y: 177659 ROVER FILE #- 0-042415A
LAT:34°14'11.58"N LONG:77°57'15.53"W
INVESTIGATION TYPE: CAMA/D&F
INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE: Dates of Site Visits — 6/11/2014 (on -site scoping meeting)
Was Applicant Present — Yes and agents
5. PROCESSING PROCEDURE: Application Received — 12/11/2014 (Complete)
Office — Wilmington
6. SITE DESCRIPTION:
(A) Local Land Use Plan — City of Wilmington/New Hanover County 2006 Joint Plan
Land Classification From LUP — Developed (Business District)
(B) AEC(s) Involved: CW/EW/ES/PT
(C) Water Dependent: Yes
(D) Intended Use: Commercial and Public
(E) Wastewater Treatment: Existing - Municipal sewer system
Planned - N/A
(F) Type of Structures: Existing - USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial facilities
Planned- Cofferdam around hull, elevated memorial walkway and
expedition trail with platforms, bulkhead, docking facility for transient vessels,
parking and visitors center and Battleship Park amenities
(G) Estimated Annual Rate of Erosion: N/A RECEIVED
Source - N/A DEC 10 7114
HABITAT DESCRIPTION: [AREA] [tens-n�tir� Ciry
DREDGED FILLED OTHER
(A) Vegetated Wetlands
—28,490 sq. ft.
(Coastal and §404 wetlands)
(B) Non -Vegetated Wetlands
—17,850 sq. ft.
—8,938 sq. ft.
-47,060 sq. ft.
(Open water)
(incorporated)
(C) Other, - (Highground Disturbance)
—6,832 sq. ft.
—261,360 sq. ft.
—9,656 sq. ft.
(D) Total Area Disturbed:—380,186 sq. ft. (-8.7 acres)
(E) Primary Nursery Area: Yes
(F) Water Classification: SC Open: Closed
8. PROJECT SUMMARY: The applicant proposes to repair the U.S.S. N.C. Battleship hull, construct a
memorial walkway and upgrade existing facilities.

NC Department of Cultural Resources- USS NC Battleship Hull Repair and Battleship Park Improvements
Page Two
9. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The U.S.S. N.C. Battleship Memorial Park is located on Battleship Drive, off US Hwy. 421, on the west
bank of the Cape Fear River, on Eagle Island, in New Hanover County. To locate the site from the
Wilmington Regional Office (WiRO) travel south on Market Street (U.S. HWY 17) until you reach
Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway (N.C. HWY 74), which will be located on the right. Turn right and travel
west approximately 3.5 miles until you arrive at North 3rd Street in downtown Wilmington. Turn right
onto the Isabel Holmes Bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River until you reach the light at U.S. HWY
17. Turn left on U.S. HWY 17 and travel south approximately 1 mile until you reach U.S.S. N.C. Road
and continue until you reach the U.S.S. N.C. Battleship facility and parking area, which will be located on
the left (See Figure 1).
The U.S.S. N.C. Battleship was brought to its Wilmington berth in 1961. The U.S.S. N.C. Battleship
Commission has obtained several permits over the years for maintenance dredging of the basin and other
facility modifications. These include State Permits #109-78, #66-88, #20-84 and #75-02. The.
approximately 49 acre property includes a visitors center, parking area, a small maintenance building/yard
and a temporary equipment access ramp to the battleship. The highground area is maintained with lawn
grasses and there are rows of mature oak trees between the sections of the parking lot. The visitors center
is constructed on pilings and is located partially over open water on the south side of the basin. It includes
an elevated wooden observation walkway and access bridge to the battleship. The southern portion of the
basin and the riverfront (eastern) shoreline of the property is stabilized with various rip rap materials;
large granite stone along the riverfront, and smaller rock, concrete and masonry materials within the
basin. Except for the southwest corner of the basin, there are no coastal wetlands along the alignment of
the existing rip rap. In this area, the rip rap profile is slightly lower than other areas and allows more
frequent tidal overwash, allowing Spike Grass (Distichlis spicata), Sea Lavender (Limonium spp.) and
one small patch of Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alternii fora) to establish along the shoreline. There is a
small existing access pier and floating dock in the southeastern area of the basin, which facilitates the
on/off loading of visitors ferried over from the downtown Wilmington area (See Figure 2).
