20210348 Ver 1_Riparian Buffer Authorization_20210216

Pickle Creek Mitigation Project
Neuse 01 DMS Full Delivery Buffer Site
And Neuse 01 Nutrient Bank 1 January 2021
1 LAND OWNER INFORMATION
(1a) Name(s) on Recorded Deed Douglas Allen Jernigan
(1b) Mailing Address 781 Thunder Swamp Rd, Mount Olive, NC
(1c) Telephone Number 919-738-0632
(1d) Email [e-mail]

2 INTRODUCTION
2.1 Project Description
The Pickle Creek Mitigation Project (Project) is a full delivery project contracted by the NC Division of
Mitigation Services (DMS) to deliver riparian buffer mitigation credits in the Neuse River Basin 03020201.
The Project is located in Wayne County, approximately five miles west of Mount Olive, NC off of Thunder
Swamp Road. All features on site eventually drain into Thunder Swamp. The current State water quality
classifications for Thunder Swamp is Class C and NSW. Class C waters are protected for uses such as
secondary recreation, fishing, wildlife, fish consumption, aquatic life including propagation, survival and
maintenance of biological integrity, and agriculture. Nutrient Sensitive Waters (NSW) represent a
supplemental classification intended for waters needing additional nutrient management due to being
subject to excessive growth of microscopic or macroscopic vegetation.
Water quality stressors currently affecting the Project include crop production and lack of forested riparian
buffer. Field evaluations determined all stream features, RES has determined all features to be either
intermittent/perennial or a ditch. Buffer restoration is proposed to increase water quality and ecological
function and protect these features and ditch features in perpetuity. By restoring the riparian buffers of this
headwater stream and its connecting ditch features, a contiguous riparian corridor will be re-established,
and the Project will have an even greater impact on the improved water quality, hydrology, and habitat of
this stream catchment area.
The Project will involve the riparian buffer restoration of one main feature, J1, and three ditch features, D1,
D3, and D4. All four of these features originate within the Project area. There are two additional ditch
features onsite that drain to J1 (D2 and D5) which will be discussed in Section 4. The main feature, J1, is
an unnamed tributary that ultimately drains to Thunder Swamp (Figure 3a). J1 originates at a hard-right
turn where D1 transitions from a ditch feature to an intermittent modified natural stream. As soon as the
left bank of J1 becomes forested, perennial characteristics become more apparent and J1 evolves to a
perennial stream. The reach has been channelized and maintained to promote drainage for crop production.
Through the crop field, the reach has no riparian buffer, barring the southside of the stream along the
upstream extent. During data collection, cross sections were done on each ditch. D1 has a channel depth of
2.75 feet, D3 has a depth of 2.4 feet and D4 has a depth of 3.0.
2.2 Project Location
The Project is in Mount Olive in Wayne County, NC (Figure 1). To access the Project from the town of
Mount Olive, travel north on Highway 117 for about a mile, then turn left on NC-55 W for 2.5 miles, then
Pickle Creek Mitigation Project
Neuse 01 DMS Full Delivery Buffer Site
And Neuse 01 Nutrient Bank 2 January 2021
right on Thunder Swamp Rd, after 2 miles the destination will be on the left. The latitude and longitude of
the Project is 35.2333°N and -78.1132°W.
2.3 Service Area
This Bank will provide mitigation credits to offset unavoidable impacts to buffer resources within the Neuse
River Basin (8-digit USGS HUC 03020201, 14-digit HUC 03020201170030) (Figure 1).
The Project’s watershed is rural, and consists of residential lots, agricultural land, and forest. The Project
area, specifically, has had the same agricultural footprint for over 40 years (Figure 5).
3 EXISTING CONDITIONS
3.1 Existing Buffer Conditions
Majority of this site lacks a riparian buffer and row crop production extends to the edge of those features.
The only forested riparian buffer is along the left bank of J1 and along the most downstream right bank of
J1 (Figure 3a).
3.2 Vegetation and Wildlife
Currently, the vegetative cover of the Project is primarily comprised of active cropland. The forested areas
adjacent to J1 and downstream of the Project is classified as a mixed-mesic hardwood forest (Coastal Plain
subtype). Common species within the Project include sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), red maple (Acer
rubrum) water oak (Quercus nigra), willow oak (Quercus phellos), and some scattered loblolly pine (Pinus
taeda). Invasive species were not observed within the Project at this time, however with the adjacency of
the mixed hardwood forest and agricultural operations it can be assumed there are invasive species seed
sources.
3.3 Constraints
There are a few constraints to the Project. No portion of the project is in a FEMA flood zone and there are
no NWI wetlands located within the project. There are two existing culvert crossings on J1. A powerline
runs through the easement on the western portion of the project at a 30-foot easement break just downstream
of a culvert crossing (Figure 3a). Lastly, the proposed Project is located just under 4 miles away from one
air transport facility, Mount Olive Municipal (Figure 1). The Mount Olive Municipal Airport is a city
owned and operated airport and is located approximately three and a half miles east northeast of the Project.
The proposed Project will not affect the operations of these airports. There are currently no existing
crossings on any Project features, nor are any proposed.
3.4 Project Development
Buffer mitigation efforts in the Neuse River Basin will be accomplished through the planting,
establishment, and protection of a hardwood forest community. The result will be a riparian habitat that
functions to mitigate nutrient and sediments inputs from the surrounding upland, diffuse overland flow, and
restore and protect the natural vegetative communities that provide diverse habitat for wildlife in perpetuity.

