20130739 Ver 1_Growing season information_20200421

Strickland, Bev
From:
King, Scott <[e-mail]>
Sent:
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 12:05 AM
To:
Haupt, Mac; Tugwell, Todd J CIV USARMY CESAW (US); Allen, Melonie; Dow, Jeremiah
J; Davis, Erin B; Kim Browning
Cc:
McKeithan, Katie; Powers, Andrew
Subject:
[External] St Clair growing season information
Attachments:
AgAC I S_StCla i r_W ETS_Ta ble. pdf
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Hi folks,
So I dug into the St Clair growing season issue this evening and discovered that the original dates were taken directly
from the WETS table posted by the NRCS for Beaufort County back when they were periodically updating those tables
and making them available online. Here's the citation for that table from the mitigation plan:
USDA. 2002. Climate Information -Wetlands Retrieval for North Carolina. Natural Resources Conservation
Service. Beaufort County, Aurora 6 N WETS Statlon:NC0375. [Online WWW]. Available URL:
(http://www.wcc.nres.usda.gov/ft/ftpref/support/climate/wetlands/nc/37013.txt)
Unfortunately we don't have a copy of the that TXT file downloaded anywhere, but there are handwritten notes about
that table in the file that say it had been updated on 6/8/09. Again, the NRCS has stopped supporting those set tables in
favor of the 'Wetlands (WETS) Climate Tables' website:
https://www.wcc.nres.usda.gov/climate/wets doc.html [wcc.nres.usda.gov]
This is their website purpose from their front page: "The WETS Tables define the normal range for monthly
precipitation and growing season required to assess the climatic characteristics for a geographic area over a
representative period of time. The Tables gives a month -by -month summary and probability analysis of temperature
and precipitation. The Tables also provide the average length of the growing season using three index temperatures
(32, 28, and 24 degrees Fahrenheit) at 50% and 70% probabilities."
The website uses the same methodology as the old hardcopy paper soil survey manuals did. You are absolutely
comparing apples to apples. Their website explains it in more detail if you want to dig into the specifics (or discuss
with me further). The most recent Beaufort County soil survey from 1995 used data from 1951 to 1981! That is
remarkably out of date and is why the NRCS attempted to update the tables more regularly and post them at the
website shown above from the mit plan citation. I mean, not to get political, but the climate has been warming the
past few decades and the NRCS addresses that issue all the time. Same with NC State University researchers in the
Crop and Soil Science Dept.
As we don't have a copy of the exact WETS table that NRCS stopped posting, I built a new one from the same weather
station (Aurora — apx. 4 miles from the project). I did that using the NRCS program AgACIS (Agricultural Applied Climate
Information System). You select the state and county and then weather station. I ran an analysis with all the data up to
2008 (which would have been the last full year of data the old WETS table updated in 6/8/09 would have had). I got the
attached output WETS table that shows a growing season starting on Feb 25, which is very close to what that old table
showed and to what we used in our mit plan. This link will take you to the AgACIS webpage for Beaufort County if you
want to play around with it yourself:

http://agacis.rcc-acis.org/?fips=37013 [agacis.rcc-acis.orgl
I would also like to note that the most recent IRT monitoring guidance from 2016 states the following in the Growing
Season section on page 16: "In addition, the growing season will occur for the period identified on the WETS data
tables for a probability of 50% and an air temperature of 28'F." This was what was used here at St Clair.
This seemed to create a bit of controversy today at the meeting, which surprised me. So please let me know if you have
any further questions or want to discuss anything in further detail.
And please pass this along to any other member of the IRT who I may have accidentally overlooked in this email. My
apologies if so!
Thank you very much,
Scott
Scott King, LSS, PWS I Soil Scientist - Ecosystem Restoration Group I Michael Baker International
8000 Regency Parkway, Suite 600 1 Cary, NC 27518 1 [O] 919-481-5731
[e-mail] I www.mbakerintl.com [mbakerintl.coml
Michael We Make a Difference
ference
I N T E R IN A T 1 0 N A L
connect with us: y M !3 %oM

