20050236 Ver 1_Information Letter_20050215

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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
MICHAEL F. EASLEY
GOVERNOR
February 10, 2005
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Raleigh Regulatory Field Office
6508 Falls of the Neuse Road, Suite 120
Raleigh, NC 27609
Attention: Mr. Eric Alsmeyer
NCDOT Coordinator

FEB 1 5 2005
OENR -WATER QUALITY
'NETLANDS AND STORMWATER BRANCH
LYNDO TIPPETT
SECRETARY
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Subject: REVISED COVERLETTER for secondary road improvements to SR 1608
(Will Cheek Road) from NC 58 to end of state maintenance in Warren
County. WBS element 5C.093030.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposes to upgrade and pave
SR 1608 (Will Cheek Road) from NC 58 to end of state maintenance in Warren County
(Figures 1-3). Total project length is 2.49 miles. Transportation and highway laws of North
Carolina (G.S. 136-44.6, 136-44.7, 136-44.7A, 136-44.8, and 136-44.9) require the NCDOT
to develop annual work programs for construction and maintenance of secondary roads.
These general statutes specifically set forth requirements for annual construction and paving
of existing unpaved roads. Paving of these roads is performed in priority order as established
by the NCDOT for each unpaved road within a given county. This number is based on
characteristics of each road, including number of homes, schools, churches, businesses,
industries, recreational facilities, traffic counts, presence of school bus routes, and value as a
thoroughfare. SR 1608 is scheduled to be paved in the 2004-2005 Secondary Roads
Construction Program.
Impacts to Waters of the United States
Site t -Waters of US
Construction at this site will impact an unnamed perennial tributary to Fishing Creek
(NCDENR-DWQ Index No. 28-79-(1), Best Usage Classification C NSW; HUC 03020102)
(Figure 2) in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin. The existing structure that conveys the creek is a
48-inch corrugated metal pipe that is 36 feet long (see Photographs 1 and 2). This pipe will
be replaced with a double line of 81 inch x 59 inch corrugated metal pipe arches that are 60
feet long. Permanent impacts at the site associated with the longer pipe and minimal amounts
of rip rap to protect the new structure include 38 linear feet existing channel impacted. The
Site 1 work zone will be temporarily dewatered for approximately 5 days. This will involve
Division 5, 2612 N. Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

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the temporary placement of impervious dikes in the creek at the upstream and downstream
limits of construction. Either sand bags or sheet piling will be used as an impervious dike.
Once the stream has been dewatered, the replacement pipe will be installed. To maintain
water flow during construction, water upstream of the impervious dike will be temporarily
pumped out and conveyed around downstream of the impervious dike. Temporary
concurrent impacts to the stream from this activity will result in dewatering 38 linear feet of
stream. All materials used for the impervious dikes will be removed after construction.
Site 2 -Waters of US
Construction at this site will impact an unnamed intermittent tributary to Fishing Creek
(NCDENR-DWQ Index No. 28-79-(1), Best Usage Classification C NSW; HUC 03020102)
(Figure 3) in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin. The existing structure that conveys the creek is a
24-inch corrugated metal pipe that is 35 feet long (see Photographs 3 and 4). This pipe will
be replaced with a 24-inch pipe that is 52 feet long. Please note that no stream exists at the
inlet of the existing _pipe. Therefore, only the activity at the outlet end will result with
impacts to waters of the United States. Permanent impacts at the site associated with the
longer pipe and minimal amounts of rip rap to protect the new structure include 18.5 linear
feet existing channel impacted. The Site 2 work zone will be temporarily dewatered for
approximately 5 days. This will involve the temporary placement of impervious dikes in the
creek at the upstream and downstream limits of construction. Either sand bags or sheet piling
will be used as an impervious dike. Once the stream has been dewatered, the replacement
pipe will be installed. To maintain water flow during construction, water upstream of the
impervious dike will be temporarily pumped out and conveyed around downstream of the
impervious dike. Temporary concurrent impacts to the stream from this activity will result
in dewatering 18.5 linear feet of stream. All materials used for the impervious dikes will be
removed after construction.
Riparian Buffer Impacts
Site 1 -Buffers
The construction at this site involves a road crossing of a stream that is subject to the
Tar-Pamlico Riparian Buffer Rule. The unnamed perennial tributary to Fishing Creek at
Site 1 is depicted on the most recent version of the Inez (1971) topographic quadrangle
(Figure 1). The NCDOT proposes to install tem~orary erosion and sediment control
devices in Zone 1 and Zone 2 of the riparian buffer. Specifically temporary silt basins,
temporary rock silt checks, rock ,pipe inlet sediment traps and temporary silt fences will
be used The temporary structures will be removed once the vegetation has been
established and then seeded with a seed mixture of fescue and bahia grass Please note
that the placement of these structures are within the 60 right-of-way width and their
associated impacts are included within the site total of 1 618 ft2 in Zone 1 and 964 ft2 in
Zone 2 (totaling 38 linear feet of riparian buffer impacts outside the Existing
Transportation Facility). Based on the impacts to the riparian buffer at this site, this
crossing is EXEMPT.
Site 2 -Buffers
The construction at this site involves a road crossing of a stream that is subject to the
Tar-Pamlico Riparian Buffer Rule. The unnamed intermittent tributary to Fishing Creek at
Site 2 is depicted on the most recent version of the Inez (1971) topographic quadrangle

