20161217 Ver 1_Proposed Soil Investigation_20170410

Scarbraugh, Anthony
From: Chris Hopper <[e-mail]> RECEIVED/NCDENFIVOWR
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2017 9:12 AM
To: Scarbraugh, Anthony, 'Barnes, Kyle W CIV USARMY CESAW (US)'
Cc: 'Johnston, Charlie'; 'Brian Smith'; matt. Hooper@duke-eAf9yjc@r-qV0 %
Subject: RE: [WARNING: AN UNSCANNABLE][Non-DoD Source] Windsor Solar
Attachments: Windsor Solar Soil Investigation Plan 041017.pdf water Quality Regional
operations Section
Washington Regional Office
Anthony:
Of course - the plan proposed to identify 404 extents is attached. Please let us know if you have questions.
Regards,
Chris
Chris Hopper
CAROLINA ECOSYSTEMS INC.
[phone]
www.carolinaeco.com
-----Original Message -----
From: Scarbraugh, Anthony[mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2017 7:42 AM
To: Barnes, Kyle W CIV USARMY CESAW (US) <[e-mail]>; Chris Hopper
<[e-mail]>
Cc: 'Johnston, Charlie' <[e-mail]>; Brian Smith <[e-mail]>;
matt. [e-mail]
Subject: RE: [WARNING: A/V UNSCANNABLE][Non-DoD Source] Windsor Solar
Mr. Hopper,
This Office would appreciate a copy of the proposed methodology for review.
Thanks,
Anthony Scarbraugh
Anthony Scarbraugh
Environmental Senior Specialist
Division of Water Resources - Water Quality Regional Operations Department of Environmental Quality
252 948 3924 office
anthony,[e-mail]
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, NC 27889

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed
to third parties.
-----Original Message -----
From: Barnes, Kyle W CIV USARMY CESAW (US) [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2017 5:35 PM
To: Chris Hopper <[e-mail]>; Scarbraugh, Anthony <[e-mail]>
Cc: 'Johnston, Charlie' <[e-mail]>; Brian Smith <[e-mail]>;
matt. [e-mail]
Subject: RE: [WARNING: A/V UNSCANNABLE][Non-DoD Source] Windsor Solar
Chris,
I read through you proposed methodology and it sound like a reasonable approach. Truly the only reasonable approach
with the suspected depth of fill on the lower end. Let me know how things go and I look forward to seeing the results.
Kyle Barnes
Regulatory Specialist
US Army Corps of Engineers
Wilmington District
Washington Field Office
910-251-4584
We at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Branch are committed to improving service to our customers. We
would appreciate your feedback on how we are performing our duties. Our automated Customer Service Survey is
located at:
http://corpsmapu.usace.army.mil/cm_apex/f?p=136:4:0
<http://corpsmapu.usace.army.mil/cm_apex/f?p=136:4:0>
Thank you for taking the time to visit this site and complete the survey.
-----Original Message -----
From: Chris Hopper [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2017 5:10 PM
To: Barnes, Kyle W CIV USARMY CESAW (US) <[e-mail]>
Cc: 'Johnston, Charlie' <[e-mail]>; Brian Smith <[e-mail]>;
matt. [e-mail]
Subject: [WARNING: A/V UNSCANNABLE][Non-DoD Source] Windsor Solar
Kyle:
Good afternoon. We are performing the soil investigation at the Windsor site this week. Attached for your information is
the plan we discussed.

Please call or reply with questions.
Regards,
Chris Hopper
Senior Scientist
CAROLINA ECOSYSTEMS INC.
3040 NC Hwy 42 West
Clayton NC 27520
[phone]
Blockedwww.carolinaeco.com <Blockedhttp://www.carolinaeco.com>

CAROLINA 3040 NC 42 West, Clayton NC 27520
ECOSYSTEMS, INC. P: [phone] — F:919-585-5570
April 10, 2017
Mr. Kyle Barnes
Washington Regulatory Field Office
US Army Corps of Engineers
2407 West 5t° St.
Washington, NC 27889
RE: Soil Investigation to Determine Wetland Extents
Windsor Solar Site
Windsor, Berrie County, North Carolina
Dear Mr. Barnes,
Carolina Ecosystems, Inc. (CEI) has been contracted by Duke Energy to conduct a soil
investigation on the Windsor Solar site in an effort to determine the former extents of
jurisdictional wetlands on the Windsor Solar site. As such, two drainages have been requested to
be assessed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This letter along with the attached
map are being provided to inform the USACE of the method being used to obtain the former
extents of jurisdictional wetlands on the site. The field investigation is scheduled to begin April
12, 2017.
Methodology
CEI first determined the likely location of the former depicted wetland. CEI has taken the
wetland shown in the sediment and erosion control (S&EC) permit application and
georeferenced it to the current 2016 aerial photograph of the site. When CEI performed this
process, the wetland matched up with the topo crenulation so it is CEIs best judgment that a good
location for the wetland shown in the S&EC permit application was obtained. CEI has used its
decimeter grade GPS system to layout this wetland boundary on the site. This layout establishes
the core of our investigation area. The second drainage along the eastern boundary showed no
previous wetland, so none will be laid out.
Underground utilities will be located in the soil investigation area so the team can safely perform
the work. Subsequently, CEI will perform soil investigations at the top end and bottom end of
both drainages to characterize the soils so CEI can have a clear understanding of what features
are present in the soil. This will allow us to focus on the key hydric soil features during the
investigation.
Following this initial investigation, CEI will perform the detailed soil investigation. The
technical lead for the team will be Dr. Michael Vepraskas, a nationally recognized expert on
hydric soil. The team will be primarily using a geoprobe unit to obtain undisturbed soil cores for
the investigation. These cores will be. approximately 1.5 inch in diameter and will be pulled up in
four (4) to five (5) foot sections until the necessary depth is reached. The cores will be split open
and laid out for detailed analysis. The analysis will focus primarily on determining the depth of
fill, the integrity of the original soil surface and whether the buried soil would be characterized
as hydric or non-hydric.

