20140762 Ver 5_Floodplain bench question on R-2915 C_20200707

Wanucha, Dave
From:Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent:Thursday, July 2, 2020 2:54 PM
To:Hining, Kevin J
Cc:Wanucha, Dave
Subject:RE: \[External\] RE: floodplain bench question on R-2915 C
CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as
an attachment to [e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>

Thanks Kevin.

Ok - no soil or plants because they weren't in the plans.

I may not be able to conduct a site visit for a while, so please answer a few questions now. Re the high flow
barrel and water flowing through it at normal flows - why does NCDOT prefer to leave the inlet floodplain
alone? Why not just correct it so that the normal flow does not go through the high flow barrel? How would
the aquatic environment benefit from not fixing this? The permit and conditions are at the office so I can't
look at them right now (I'll get with Steve), but would this comply with the conditions?

Thank you,

Lori
-----Original Message-----
From: Hining, Kevin J <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2020 5:37 PM
To: Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Cc: Wanucha, Dave <[e-mail]>
Subject: \[Non-DoD Source\] RE: \[External\] RE: floodplain bench question on R-2915 C

Hey Lori,

The outlet floodplain bench is in pretty good shape, but we need to fill a gap/depression with additional rip
rap between the outlet sill and the bench that formed during a big rain event. We just need to pick the
displaced rip rap up and put it back in the depression (it occurred while all the water was confined to the high
flow barrel during construction, so shouldn't happen again now that flows have access to both barrels). The
inlet floodplain is functioning, in that most of the water is going through the low flow barrel at normal flows,
but it is not aesthetically pleasing - it was hit pretty hard this winter during a couple storms. Some of the
water is going through the high flow barrel during normal flows.

However, I misspoke when requesting permission to alter the way those floodplain benches were designed. In
short, they were actually designed as we built them - the inlet was excavated down to grade and the outlet
was lined with just rip rap. In short, neither were supposed to be lined with soil and core fiber. I didn't realize
that when NCDOT and the contractor requested the change. I was under the impression at the time I made
1

the original request that all our floodplain benches were to be built that way, but have since learned that is
not always the case. I apologize for not knowing that then.

I planned to discuss this site with both of you at a later time, hopefully when you can make a field visit. Our
plans are to make the fix to the outlet floodplain, but we would prefer to leave the inlet floodplain alone.
Also, I think the outlet floodplain will eventually become vegetated, but its taking longer than I expected - it
has some sparce vegetation on it now.

I'm out of town Monday and Tuesday, but more than happy to discuss over the phone, or provide additional
information - whatever you need.

Thanks and hope you have a great weekend,

Kevin

Kevin Hining
Division 11 Environmental Officer
North Carolina Department of Transportation

828-386-7202 cell
[e-mail]

801 Statesville Rd.
PO Box 250
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

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: Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2020 1:07 PM
To: Hining, Kevin J <[e-mail]>
Cc: Wanucha, Dave <[e-mail]>
Subject: FW: \[External\] RE: floodplain bench question on R-2915 C

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as
an attachment to [e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>

Hi Kevin,
2

Please provide a status update for this issue re: "I'll monitor the floodplain benches through the winter and
early spring, and if needed, NCDOT will supplement the soil and apply native seed mix by the end of May."

Thank you,

Lori

-----Original Message-----
From: Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 1:04 PM
To: Hining, Kevin J <[e-mail]>; Wanucha, Dave <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: \[External\] RE: floodplain bench question on R-2915 C

Sounds good.

Thanks,

Lori

-----Original Message-----
From: Hining, Kevin J \[mailto:[e-mail]\]
Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 12:42 PM
To: Wanucha, Dave <[e-mail]>; Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
<[e-mail]>
Subject: \[Non-DoD Source\] RE: \[External\] RE: floodplain bench question on R-2915 C

Hey Lori and Dave,

Yes, I'm afraid that leaving it for several months during the winter with little chance of vegetation taking will
result in the soil and seed washing away, and possibly the coir matting as well. I'm also hopeful we'll end up
with the same end product, but without adding soil, seed, and coir matting. I'll monitor the floodplain
benches through the winter and early spring, and if needed, NCDOT will supplement the soil and apply native
seed mix by the end of May.

Thanks for letting us try this out,

Kevin

Kevin Hining
Division 11 Environmental Officer
North Carolina Department of Transportation

336 903 9129 office
828-386-8687 cell
[e-mail]

801 Statesville Rd.
3

PO Box 250
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

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: Wanucha, Dave <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 2:01 PM
To: Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Hining, Kevin J
<[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: \[External\] RE: floodplain bench question on R-2915 C

I agree with what the Corps is requesting and having nothing more to add. Thanks for letting us know.

Dave W.

Dave Wanucha
Division of Water Resources
401 & Buffer Transportation Permitting
NC Department of Environmental Quality

336-776-9703 office
336-403-5655 mobile
[e-mail]

NC DEQ Winston Salem Regional Office
450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300
Winston Salem, NC 27105

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: Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 1:34 PM
To: Hining, Kevin J <[e-mail]>
Cc: Wanucha, Dave <[e-mail]>
Subject: \[External\] RE: floodplain bench question on R-2915 C

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as
an attachment to [e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>

4

Hi Kevin,

Please explain why this would be better than following the plans and description of work. Are you concerned
that the soil and seed mix will just wash away this fall/winter? Something else?

If so, what you propose is acceptable to the USACE, but please provide a date (in the spring/early summer
2020) by which (and only if needed), NCDOT will (1) supplement the soil, and/or (2) apply a native seed mix.

Thank you,

Lori

Lori Beckwith
Regulatory Project Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Wilmington District
Asheville Regulatory Field Office
828-271-7980, ext. 4223

-----Original Message-----
From: Hining, Kevin J \[mailto:[e-mail]\]
Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 12:03 PM
To: Wanucha, Dave <[e-mail]>; Beckwith, Loretta A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
<[e-mail]>
Subject: \[Non-DoD Source\] floodplain bench question on R-2915 C

Hey Dave and Lori,

We have been granted a moratorium extension from NCWRC for the large double barrel culvert on R-2915 C
(station 374, permit site 13). They have until November 25th to complete the culvert.

Things are going well, but I had a question regarding the floodplain benches associated with that culvert.
Typically, we will build the floodplain benches using a rip rap base, covered with soil, seed mix, and core fiber.
Since it is very doubtful we can get anything to grow during the winter months, I was hoping to instruct the
contractor to build these floodplains with rip rap, but leave a few inches between the top of the rip rap and
the top of the sills, so that mother nature can deposit some soil and eventually colonize the floodplains with
vegetation. In the spring, if vegetation is not coming up, then we could apply the appropriate seed mix.

5

So, I'm requesting your approval to build a basic floodplain bench using just rock at this location. I'd continue
to monitor the benches though the winter and spring. I've been doing that for several floodplain benches,
taking pictures each time, with the hopes of documenting how the rip rap only flood benches compare to the
ones with soil and core fiber on them.

Hope you both are doing well and thanks for considering this request,

Kevin

Kevin Hining

Division 11 Environmental Officer

North Carolina Department of Transportation

336 903 9129 office

828-386-8687 cell

[e-mail] <mailto:[e-mail]>

801 Statesville Rd.

PO Box 250

North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the

North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
6

_____________________________________________________________

________________________________

Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed
to third parties.

________________________________

Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed
to third parties.

________________________________

Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed
to third parties.
7