NC0088684_permit correspondence_20200616

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June 16, 2020
Vanessa Manuel Assistant Regional Supervisor
N.C. DEQ Water Resources
1611 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1611
RE: Charlotte Water Stowe Regional WRRF Conveyance Permit Project Description
Dear Vanessa Manuel,
Charlotte Water (a department of the City of Charlotte) is a regional utility that provides water and
wastewater services to more than 1 million customers throughout Mecklenburg County and provides
various levels of service to Iredell, Cabarrus, and Union counties in North Carolina and Lancaster and
York counties in South Carolina. Population growth and land development in the Charlotte region have
resulted in increased need for wastewater collection and treatment. Planning and environmental studies
associated with this growth forecasting included an alternatives analysis for a regional wastewater
treatment solution to serve the Cities of Belmont and Mount Holly in Gaston County and western
Mecklenburg County. The identified optimal solution to meet wastewater treatment needs for all these
areas is to construct a new regional wastewater treatment plant in Mecklenburg County adjacent to
Charlotte Water's existing Long Creek Pumping Station and decommission the existing treatment facilities
in Belmont and Mount Holly. This facility will be called the Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery
Facility (WRRF) and will be designed to receive the current and forecasted wastewater flows from the
region.
The initial site plan proposed by Charlotte Water for the Stowe Regional WRRF in 2007 was to construct
the treatment facility adjacent to the existing Long Creek Pump Station on the east side of Long Creek.
However, in 2007, Charlotte Water also held a series of five Stakeholder meetings with a group of 25+
stakeholders, including Duke Energy, to review the concept of a new treatment facility. During those
meetings the WRRF was moved to the west side of Long Creek to reduce tree clearing within the overall
site as the west side of Long Creek had been previously cleared. This change required a bridge across
Long Creek and through the FERC Project Boundary in order to reduce travel time within the new
proposed operating area of the facility.
In 2018, as Charlotte Water was preparing to move the project forward, they initiated another alternative
evaluation to the planned access to the plant site on the western side of Long Creek. The evaluation
resulted in 4 primary alternatives as follows:
• Alternative A: accessing the project site off of Belmeade Road through the Clariant site.
• Alternative B: accessing the project site from Old Black Snake Road through Clariant property.
• Alternative C: accessing the project from Belmeade Road through a new road to be constructed
along an existing transmission ROW with two crossings of the FERC Project Boundary line at
Long Creek and a tributary.
• Alternative D: accessing the project site from Whitewater Parkway with one crossing of the FERC
Project Boundary line at Long Creek.
All four alternatives are illustrated on Figure 1. Discussions with Clariant Corporation eliminated
Alignment A due to security reasons and property acquisition for Alignment B have not been successful to
date.
440 S Church StreetSuite 1000Charlotte, NC 28202-2075
[phone]