The northern and western portion of the tract, between the basin and U.S. Hwy. 421, is mostly wetlands
and species include; Salt Reed Grass (Spartina cynosuroides), Narrow -leaf Cat -tail (Typha angustifolia),
and Saw Grass (Cladium spp.). Above tidal influence, the vegetation transitions to wooded swamp (§ 404
type wetlands), including Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), Black Willow (Salix nigra), Silverling
(Baccharis halimifolia), and Comman Reed (Phragmites australis), Common Cat -tail (Typha latifolia),
Narrow -leaved Cat -tail (Typha angustifolia), Bull Rush (Scirpus spp.), and other wetland species. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a Notice of Jurisdictional Determination (Action ID
SAW — 2010-00175 dated March 11, 2010 (See Sheet A1.0 and Project Narrative).
The City of Wilmington/New Hanover County Joint 2006 CAMA Land Use Plan classifies adjacent
waters as Conservation, and the adjacent high ground portion of the project area as Developed. The
waters of the Cape Fear River are classified SC by the Division of Water Resources. They ARE
designated as a Primary Nursery Area (PNA) by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and they are
CLOSED to the harvest of shellfish. The USACE federally maintained channel and associated
Wilmington Harbor is located adjacent to the project site.
PROPOSED PROJECT: RECEIVED
The applicant proposes to repair the U.S.S. N.C. Battleship hull, construct a AiA&V%alkway and
upgrade existing facilities. h> 2009, the U.S. Navy required a plan to address the ffitljp�Jpgsttpral repairs
required for the battleship or submit a plan to scrap the battleship. The N.C. Division of Coastal
Management (DCM) issued CAMA General Permit #54561-D on June 16, 2010 to the applicant to allow
for temporary floating docks to facilitate an emergency repair to a portion of the starboard hull based on
the demands of the U.S. Navy.

n � A
NC Department of Cultural Resources- USS NC Battleship Hull Repair and Battleship Park Improvements
Page Three
The application states that a cofferdam, measuring approximately 1,785 linear feet would be permanently
installed around the entire ship's hull. The application states the cofferdam would allow the contractor to
properly repair the critically damaged hull per the requirement of the U.S. Navy. The application states
the cofferdam sheet piles would be driven down within the substrate and into the underlying Castle Hayne
aquifer a distance of approximately 50' and would be located approximately 4.28' above the mean high
water (MHW) boundary. Once the cofferdam is installed, dewatering within the cofferdam would be
accomplished through well points. Once the dewatering and the substrate or "mud pluff' has subsided, a
trench would be excavated around the hull to provide access for repairing the hull plates. Once the repairs
to the ship's hull is complete, six (6) manually operated weirs each approximately 5' in width would be
built within all the sections of the cofferdam and would be used to allow the flow of tidal water around
the vessel, to prevent stagnation. The application also states the cofferdam would also improve public
safety by isolating the high -voltage corrosion protective system currently located around the hull from
kayakers and other vessels (See Sheets A1.2 through AIA, BDS-03 and BDS-04 and Project
Narrative).
Once the hull repairs are complete, a new memorial walkway would be constructed on top of the
cofferdam on the southern side of the Battleship. On the northern side of the Battleship, existing mooring
lines currently hang too low for the proposed walkway to be constructed over the cofferdam, thus the
walkway would be oriented northward of the existing mooring lines. The proposed walkway would
measure approximately 1,985' in length by 14' in width and approximately 11' in height above the
wetland substrate. The walkway would also include an uncovered platform/quarterdeck located on the
southern end of the walkway, measuring approximately 140' in length by 20' in width and two (2)
covered pavilions, each measuring approximately 30' in length by 20' in width, which would provide
educational areas for field trips and shaded area for visitors to take refuge from the weather. These
pavilions would also be located entirely over open water (See Sheets AM through AM and Project
Narrative).