WETS Table
WETS Station: AURORA 6 N,
NC
Requested years: 1971 -
2008
Month
Avg Max
Avg Min
Avg
Avg
30i
30i
Avg number
Avg
Temp
Temp
Mean
Precip
chance
chance
days precip
Snowfall
Temp
precip less
precip
0.10 or more
than
more than
Jan
53.1
34.0
43.6
4.01
2.92
4.72
8
0.2
Feb
55.5
36.0
45.8
3.09
2.21
3.66
6
0.4
Mar
63.2
42.8
53.0
3.95
3.01
4.60
7
0.0
Apr
71.9
51.1
61.5
3.46
2.28
4.16
5
0.0
May
78.9
59.3
69.1
4.18
2.76
5.01
7
0.0
Jun
85.6
67.7
76.6
4.64
3.04
5.57
7
0.0
Jul
89.0
71.5
80.3
5.53
3.79
6.60
8
0.0
Aug
87.4
70.5
78.9
6.15
4.36
7.29
8
0.0
Sep
82.8
65.8
74.3
4.60
2.55
5.60
6
0.0
Oct
73.3
54.6
63.9
3.05
1.80
3.70
4
0.0
Nov
64.9
45.8
55.3
2.90
1.91
3.47
5
0.0
Dec
56.3
37.2
46.7
3.48
2.28
4.18
6
0.0
Annual:
43.73
51.82
Average
71.8
53.0
62.4
-
-
-
-
-
Total
-
-
-
49.04
77
0.6
GROWING SEASON DATES
Years with missing data:
24 deg =
28 deg =
32 deg =
11
11
10
Years with no occurrence:
24 deg =
28 deg =
32 deg =
2
0
0
Data years used:
24 deg =
28 deg =
32 deg =
27
27
28
Probability
24 F or
28 F or
32 F or
higher
higher
higher
50 percent *
2/8 to
2/25 to
3/17 to
12/30:
12/8: 286
11 /26:
325 days
days
254 days
70 percent *
1 /29 to
2/20 to
3/13 to
1 /9: 345
12/13:
12/1: 263
days
296 days
days
* Percent chance of the
growing season occurring
between the Beginning and
Ending dates.
STATS TABLE - total
precipitation (inches)
Yr
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annl
1973
2.26
4.06
2.53
6.50
1.86
3.44
2.61
7.15
1.78
1.
0.69
7.70
41.
22
80
1974
3.15
3.03
4.15
3.20
5.07
4.38
3.31
9.53
5.77
2.
1.66
4.43
50.
32
00
1975
4.50
3.44
3.93
3.76
7.75
2.88
11.88
1.48
5.97
4.
1.41
6.23
57.
24
47
1976
2.03
1.43
2.45
2.20
7.28
6.13
3.41
3.82
5.25
2.
3.37
4.38
44.
81
56
1977
3.28
1.13
5.35
1.70
5.70
1.90
5.84
8.43
5.96
7.
6.40
4.25
57.
20
14
1978
7.67
1.80
4.38
6.45
5.36
5.95
5.96
6.39
1.76
1.
3.94
3.57
54.
06
29
1979
7.52
4.73
3.32
4.31
8.32
4.66
5.40
3.20
1.
2.82
2.62
48.
82
72
1980
4.30
2.15
5.41
4.17
1.95
1.69
2.68
3.53
3.22
3.
2.78
3.82
39.
52
22

