HomeMy WebLinkAbout20080511 Ver 2_Year 1 Revised Monitoring Report_20131216
First Annual Monitoring Report
LaGrange Bank Parcel
Greene Environmental Services, LLC
Neuse River Umbrella Mitigation Bank
DWQ#: 08-0511v2
Year 2013
Submitted to: Katie Merritt
NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Resources –Water Quality Programs
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1650 Phone: (919) 807-6371; Fax: (919) 8076494
Submitted by:Jeff Becker
1004 Glencastle Way
Raleigh, NC 27606
Phone: (919) 215-3899; Fax: (919) 859-0911
First Annual Monitoring Report
LaGrange Bank Parcel
Greene Environmental Services, LLC
Neuse River Umbrella Mitigation Bank
DWQ#: 08-0511v2Year 2013
Introduction and Background
Greene Environmental Services, LLC (GES) of Snow Hill, North Carolinaadded the LaGrange
site to the GES Neuse River Basin Umbrella Mitigation Bank. The LaGrange site (bank parcel)
is located at the southwest intersection of NC 903 and Old Jason Road (SR 1501), north of
LaGrange, in Lenoir County, North Carolina (Figures1and 2). The latitude/longitude
coordinates of the site are approximately 77°44.315 W and 35°20.588N. The purpose of the
nutrient mitigation bank is to improve water quality within the Neuse River Basin by reducing
nutrient and sediment inputs to the watershed and provide off-site mitigation for development
requiring nutrient offsets.
The bank parcel is located within the Middle Neuse Watershed (HUC: 03020202). The site
drains to Meeting House Branch (Stream Index # 27-72-3), which drains into Bear Creek
(Stream Index # 27-72-(0.1)), a major tributary to the Neuse River. According to the NC
Division of Water Quality Basinwide Information Management System, Meeting House Branch
is classified as C; Sw, NSW.
The bank parcel is approximately 3.39acres, including 0.87acres of riparian buffer and 2.52
acres of nutrient offset buffer restoration (Figures 3 and 4).This bank parcel was established
under the terms and conditions of the GES Neuse River Basin Umbrella Mitigation Bank made
and entered into by Mr. Bobby Ham of Greene Environmental Services, LLC, acting as the Bank
Sponsor and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources –Division
of Water Quality which was signed by the Division Director on October 3, 2008.
The bank parcel was previous agricultural cropland and was planted with character species
during March of 2010. During the planting process, Eric Kulz and Lia Gilleski of DWQ visited
the site and determined that it was suitable for nutrient offset mitigation.
Monitoring and Results for Year 2013
As specified in the LaGrange Bank Parcel Development Package (BPDP), this report represents
the first year of vegetative monitoring. The BPDP requires the submission of an annual
monitoring report each of five successive years.
The LaGrange parcel was initially planted with character trees in 2010 and 2011 at a rate of 413
seedlings per acre (Table 1).Supplemental plantings weredone in 2012and 2013at a rate of
108and 103 seedlings per acre, respectively. Thus prior to the submission of this first annual
monitoring report a total of 624seedlingsper acre had been planted on the3.39-acreparcel.
In each of the two monitoring plotsin the LaGrange Parcel, tree stemswere recorded by species
in October 2013according to Carolina Vegetation Survey sampling protocols.Plot locations are
mapped in Figure 5. Vegetation plot photo points were located at the northwestern corner of the
plots (Figure 6).
During the October 2013monitoring effort, a total of 44 seedlingsrepresentingeighttree species
were recorded in the two monitoring plots(Table 2). The total average density was 891trees per
acre.Thirtyof the 44trees within the plots were from seedlings planted by GES; thusaverage
planted seedling density was 607treesper acre(Table 3).Sixty-eightpercent of the trees were
plantedspecies;bald cypress, river birch and black gum accounted for approximately eighty
percent planted seedlings with theremainder including sycamore and cherrybark oak (Table 4).
Red maple, loblolly pine and swamp chestnut oakbecame established via natural colonization
and met the CVS protocol height requirementof 10 cm,minimum (Table 5).Additional
seedlings of swamp chestnut oak and black oak (Quercus velutina)were presentinthe
monitoring plots butnot recorded since they were less than 10 cm in height; if present andof
sufficient height, these and other volunteer species will be recorded in subsequent annual
monitoring reports. Persimmon, green ash, yellow poplar, white oak, turkey oak, live oak, and
pond cypress were planted on the LaGrange Parcel but were not recorded in the monitoring plots.
For total trees as well as planted trees,the 320 trees per acre success criterion was exceeded.