The application states, a pile supported walkway would also extend along the Cape Fear River shoreline
for pedestrian access, measuring approximately 730' in length by 12' in width, which would terminate
onto a covered platform, measuring approximately 32' in length by 28' in width towards the south. The
application states that the walkway would be pile supported over the existing rip rap shoreline and allow
for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and would mirror the existing Downtown
Wilmington Riverwalk located along the other side of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear River. The
application states, a new amphitheater stage would be constructed within the open area located on the
eastern portion of the property, currently being utilized for festivals and concert events (See Sheets AM
and A1.2 and Project Narrative).
The application also proposes an additional elevated walkway (Eagle Island Expedition Trail) for the
purpose of a nature traillboardwalk to be located within the wetland area north of the battleship,
measuring approximately 2,303' in length by 10' in width. The walkway would include covered and
uncovered platforms to provide outdoor classrooms and overlooks along the shoreline of the river. The
majority of the walkway would be located above the M14W boundary and elevated entirely over the
existing wetlands, which would exceed the 6' in width limitation; however, the majority of the existing
wetlands in this area consist primarily of §404 type vegetation, including Common Reed (Phragmites
australis), aforementioned. The application states that the structure would be elevated approximately 10,
above the substrate to lessen potential shading impact in this area of wetlands (See Sheets Al.�EtbR ugh
AIA and Project Narrative).
DEC 3 dP 2014
The applicant proposes to construct a new 540 linear foot sheet pile bulkhead with a concrete - q t,,,4
waterward of the existing bulkhead located along the south shore of the ship basin. The application states
that the bulkhead would have an average distance of approximately 35' with a maximum distance of
approximately 70' waterward of the existing bulkhead. The application also states that an area of
highground above the MHW boundary approximately 6,832 sq. ft. would be excavated, which would
allow the MHW boundary elevation to reach the proposed bulkhead. Once thisexcavated material is
removed and dewatered onto highground, it would be utilized as a backfill source of the new bulkhead.

NC Department of Cultural Resources- USS NC Battleship Hull Repair and Battleship Park Improvements
Page Four
The application states the current bulkhead is not linear along the shoreline has recesses and creates an
eddy, which creates conditions where tidally -transported sediments settle in the ship basin. Further, the
proposed bulkhead would result in a straighter alignment along the south shore of basin and with the
removal of the highground area waterward of the bulkhead, which may facilitate tidal sediment transport
and help reduce the amount of sediment around the battleship (See Sheets A1.2 through A1.4, BDS-02
and Project Narrative).
Upland development would include a new visitors center. The application states that the existing visitors
center would be demolished and a new center would be constructed within the same footprint adjacent to
the new bulkhead, aforementioned; however, the proposed building would be located entirely above the
MHW boundary. The two-story building would consist of office space for the battleship staff, a ticket
booth, gift shop, cafeteria and event space. The application also states that the existing elevated bridge
from the visitors center to the battleship would be replaced in compliance with the ADA. The parking
areas would be replaced and raised to address periodic flooding during storm events. The application
states the proposed elevation of the new parking areas would range from approximately 3' to 4' above the
existing grade and constructed with permeable pavement with subsurface infiltration chambers to manage
stormwater runoff. The application states the existing parking areas currently drains into the ship basin.
The application also states that a total of 363 parking spaces are proposed, and that the expansion area to
the north of the existing parking area is within and area that has been previously utilized a spoil location
(See Sheets ALL through A1.4 and Project Narrative).
The applicant also proposes to replace the existing docking facility with a new public ten (10)-slip
facility. A fixed pier, measuring approximately 180' in length by 14' in width would extend from the
southern side of the ship basin towards the north. Access ramps would lead onto three (3) floating finger
docks, each measuring approximately 75' in length by 14' in width and spaced approximately 351to 50'
apart and would extend perpendicular from the access pier and shipping channel within the ship basin.