CAROLINA 3040 NC 42 West, Clayton NC 27520
ECOSYSTEMS, INC. P: [phone] — F:919-585-5570
April 10, 2017
Mr. Kyle Barnes
Washington Regulatory Field Office
US Army Corps of Engineers
2407 West 5a' St.
Washington, NC 27889
RE: Soil Investigation to Determine Wetland Extents
Windsor Solar Site
Windsor, Bertie County, North Carolina
Dear Mr. Barnes,
Carolina Ecosystems, Inc. (CEI) has been contracted by Duke Energy to conduct a soil
investigation on the Windsor Solar site in an effort to determine the former extents of
jurisdictional wetlands on the Windsor Solar site. As such, two drainages have been requested to
be assessed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This letter along with the attached
map are being provided to inform the USACE of the method being used to obtain the former
extents of jurisdictional wetlands on the site. The field investigation is scheduled to begin April
12, 2017.
Methodology
CEI first determined the likely location of the former depicted wetland. CEI has taken the
wetland shown in the sediment and erosion control (S&EC) permit application and
georeferenced it to the current 2016 aerial photograph of the site. When CEI performed this
process, the wetland matched up with the topo crenulation so it is CEIs best judgment that a good
location for the wetland shown in the S&EC permit application was obtained. CEI has used its
decimeter grade GPS system to layout this wetland boundary on the site. This layout establishes
the core of our investigation area. The second drainage along the eastern boundary showed no
previous wetland, so none will be laid out.
Underground utilities will be located in the soil investigation area so the team can safely perform
the work. Subsequently, CEI will perform soil investigations at the top end and bottom end of
both drainages to characterize the soils so CEI can have a clear understanding of what features
are present in the soil. This will allow us to focus on the key hydric soil features during the
investigation.
Following this initial investigation, CEI will perform the detailed soil investigation. The
technical lead for the team will be Dr. Michael Vepraskas, a nationally recognized expert on
hydric soil. The team will be primarily using a geoprobe unit to obtain undisturbed soil cores for
the investigation. These cores will be approximately 1.5 inch in diameter and will be pulled up in
four (4) to five (5) foot sections until the necessary depth is reached. The cores will be split open
and laid out for detailed analysis. The analysis will focus primarily on determining the depth of
fill, the integrity of the original soil surface and whether the buried soil would be characterized
as hydric or non-hydric.

Mr. Kyle Barnes Windsor Solar Site
April 10, 2017 Page 2 of 2
The nature of the original soil surface will be documented and any significant disturbance will be
noted. The geoprobee unit will begin collecting cores at the center of the wetland depicted in the
S&EC plans. If hydric soils are found, the geoprobe will collect samples along a cross-section
going out in both directions from the center until no hydric soils are found. If no hydric soils are
found in the initial core, the geoprobe will collect samples along a cross-section at 5ft intervals
going out 20ft in both directions in an attempt to locate hydric soils. If a hydric soil is found,
then more detailed cores will be collected to properly define the wetland as described above.
Once a break point in hydric soils or a change in features occur, a pin flag will be placed on the
current ground surface to indicate the former wetland boundary. After going out 20ft in both
directions, if no hydric soils are found, the cross-section would be deemed to not contain a
jurisdictional wetland. This process will be performed along each cross-section (see attached
map). CEI will perform additional borings between these cross -sections if findings indicate the
wetland ends somewhere within the site and will attempt to determine the exact lower limit
boundary of the wetland. The wetland boundary limits from each cross-section will be collected
by GPS and subsequently by a PLS so the wetland extents can be accurately mapped.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me at your earliest
convenience at [phone] or [e-mail].
Sincerely,
Carolina Ecosystems, Inc.
Brian Smith, PWS
Senior Environmental Scientist
Attachments: Soil Investigation Map

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Hand angering may be performed within the solar panel array as
necessary to further investigate wetland boundaries.
N O Study Area
CAROLINAFeet ® GeoProbe Cross Sections
ECOSYSTEMS 0 75 150 nertie County 2' Contours
- Wetland based on S&EC Permit Documents —2013 by ERP
- Wetland delineation performed by CEI 2016
2016 NC Statewide Aerial Photography
Map Date: April2017
Revised:
Revised:
Revised:
Windsor Solar
Bertie County, NC
Soil Investigation Plan