1981
1.76
1.84
1.57
0.96
5.47
9.71
4.71
9.04
1.78
0.
0.69
3.89
42.
84
26
1982
5.88
4.59
2.14
1.98
7.62
6.61
4.52
M2.
4.
2.17
4.53
46.
58
12
74
1983
3.99
6.45
8.00
5.12
2.29
6.02
M6.02
4.86
5.28
4.
4.48
5.82
62.
14
47
1984
1.89
4.38
4.20
4.45
7.52
3.05
17.86
M15.02
0.
1.70
1.03
61.
55
65
1985
3.37
4.30
1.69
0.70
1.09
1.60
9.24
5.48
7.10
1.
5.02
1.16
42.
62
37
1986
2.34
1.98
2.86
1.55
1.74
4.54
2.91
8.99
0.10
0.
1.52
3.60
33.
97
10
1987
6.29
2.80
4.49
3.01
1.66
3.28
2.88
8.31
7.73
1.
4.29
2.80
49.
66
20
1988
3.72
2.00
2.56
4.60
4.14
4.38
2.84
3.14
2.76
2.
2.59
0.41
35.
65
79
1989
3.83
7.60
4.64
4.87
6.72
5.94
7.98
3.
1.78
3.60
50.
89
85
1990
2.55
1.93
4.88
3.15
7.91
3.08
9.32
1.77
3.
2.74
1.50
42.
87
70
1991
6.78
1.38
5.98
4.55
2.07
7.60
4.19
4.42
1.48
4.
1.79
3.13
47.
11
48
1992
4.98
1.30
4.13
2.35
3.65
5.79
2.22
8.99
1.57
1.
6.53
2.52
45.
69
72
1993
6.25
2.39
4.86
3.59
1.99
4.21
9.81
M3.62
4.25
5.
1.92
2.55
51.
71
15
1994
6.21
3.28
6.31
0.96
3.59
2.62
5.80
2.85
3.78
6.
4.24
1.43
47.
00
07
1995
5.92
4.42
2.70
0.70
5.59
7.72
4.83
6.72
3.27
4.
2.61
2.05
50.
06
59
1996
4.05
2.49
6.07
1.92
3.60
5.03
8.78
9.25
6.75
6.
3.27
3.89
61.
83
93
1997
3.14
3.66
3.04
3.74
2.66
2.56
4.68
3.61
5.90
2.
3.98
5.08
44.
14
19
1998
5.54
5.95
5.06
4.22
6.77
8.99
7.87
7.27
3.71
1.
1.23
4.58
62.
23
42
1999
3.13
1.45
2.67
2.74
2.03
3.88
2.97
5.68
M14.
5.
1.51
1.28
47.
59
68
61
2000
4.89
3.09
3.19
5.60
3.40
3.77
5.13
10.17
7.05
0.
3.16
3.29
52.
19
93
2001
1.60
3.06
3.08
M1.73
M2.27
M10.06
M5.91
M4.53
0.72
M1.
M1.
MO.
36.
41
48
99
84
2002
M4.75
M1.93
M4.87
M3.55
M2.21
M3.11
M5.10
M3.68
M3.
M3.
M3.
M2.
42.
70
69
30
77
66
2003
M1.74
M5.00
M5.64
6.21
10.04
M3.75
8.28
8.62
6.19
4.
2.20
8.44
70.
57
68
2004
1.56
5.17
2.18
4.13
M2.31
5.13
2.96
8.33
7.70
1.
M3.
M2.
47.
75
37
66
25
2005
3.11
M1.46
3.55
M1.86
M5.17
5.75
5.54
3.28
4.01
M3.
2.31
3.90
43.
13
07
2006
2.96
1.64
2.39
3.73
3.70
6.31
1.96
6.46
7.28
M2.
6.69
3.74
49.
46
32
2007
4.84
1.82
2.34
4.23
3.38
3.76
5.18
1.97
2.00
3.
0.84
M2.
36.
02
78
16
2008
3.08
5.16
2.63
7.46
2.27
M0.19
3.91
3.96
5.56
M3.
2.74
4.07
44.
61
64
2009
2.51
0.99
4.11
1.32
7.56
5.78
5.34
8.43
2.83
1.
M7.
M5.
53.
70
72
34
63
2010
4.07
5.13
3.33
M0.37
1.48
4.76
4.85
6.21
11.
6.
1.14
3.06
52.
36
83
59
2011
M3.23
2.53
3.43
1.96
0.71
2.57
M1.28
M17.09
8.71
1.
2.51
0.49
45.
25
76
2012
2.62
M2.95
M3.16
M2.00
M8.60
M1.40
M5.44
M8.36
M3.
M5.
0.65
4.64
48.
16
07
05
2013
2.11
4.92
M1.08
M3.19
M2.38
M5.49
M4.71
M4.18
3.71
2.
M4.
MO.
38.
39
18
53
87
2014
2.36
M3.18
4.34
3.87
M2.16
M9.27
6.00
M5.40
M4.
3.
M2.
M5.
53.
87
86
58
23
12

2015
M4.29
M4.63
M3.35
M2.92
M4.32
M8.44
5.57
M2.66
5.16
M5.
M8.
4.84
60.
96
52
66
2016
M3.62
M6.80
4.12
M2.29
M5.05
M5.43
5.73
4.00
9.49
8.
0.57
M3.
59.
11
89
10
2017
M2.68
1.33
3.90
M4.72
M3.56
M3.80
M5.81
M6.47
M3.
M1.
1.42
2.52
41.
77
23
21
2018
4.82
1.32
5.06
M5.41
M4.75
6.92
5.59
3.02
M7.
M1.
5.77
6.78
58.
30
75
49
2019
4.13
4.06
M1.42
M5.09
1.58
4.20
M3.43
3.78
8.30
2.
M3.
M2.
44.
97
17
05
18
2020
1.49
7.27
3.61
M3.10
15.
47
Notes: Data missing in any
month have an "M" flag. A "T"
indicates a trace of
precipitation.
Data missing for all days in a
month or year is blank.
Creation date: 2016-07-22