Pickle Creek Mitigation Project
Neuse 01 DMS Full Delivery Buffer Site
And Neuse 01 Nutrient Bank 3 January 2021
4 NUTRIENT BANK ADD-ON
4.1 Pickle Creek Mitigation Project Phase 2
In conjunction with the DMS Pickle Creek Mitigation Project, RES is proposing a nutrient offset mitigation
bank that will also service the same Neuse 01 watershed by providing nutrient offset credit. The project
will be named Pickle Creek Mitigation Project Phase 2 (Figure 3b). Pickle Creek Phase 2 will be contained
within the same parcel as the DMS project and will incorporate some of the same features while also
including several additional features, namely ditches. Specifically, Phase 2 will widen the planted riparian
area along stream features of the DMS project (J1, D1, D3, D4), and it will plant and protect riparian areas
along two ditch features (D2 and D5).
D2
D2 is an artificial channel dug to promote drainage for row crop production. This elongated ditch drains
into J1. The ditch banks contain tall, herbaceous vegetation and little to no woody vegetation. D2 flows
south until it meets up with J1. At the confluence of J1 and D2, the left bank of J1 is wooded. Through this
project, there will be a riparian buffer planted along the right bank of J1 and both banks of D2.
D5
D5 is an artificial channel dug to promote drainage for crop production and drains directly into stream reach
J1. During data collection, the depth of the ditch was measured at an average of 3.3 feet. The ditch banks
contain herbaceous vegetation and little to no woody vegetation. The right bank of D5 is much higher than
the left bank at the top of the ditch, but then starts to equal out as you move down the ditch. D5 starts just
above D3, then flows west and turns south before draining into J1. At the confluence of D 5 and J1, there
is no riparian buffer. But through this project, a riparian buffer will be planted on both features. There is an
existing culvert at the confluence of these two features as well.
LANDOWNER AUTHORIZATION FORM
PROPERTY LEGAL DESCRITION:
Deed Book:2832 Page:255 County: Wayne
Parcel ID Number: 2564319379
Street Address: _Thunder Swamp Road, Mount Olive, NC 28365
Property Owner (please print: i. Paz AIA 5
Property Owner (please print:
M
The undersigned, registered property owner(s) of the above property, do hereby authorize
Resource Environmental Solutions, the NC Department of Environmental Quality, and the US
Army Corps of Engineers, their employees, agents or assigns to have reasonable access to the above
referenced property for the evaluation of the property as a potential stream, wetland and/or
riparian buffer mitigation project, including conducting stream and/or wetland determinations and
delineations, as well as issuance and acceptance of any required permit(s) or certification(s).
Property Owners(s) Address: 781 Thunder Sw@mp Road Mount Olive NC 28365
(if different from above)
Property Owner Telephone Number: I ft- 230— D G 3 Z-
I/We hereby certify the above information to be true and accurate to the best of my/our knowledge.
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Owner

0 2,0001,000
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Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
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Project Parcel
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Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
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MOUNT OLIVE MUNIS C O T T B R O O K F A R M
COX-GRANTHAM AIRFIELD0 10.5
Miles
Figure 1 - Project Vicinity
Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
Legend
Proposed Easement
Neuse River Basin - 03020201
14- Digit HUC - 03020201170030
5 Mile Aviation Zone
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Pickle CreekMitigation Project
35.2333, -78.1132
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Figure 2a - USGS Quadrangle
Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
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Proposed Easem ent
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Mount Olive (1977)
0 1,000500
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Figure 2b - USGS Quadrangle
Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
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Proposed Easem ent
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PFO1A
PFO1A
PFO1C
PFO4Ad
PFO4BdD3D4D1D2D5
J1
0 500250
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Figure 3a - Existing C onditions
Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
Legend
Proposed Easem ent
NWI Wetlands (USFWS 05/01/2020)
FE MA Zone AE (None)
FE MA Regulatory Floodway (None)
.2% Chance Annual Flood (None)
T Pow erline
Á Cross Section Location
Stream Determ ination
Perennial
Intermittent
Ditch
DWR Stream Assessm ent Location
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CroplandCropland
Cropland
Existing CrossingExisting Crossing
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTÁ
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J1
0 500250
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Figure 3b - Existing C onditions
Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
Legend
Proposed DMS Easem ent
Proposed Bank Easem ent
T Pow erline
Á Cross Section Location
Stream Determ ination
Perennial
Intermittent
Ditch
DWR Stream Assessm ent Location
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CroplandCropland
Cropland
Existing CrossingExisting Crossing
0 500250
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Figure 4 - NRCS Soil Survey (1974)
Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
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Proposed Easem ent
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1993 2000
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Proposed Easem ent
Figure 5 - Historical Imagery
Pickle Creek Mitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
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Feet 1 inch = 1,000 feet
1980
Source: USGS EarthExplorer
Source: NCOneMap
Source: USGS EarthExplorer
Source: NC OneMap
0 500250
Feet
Figure 6 - LiD AR
Pickle CreekMitigation Project
Wayne County, North Carolina
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Proposed Easem ent
167.623 ft
131.033 ft
Wayne C ounty Contour
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Document Path: R:\Resgis\entgis\Projects\102870_Pickle_Creek\MXD\3_Permitting\1_CatEX\Figure 6 - LiDAR- Pickle Creek.mxd1 inch = 487.2 feet