Alignments A and B also are unacceptable as sole access to the project site for emergency response.
Alignment C was primarily on Clariant Corporation property but also constrained by the need to cross
parcels owned by Catawba Land Conservancy with significant deed restrictions and this alternative would
still have required two crossings of the FERC boundary.Therefore, the bridge across Long Creek/FERC
Project Boundary (Alignment D) is the only alignment with all property owned and controlled by Charlotte
Water (except for the FERC Project Boundary) and is required for guaranteed operational access
between critical process components.
Charlotte Water evaluated a number of different designs for the construction of the bridge crossing Long
Creek and the FERC Project Boundary. Long Creek is classified as Natural for the entire length adjoining
the project site which restricts construction. Specifically, the Lake Use Restrictions for Natural
classification do not allow for removal of vegetation, construction, or excavation inside the FERC Project
Boundary. However, note one in the Shoreline Classification and Lake Use Restrictions allows for
exemptions from lake use restrictions for public need projects like this one. Therefore, the selected plan
focuses on minimizing the bridge length within the FERC Project Boundary to minimize adverse effects
on Project resources. The plan calls for a 48-foot-wide, three span, 235-foot-long box beam bridge that
would utilize two spans to cross over the FERC Project Boundary area. There would be no fill within the
FERC Project Boundary. However, the installation of a permanent bent within the FERC Project
Boundary outside of the stream bed would be required. An example of a bent layout and section is
provided as Figure 6.
Note that the final bent configuration cannot be confirmed until additional geotechnical information is
analyzed for this area and may vary. The stream bed would not be disturbed and the surrounding area
outside the permanent bent would not be permanently impacted. The bottom of the bridge structure would
be at approximately 585 ft AMSL or 15.6 feet above the Normal Full Pond Elevation of Lake Wylie.
Spanning the entire Project Boundary without the installation of a permanent bent would result in a
significantly higher design and construction cost and require the same disturbance footprint to the area
around the intermediate bent as described within the project narrative that follows. Given the vegetation in
the area of the intermediate bent of deciduous forest (comprised of common species, such as oak,
hickory, and beech trees with diverse undergrowth) and the area will be non -mechanically cleared with
stumps left in -situ, the area is not considered a permanent impact by the USACE.
Additional information about the bridge design is included in the attached narrative for your review as part
of Charlotte Water's request to Duke Energy Lake Services request for conveyance across Long Creek
adjacent to the Catawba River. We ask for your timely response for record as part of the Conveyance
Permit Application that is being prepared for review by Duke Energy Lake Services as well as the FERC.
Sincerely,
HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas
Brooke Ahrens, PE
Environmental Engineering Team Leader
440 S Church StreetSuite I000Charlotte, NC 28202-2075
[phone]

PROJECT LOCATION, NEED, AND CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE
The proposed access crosses Long Creek from Charlotte Water's existing pump station to gain access to
the future Stowe Regional WRRF site. The bridge has been located at a point along Long Creek where
the distances between the community encroachment boundaries, the FEMA floodway boundaries, and
FERC Project Boundary are at a minimum across the creek to minimize the length of bridge required.
The bridge is proposed as a 235 foot span/length across Long Creek and will include two 12-foot travel
lanes as well as 24 feet to accommodate buffers, shoulders, railing, as well as a potential multi -use path
for a total of 48 feet in width. With the proposed span, jurisdictional surface water impacts within the
construction of the bridge footprint are also minimized at 0.014 acres (Figure 2). A general vicinity USGS
Quad map for Long Creek is included as Figure 3 for reference. The proposed bridge footprint and vicinity
grading and stabilization activities are estimated as 120 linear feet on the west side / abutment and 80
linear feet on the east side / abutment. These areas are classified as Natural within Duke Energy's
Shoreline Management Plan for this area of the Catawba River (Figure 4). The impacts within the FERC
Project Boundary are expected to be 595 square feet as a result of foundation construction activities.
The proposed bridge footprint, entails a single easement area within the FERC Project Boundary (Figure
5), which is proposed as a permanent easement for construction and operation of the Stowe Regional
WRRF. The easement for the bridge span within the FERC Project Boundary is approximately 8,400
square feet or 0.02 acres (out of a total of 12,102 square feet, or 0.78 acres).
The low side/chord of the bridge span is set at approximately elevation 585 feet and with the FERC
Project Boundary at 569.4 feet providing a planned clearance of at least 15.6 feet (Figure 6).
The bridge will be constructed according to the following sequence:
1. Site Mobilization and installation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) prior to construction.
2. Rough grading and embankment fill of the west side of Long Creek above the FERC Project
Boundary.
3. Foundation installation at the west side of Long Creek at Bent 1 for bridge support. No heavy
machinery or construction impacts are anticipated, however, equipment and work in the FERC
Project Boundary will be needed to facilitate foundation installation set up and construction on a
temporary basis. Machinery (cranes) will be set outside of the FERC Project Boundary. The work
will be performed from the abutments / side of each bridge; no work from barges or in -water work
will be performed.
4. Final grading and installation of abutment slope protection (rip rap).
5. Construction of the remaining bridge superstructure.
6. Project Vicinity stabilization (including shoreline) and removal of BMPs.
7. Demobilization from the site.
Note that the construction of this bridge does not include a water withdrawal or discharge for either
construction or operation purposes. During construction, a minimization and avoidance approach to the
shoreline and surface waters protection will be applied with BMP installation as well as stabilization upon
project completion.
The area in the vicinity of the bridge construction within the FERC Project Boundary often experiences
low and seasonal water levels that do not encourage or easily lend itself to motorized boat traffic.
However, non -motorized boating, including recreational use from the neighboring Whitewater Center,
does occur. Given the project will maintain the existing channel width of Long Creek, this bridge
construction is not anticipated to have any impact to potential paddling activities. However, Charlotte
Water will install safety / construction signage at the shoreline for notification. In addition, there will be no
proposed or requested changes in hydro Project operations as a result of the bridge construction.
3