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(Figure 1). The NCDOT proposes to install temporary erosion and sediment control
devices in Zone 1 and Zone 2 of the riparian buffer. Specifically temporary silt basins
temporary rock silt checks, rock pipe inlet sediment traps and temporary silt fences will
be used. The temporary structures will be removed once the vegetation has been
established and then seeded with a seed mixture of fescue and bahia grass Please note
that the placement of these structures are withn_ the_60_right-of--way width and their
associated impacts are included within the site total of 863 ft` in Zone 1 and 599 ft` in
Zone 2 (totaling 18.5 linear feet of riparian buffer impacts outside the Existing
Transportation Facility). Based on the impacts to the riparian buffer at this site, this
crossing is EXEMPT.
Waters of the U.S./Riparian Buffer Mitigation
Avoidance: All wetlands and surface waters not affected by the project will be protected from
unnecessary encroachment. No staging of construction equipment or storage of construction
supplies will be allowed in wetlands or near surface waters.
Minimization: The side slopes have been steepened to the extent possible at jurisdictional
sites. Strict enforcement of sedimentation and erosion control Best Management Practices for
the protection of wetlands and surface waters will be enforced during project construction.
Continued coordination will occur with maintenance forces and the Environmental Officer
during construction to minimize impacts to these sites.
Compensatory Mitigation: Unavoidable impacts to 32.5 linear feet of stream (surface
water fill) associated with this project will be mitigated (at a 2:1 ratio) by providing
65 linear feet of stream restoration equivalent in the Tar Pamlico River Basin
(Hydrologic Cataloging Unit 03020102). All compensatory mitigation requirements will
be assimilated on a quarterly basis and provided to the Ecosystem Enhancement Program
(EEP) for their acceptance with a copy provided to the USACE for verification and
accounting purposes.
Protected Species
Plants and animals with federal classifications of Endangered, Threatened, Proposed
Endangered and Proposed Threatened are protected under provisions of Section 7 and
Section 9 of the ESA. As of January 29, 2003, there are two federally protected species
listed for Warren County dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) and Tar
spinymussel (Elliptio steinstansana). Mussel surveys were conducted by Alderman
Services, Inc. in August and October of 2004. No protected specimens were observed and
no habitat was determined to exist at the permit sites. However, these streams do flow
directly to occupied listed species habitat. Therefore we need to conserve this habitat.
If HQW water quality protection measures are implemented throughout all phases of
project development within the watershed, then this activity is given a biological
determination of "May Affect, Not Likely to Adversely Effect" the dwarf wedgemussel
or the Tar spinymussel.

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Historical Compliance
This project has been screened by all pertinent parties to ensure historic compliance.
Summary
NCDOT proposes to upgrade and pave SR 1608 (Will Cheek Road) in Warren County.
Impacts are proposed to Waters of the United States (32.5 ft of surface water fill).
Unavoidable impacts to 32.5 linear feet of stream associated with this project will be
mitigated (at a 2:1 ratio) by providing 65 linear feet of stream restoration equivalent in
the Tar Pamlico River Basin (Hydrologic Cataloging Unit 03020102). All compensatory
mitigation requirements will be assimilated on a quarterly basis and provided to the
Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) for their acceptance with a copy provided to the
USACE for verification and accounting purposes. In addition impacts to the riparian
buffers within the Tar-Pamlico River Basin are proposed. However, based on the
impacts to the riparian buffer at each site, this crossing is EXEMPT.
Application is hereby made for a Department of the Army Section 404 Nationwide
Permit (NWP) 14, NWP 33, and NCDENR-DWQ Section 401 Water Quality
Certification (WQC) No. 3404 and WQC No. 3366 for above-described activities. An
automated payment procedure has recently been implemented between the NCDOT and
NCDWQ. This procedure will enable the Division to apply for the 401 WQC without
submitting a check for this permit application. This new procedure will provide payment
to the NCDWQ by charging the permit application fee of $200.00 directly to the
appropriate NCDOT WBS element SC.093030. Apre-construction notification is
attached with this request. If you have any questions or need additional information,
please contact Ms. Heather Montague at [phone].
Sinc 1 ,
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J G. Nance, P.E.
Division Engineer
cc: Ms. Nicole Thomson, NCDWQ
Mr. Clarence Thompson
Mr. Steve Winstead, NCDOT
Ms. Katie Simmons
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