The application states that these docks would accommodate transient vessels, to include canoe and kayak
access. Another floating dock, measuring approximately 210' in length and ranging from 20' to 40' in
width would be located on the southern end of the docking facility, which would follow the shoreline as it
turns towards the south, creating an "L-shaped" configuration. The application states that this floating
dock would replace the existing floating dock currently utilized by the ferry boat from downtown
Wilmington. Due to the proximity of the Federal channel in this location of the Cape Fear River, the
pilings for the proposed floating dock would be located just landward of the Wilmington Harbor Line;
however, the floating dock and half of the fixed access piers would encroach into the Wilmington Harbor
Line. The application states that these structures are designed to be removed if required by the USACE.
The proposed floating dock would provide side to transient slips for up to 10 vessels. The existing water
depths in the location of the proposed floating docks range from approximately -3' to -28' @ normal low
water (NLW). The applicant states that there are no services proposed such as fuel, maintenance, etc. In
addition, the application states that a dock master's office with restrooms would be constructed landward
side of the shoreline of the docking facility to allow access management to the docks. The application
states the proposed dock system would also be of sufficient width to comply with ADA requirements (See
Sheets A1.0, through AIA and Project Narrative).
The applicant submitted an Environmental Assessment (EA) with Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) to document compliance with the N.C. State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) and
submitted it for review through the N.C. Department of Administration State Environmental Review
Clearinghouse. The applicant also held a scoping meeting at the N.C. U.S.S. Battleship facility on June
11, 2014 with the interested review agencies. RECEIVED
10. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS DEC 10 7014
pfK4-n'414t ,?-!I /
The proposed permanent cofferdam would incorporate approximately 1,785 sq. ft. of Estuarine Waters
and Public Trust Area and would also be excavated of approximately 17,850 sq. ft. of shallow bottom
material to allow for the repair of the battleship hull in an area previously excavated.

NC Department of Cultural Resources- USS NC Battleship Hull Repair and Battleship Park Improvements
Page Five
The cofferdam would include six (6) manually operated weirs, each measuring approximately 5' in width
built within all the sections of the cofferdam and would be used to allow the flow of tidal water around
the vessel, to prevent stagnation. The proposed elevated memorial walkway and associated covered
platforms would incorporate a total of approximately 31,790 sq. ft. of Estuarine Waters and Public Trust
Area, essentially within an area of the existing ship basin which has been usurped with the existing
battleship.
The proposed walkway would shade approximately 5,460 sq. ft. of Coastal and §404 wetlands type
vegetation, which consists primarily of Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniora) and Comman Reed
(Phragmites australis). The proposed elevated Eagle Island Expedition Trail would incorporate
approximately 600 sq. ft. of Estuarine Waters and Public Trust Area and would shade approximately
23,030 sq. ft. of §404 wetlands type vegetation which Comman Reed (Phragmites australis), Common
Cat -tail (Typha latifolia), Narrow -leaved Cat -tail (Typha angustifolia), Bull Rush (Scirpus spp.) and other
wetland species.
The proposed walkway and the covered platform along the Cape Fear River shoreline would incorporate
approximately 9,656 sq. ft. of highground area. The proposed shoreline stabilization would impact
approximately 7,153 sq. ft. of Estuarine Waters and Public Trust Area, essentially within an area of the
existing ship basin which has been usurped with the existing battleship. The proposed highground
excavation to facilitate circulation with the ship basin would impact approximately 6,832 sq. ft. of
highground, essentially creating the same amount of sq. ft. of Estuarine Waters and Public Trust Area.
The proposed upland redevelopment and new development would impact approximately 261,360 sq. ft. of
highground area.
As proposed, the docking facility would incorporate approximately 14,670 sq. ft. of Estuarine Waters and
Public Trust Area. These structures would conform to the 1/4 distance rule; however, the floating docks
would encroach into the Wilmington Harbor Line. The application states the fixed support pilings of the
floating docks would not encroach into the Wilmington Harbor Line and that these floating structures are
designed to be removed if required by the USAGE. The proposed floating docks would provide transient
slips for up to ten (10) vessels within existing water depths ranging from approximately -3' to -28' @
NLW. Minor increases in turbidity should be expected during the dredging event; however no long term
adverse impacts are anticipated.
RECEIVED
DEC 3 0 2014
DC-P-IMr) r!fi,
Submitted by: Robb L. Mairs Date: December 22, 2014 Office: Wilmington