The City of Charlotte owns the property on all sides of the proposed bridge at Alignment D. In addition,
photos of the proposed abutment location existing conditions have been included within this application
from a site visit performed on December 27, 2019 (Photos 1 -4).
In summary, the potential impacts associated with the bridge are presented below:
FERC Boundary for Structures ' Permanent Support Structure (595 square
Jurisdictional Surface Waters 0.014 acres
Clearance above FERC
Boundary 15.6 feet
rd

FIGURES AND BRIDGE CROSSING VICINITY PHOTOS

LEGEND
Project Area (272 ac,)
Jurisdictional Streams
Jurisdictional Wetlands
DATA 5OURCE: Ea6, Qp�mSfmAAqp
8rj V1, (115 11�ef
1 WC11 100 FEET
A
r
0 Feet 1,000
Proposed Forcemains
To Be Installed via
Horizontal Directional
Drilling -
Permitted Separately
Future
Proposed
Effluent
Structure -
Permitted
Separately
PFO - Grade/Fill
(Piling) 0.014 acre
reel
Proposed Road
and Bridge
No Impact
(Piling)
Existing Long Creek
Pump Station
Future Proposed
Equalization Basin
NOTE: All site layout elements are
Preliminary only and are subiect to
a W40% STOWE REGIONAL WRRF & ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
CHARLOTTE PRELIMINARY SITE LAYOUT
ftTER Figure 2
A

