20131277 Ver 1_Year 3 Monitoring Report_20210414

ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2020
Gum Swamp Creek Temporary Impact Site
Scotland County
TIP No. B-4639
COE Action ID: SAW-2009-01695
DWR Project #: 20131277v.1
Prepared By:
Roadside Environmental Unit and Environmental Analysis Unit
North Carolina Department of Transportation
June 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY 1
1.0 Introduction 2
.1 Project Description 2
.2 Purpose 2
.3 Project History 2
.4 Debit Ledger 2
2.0 Vegetation: 3
.1 Success Criteria 3
.2 Description of Species 3
.3 Results of Vegetation Monitoring 3
.4 Conclusions. 3
3.0 Overall Conclusions and Recommendations 4
FIGURES
Figure 1 — Vicinity Map 5
APPENDICES
Appendix A — Site Photos and Site Maps

SUMMARY
The Gum Swamp Creek Temporary Impact Site is located in Scotland County. This is
an annual report for temporary impacts associated with the bridge replacement of
Bridge No. 17 over Gum Swamp Creek on US 15/401. The temporary impact site was
planted in May 2018.
The temporary impacts encompassed approximately 0.32 acre wetland fill, 43 linear feet
of stream channel for the purpose of constructing a temporary onsite detour and
additional temporary impacts during construction of 0.14 acre of hand clearing and 0.02
acre fill for erosion control measures within wetlands. The area that was impacted is
being monitored for 3 years to ensure that it re -attains wetland jurisdictional status.
After the third year of monitoring, the Gum Swamp Creek Temporary Impact Site shows
by visual observation and stem counts that the temporarily impacted area is re -attaining
wetland jurisdictional status.
NCDOT proposes to discontinue monitoring at the Gum Swamp Creek Temporary
Impact Site.
1

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Project Description
The Gum Swamp Creek Temporary Impact Site is located in Scotland County at Bridge
No. 17 over Gum Swamp Creek on US 15/401 (Figure 1). The temporary impacts
encompass approximately 0.32 acre wetland fill, 43 linear feet of stream channel, 0.14
acre of hand clearing and 0.02 acre fill for erosion control measures within wetlands.
The area that was impacted is being monitored for 3 years to ensure that it re -attains
wetland jurisdictional status.
1.2 Purpose
In order for a temporary impact site to be considered successful, a site must meet the
success criteria. This report details the monitoring in 2020 at the Gum Swamp Creek
Temporary Impact Site.
1.3 Project History
May 2018
August 2018
August 2018
October 2018
June 2019
June 2020
1.4 Debit Ledger
Wetland Reforestation Completed
Vegetation Monitoring — Site Photos (Year 1)
USACE/NCDOT Onsite Meeting
Vegetation Monitoring — Stem Counts (Year 1)
Vegetation Monitoring (Year 2)
Vegetation Monitoring (Year 3)
The restoration of the Gum Swamp Creek temporary impact site was used entirely to
compensate for temporary impacts on the B-4639 project. There were no wetland
mitigation credits generated from the restoration of the impacted area.
2

2.0 VEGETATION: GUM SWAMP CREEK TEMPORARY IMPACT SITE
(YEAR 3 MONITORING)
2.1 Success Criteria
USACE Condition #7
Temporary impact areas will be returned to their preconstruction grade, contours and
wetland type (i.e. Riverine Swamp Forest/Bottomland Hardwood Forest). To restore the
temporary impact areas to pre-existing wetland conditions, these areas will be seeded
with a native seed mix and planted with native live stakes and/or saplings of species
commonly found in Riverine Swamp Forests/Bottomland Hardwood Forests/Non-Tidal
Freshwater Marshes, such as Sweetgum, Blackgum, Green Ash, Red Maple,
Sycamore, Pond or Bald Cypress, and Oak. Restoration of impacted areas shall be
deemed successful when:
a) All affected soils are intact and suitably vegetated with little or no evidence of
erosion related to construction activities.
b) Survival of >=80% of planted mixed forested wetland tree species or >120 trees
per acre of similar mixed species.
c) Hydrology that is evident by the presence of one or more indicators of hydrology,
and/or hydric soil indicators as described in the Atlantic Gulf Coastal Plain
Supplement.
USACE Condition #8
The restoration area will be visually monitored for meeting the above success criteria for
a minimum of 3 years. Reference photos and plant survival shall be reported annually
and submitted to the Corps of Engineers, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office. If the site
does not exhibit forested wetland (see condition #7 above) and corrective measures
such as replanting and soil manipulation are unsuccessful, additional compensatory
mitigation may be required for wetland conversion and/or loss.
2.2 Description of Species
The following wetland species were planted in the temporary impact area:
Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Green Ash
Taxodium distichum, Baldcypress
Platanus occidentalis, American Sycamore
4

2.3 Results of Vegetation Monitoring
Plot #
Green Ash
Baldcypress
Sycamore
Total (Year 3)
Total (at planting)
Density (Trees/Acre)
1
5
15
1
21
34
420
Year 3 Average Density
(Trees/Acre) 420
Year 2 Average Density
(Trees/Acre) 480
Year 1 Average Density
(Trees/Acre) 680
Site Notes: The impacted area where the temporary impacts occurred is re -attaining
wetland jurisdictional status and the hardwood trees are surviving. There were no signs
of erosion from construction activities with all disturbed soils remaining stabilized. The
site was inundated with approximately 2.5 ft. of water at the time of monitoring. Other
indicators of the presence of wetland hydrology were water marks on trees, algal
deposits, and water stained leaves at the time of monitoring evaluation. Other species
noted within the temporary impacted area included black willow, cattail, woolgrass, red
maple, and soft rush.
2.4 Conclusions
There is one vegetation monitoring plot established throughout the temporary impact
area. The 2020 vegetation monitoring of the site revealed an average tree density of
420 trees per acre. This average is well above the minimum success criteria of 120
trees per acre for Year 3.
3.0 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
NCDOT proposes to discontinue monitoring at the Gum Swamp Creek Temporary
Impact Site.
4

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Figure 1. Vicinity Map

APPENDIX A
SITE PHOTOS & SITE MAPS

Gum Swamp Creek Temporary Impact Site
Photo 1
Photo 3
June 2020
Photo 2
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Photo Point and Vegetation Plot Locations

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B-4639 Gum Swamp Creek
Photo Point and Vegetation Plot Locations