20200035 Ver 1_IRT virtual meeting summary_10_26_2020_20201030

Strickland, Bev
From: Angela Allen <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2020 4:01 PM
To: [e-mail]; Kim Browning; John Hutton; Dow, Jeremiah J; Tugwell,
Todd J CIV USARMY CESAW (US); Davis, Erin B; Haywood, Casey M CIV (USA); Wilson,
Travis W.; Munzer, Olivia; Jones, Brena K.; Bowers, Todd; Wells, Emily N
Cc: Crocker, Lindsay
Subject: [External] Liberty Rock Meeting Minutes
Attachments: Liberty Rock IRT virtual meeting summary_10_26_2020.pdf
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to
[e-mail]
All,
Attached are the minutes from our meeting on 10/26/20 regarding the Liberty Rock Mitigation Site. Please let me know
if you have any comments. Wildlands will be preparing the technical memorandum in the coming week regarding next
steps on the project.
Thank you,
Angela
Angela Allen, PE I Water Resources Engineer
0:919.851.9986 x106 M: 703-655-6110
Wildlands Engineering, Inc.
312 West Millbrook Road, Suite 225
Raleigh, NC 27609
1

kt�
WILDLANDS
ENGINEERING
MEETING SUMMARY
MEETING: IRT virtual meeting to discuss mussels and restoration approach
Liberty Rock Mitigation Site — Option 3
Cape Fear 03030003; Randolph County, NC
DEQ Contract No. 7877-01
DMS Project No. 100135
Wildlands Project No. 005-02185
DATE: Monday October 26, 2020
LOCATION: Virtual Meeting
Attendees
Todd Tugwell, USACE
Kim Browning, USACE
Erin Davis, DWR
Jeremiah Dow, DMS
Olivia Munzer, WRC
Travis Wilson, WRC
Brena Jones, WRC
Todd Bowers, EPA
Kathryn Matthews, FWS
John Hutton, Wildlands
Angela Allen, Wildlands
Meeting Purpose
The meeting was set in response to WRC findings of rare mussel species on site in October 2020, and a
subsequent email sent to the IRT dated 10/9/2020 listing concerns with the restoration approach set forth in the
Liberty Rock Mitigation Site Technical Proposal dated August 13, 2019 (in response to RFP #16-007877).
Meeting Notes
1. Jeremiah Dow (DMS project manager) started the meeting introducing the issue at hand.
2. Angela Allen led the group through an Arc-GIS map that showed the existing conditions of the Rocky
River as compared to the conditions in 2010. There is visible widening of the stream, lateral instability,
and livestock impact. Ms. Allen also walked the group through photographs along the length of the
project and showed an overlay of the proposed alignment for the Rocky River in the left floodplain of
the existing river. The river is proposed to be constructed entirely off-line.
3. Travis Wilson asked about the adjacent proposed wetlands and the ability to raise the stream up to
existing floodplain elevations without causing backwater off -site

a. John Hutton responded that Rocky River is able to achieve a priority 1 restoration without
causing backwater off -site.
b. Todd Tugwell reiterated that the majority of the Rocky River is not incised on -site, but that the
main source of instability is lateral migration and livestock access causing mass -wasting of
banks.
c. Kim Browning commented that moving the channel to the center of the valley away from the
hillsides will help wet up the wetland areas.
4. Brena Jones was then asked to discuss the on -site findings of mussel species during the October site
visit. Ms. Jones summarized the findings outlined in the email from October 9, 2020, stating species of
snail, crayfish, and three native mussel species were found on site. The mussels included large numbers
of reproducing mussels. She discussed that while relocation was possible, it was a last resort option as
there is not much data on relocation success. Ms. Jones noted that the best habitat for mussels was
found on the lower third of the Rocky River.
5. The idea of restoring the upper two thirds of the Rocky River off-line and performing enhancement on
the lower third was brought up as a potential compromise. The group was generally in agreement of
this, though it was acknowledged that an improved credit ratio from the traditional 2.5:1 for
enhancement would need to be agreed upon to make the project financially viable for Wildlands.
6. In determining final credit ratios, the IRT would like to see the mussel survey, relocation, and monitoring
plan that Wildlands has developed as well as the plan for bank grading and/or habitat features. Wider
buffers than proposed on Mica Creek were also brought up as a potential for increasing credits on site.
7. Travis Wilson asked about stewardship, as this parcel is being bought fee simple by Wildlands. Mr.
Hutton stated that the site would have an easement and convey to the state as in other traditional DMS
mitigation projects.
8. The group agreed that the next step would be for Wildlands to work with DMS and provide a technical
memorandum to distribute to the IRT showing the proposed 2/3 to 1/3 restoration to enhancement
approach. The mussel sampling contract will be included in this memorandum.
9. It is noted that emails regarding this meeting were sent to IRT members after the meeting finished
regarding additional questions and concerns, as there were technical difficulties with some audio lines.
These meeting notes were prepared by Angela Allen on October 28, 2020 and reviewed by John Hutton on October 28, 2020
and represent the authors' interpretation of events.
W Wildlands Engineering, Inc. page 2
LIBERTY ROCK Mitigation Site —Option 3
IRT Virtual Meeting — October 26, 2020