VICINITY MAP I, FRANCIS M, RAWER ill, CERTIFY THAT THIS PLAT WAS DRAWN UNDER MY SUPERVISION FROM AN
(NOT TO SCALE) Zo .g• ACTUAL SURVEY MADE UNDER MY SUPERVISION FROM AN ACTUAL CPS SURVEY FOR CONTROL
fi POINTS #1 AND p2;
4tf, Exit THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS USED TO PERFORM THE GPS SURVEY:
Nwi 14 A: CLASS OF SURVEY C
8; POSITIONAL. ACCURACY: HORIZONTAL - 0.05 FEET; VERTICAL - 0.07 FEET
m C: TYPE OF GPS FIELD PROCEDURE: RTK NETWORK
D: DATE OF GPS SURVEY; DULY 12, 2019
E- DATUM/EPOCH (HORIZONTAL): HAD 83/2011; OATUM (VERTICAL): NAV088
i F: PUBLISHED/FIXED CONTROL USED; NCGS CORS BASE STATION NETWORK
G; OEM MODEL: GEOID 128
SI TE Exit H: COMBINED GRID FACTOR: 0.999849102
12 I; UNITS: US SURVEY FEET
`g M es 1 Rd i, FRANCIS M. HARTER Ol, CERTIFY THAT THIS MAP WAS DRAWN UNDER MY SUPERVISION (DEED
CiieP DESCRIPTION RECORDED IN BOOK 28400 AT PAGE 178); THAT THE BOUNDARIES NOT SURVEYED ARE
INDICATED BY BROKEN LINES; THAT THE POSITIONAL ACCURACY IS 0.05 FEET HO�j1{{{� )4 0.07
TA FEET VERTICAL. AND THAT THIS MAP MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STA({L1 tqf p' 19�;TiC£
8S Exit FOR LAND SURVEYONG IN NORTH CAROLINA (21 NCAG 56,1600), `1N ill t' a
30 sf
PRELIMINARY
LE0END = SEAT.
FRANOS M. HARTER Ill - NC PLS L-4924 DATE L-4924
CONTROL POINT rf4
A COMPUTED POINT
FERC PROJECT BOUNDARY
---- -- — PROPERTY UNE PARCEL 05305103
EASEMENT LINE CITY OF CHARLOTTE
—Tti— NOT TO SCALE DEED 600K 28400 PACE 380 "FIR 111t11
MAP BOOK 55 PACE 178 ,
0 \W CAR.
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PRDPOSED CES GROUPS
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FERC PROJECT BOUNDARY
PER NOTE #6
ELEVATt{NR-569.4' (NGVD 29)
EQUALS
EL.EVATIdN1=568.67' (11 88)
-- E: L,401,942.82
CONTROL 81
- - (NAD 83/2011)
REBAR ds CAP
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N: 562,567.74
PARCEL 05306117
E;1,402,685.60
CITY OF CHARLOTTE
MAD 83/2011)
DEED BOOK 28400 PAGE 380
MAP BOOK 55 PAGE 178
(mil PREPARED FOR:
r s +RV£YOR NOT S• NOR ENGREERING. INC.
OF THE CAROLINAS
1. THIS PROPERTY MAY BE SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS AND/OR RIGHT-OF-WAY OF RECORD, 37M NATIONAL DRIVE
2. BASIS OF BEARINGS: NC GRTD HAD 83/2011 SUITE 207
3. ALL DISTANCES SHOWN ARE HoR120NTAL AND US FEET, AREA SHOWN WAS COMPUTED USING COORDINATE METHOD. RALEIGH. NC 27612
C7 4. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE BY THE SURVEYOR AS TO THE 100-YEAR FLOOD LIMITS OR WETLANDS.
S. NO BOUNDARY WORX WAS GONE TO CONFIRM OR VERIFY ANY BOUNDARY UNES,
0 6. THi FERC" PROJECT BOUNOARY. IS DEFINED ON A DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS. LLC DRAWING ENTITLED 'E)"BT G: SHEET G-7-C;
.� CATAWBA-wATEREE PROJECT FERC NO. 2232; WYUE DEVELOPMENT; NORTH CAROUNA/SOUTH CAROLINA,
7. LINES NOT SURVEYED ARE SHOWN AS BROKEN LINES FROM INFORMATION REFERENCED ON THE FACE OF THIS PLAT
8. LOCATION OF UNDERGROUND UTILITIES SHOULD BE FIELD VERIFIED BY CONTACTING THE NC ONE CALL CENTER (KC Nil) AT
0 1.800.632.4949.
6 9, DATE OF FIELD SURVEY; SEPTEMBER 19, 2019.
1 10. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXHIBIT 1$ TO CREATE AN EASEMENT CROSSING THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC)
m PROTECT BOUNDARY AS SHOWN HEREON. EASEMENT LOCATIONS PER THE CAD FILE PROVIDED BY NOR ON 5/28/2020 NAMED
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CHECKED BY: FMH DATE: 6/03/2020
EASEMENT EXHFHPT
ENGINEERS, LLP
A PORTION OF LONG CREEK
PROJECT NUMBER: 7269
CITY OF CHARLOTTE
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Photo 1: View of Proposed Bridge Location at East Abutment Looking Northwest
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Photo 3: View of Proposed Bridge Location at West Abutment Looking Towards East Abutment
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