Overall Condition, Maintenance and Supplemental Plantings
Vegetation establishment and growth has been good at the LaGrange parcel. Growing
conditions, e.g, adequate rainfall, length of growing season and fertile soils, have been
advantageous since the initial plantings were undertaken. The height of some seedlings,
especially river birch, planted in 2010, now exceeds 3 m with diameters (dbh) of 8-10 cm. Other
species exhibit slower growth but are performing as expected. Browsing by deer has been
moderately problematic for seedlings in exposed areas and especially problematic for green ash
seedlings. There has been some evidence of depredation by rabbits and possibly beavers and
other rodents. Annual, herbaceous weed growth has been excessive; this would expectedlyresult
in above-ground and below-ground competition with planted seedlings. However,the weeds
likely afford the seedlings some greater advantage by protecting them from browsing deer. In an
effort to control rabbit and rodent populations, two 15-foot tall hawkperches were installed on
the site.
No remedial or supplemental planting is required for the 2014growing season. The next
monitoring effort will be in October 2014.
Table 1. LaGrange Tract.Approximate number of seedlings planted 2010, 2011,2012and 2013
on 3.39 acre tractprior to the first annual monitoring effort.Year 2013Annual Report, Greene
Environmental Services, LLC.
Planted Planted
Planted
Common April 2013 February/
SpeciesJanuaryTotals
NameMarch2010
2012
and 2011
450
Betula nigraRiver birch5050400
Diospyros
25
Persimmon0250
virginiana
Fraxinus
200
Green ash00200
pennsylvanica
Yellow
Liriodendron
20
0200
poplar
tulipifera
230
Nyssa sylvaticaBlackgum030200
Platanus
120
Sycamore01200
occidentalis
25
Quercus albaWhite oak0250
25
Turkey oak0250
Quercus laevis
Cherrybark
200
00200
oak
Quercus pagoda
Quercus
45
Live oak0450
virginiana
Taxodium
425
Bald cypress10025400
distichum
Taxodium
Pond cypress20000
ascendes
Total Seedlings Planted35036514002115
Average Number Seedlings
103108413624
Planted per Acre
2
Table 2. Stem densityfor all tree speciesin 100 mmonitoring plots at LaGrange Parcel.Year
2013Annual Report, Greene Environmental Services, LLC.
Plot LAG-1Plot LAG-2TractAverages
Common
Species
Number Stems Number Stems Number Stems
Name
Stemsper acreStemsper acreStemsper acre
202
Red maple416262435
Acer rubrum
142
River birch28152023.5
Betula nigra
Nyssa
121
Black gum28141623
biflora
Loblolly
61
0031211.5
pine
Pinus taeda
Platanus
81
Sycamore2812812
occidentalis
Swamp
20
Quercus chestnut 001400.5
michauxiioak
Quercus Cherrybark
40
281001
pagodaoak
Bald
Taxodium
223
832431215.5
cypress
distichum
All SpeciesTotals208102497222891
2
Table 3. Stem density for planted tree species in 100 mmonitoring plots at LaGrange Parcel.
Year 2013Annual Report, Greene Environmental Services, LLC.
Plot LAG-1Plot LAG-2TractAverages
Common
Species
Number Stems Number Stems Number Stems
Name
Stemsper acreStemsper acreStemsper acre
142
River birch28152023.5
Betula nigra
Nyssa
121
Black gum28141623
biflora
Platanus
81
Sycamore2812812
occidentalis
Cherrybark
Quercus
40
281001
oak
pagoda
Taxodium Bald
223
832431215.5
distichumcypress
Planted Species, Total
Stems and Stems per 166481456715607
Acre
2
Table 4. Relative density of species in 100 mmonitoring plots in LaGrange Parcel.2013Annual
Report, Greene Environmental Services, LLC.
Percent of Percent of
SpeciesCommon nameTotal Stems Planted Stems
by Speciesby Species
Acer rubrumRed maple22.7NA
Betula nigraRiver birch15.923.3
Black gum13.620.0
Nyssa biflora
Loblolly pine6.8NA
Pinus taeda
Sycamore
Platanus
9.113.3
occidentalis
Swamp chestnut
Quercus
2.3NA
oak
michauxii
Quercus pagodaCherrybark oak4.56.7
Taxodium Bald cypress
25.036.7
distichum
Percent of
planted stems 68% of Stems are of Planted Species
to total stems
2
Table 5. Stem heights for naturally colonizing tree species in 100 mmonitoring plots at
LaGrange Parcel.Year 2013Annual Report, Greene Environmental Services, LLC.
LAG 1LAG 2
Number of Stem Number of Stem
SpeciesCommon Name
Stemsheights (cm)Stemsheights (cm)
Acer rubrumRed maple23
79
41
84
46
142
46
61
191
64
71
Pinus taedaLoblolly pine
64
003
71
163
Quercus Swamp chestnut
00197
michauxiioak