20180264 Ver 1_Mitigation Site Visit_20220617

From: Davis. Erin B
To: Baker. Caroline D
Subject: FW: Deep Meadow Mitigation Site_DMS#97131_SAW-2012-01107_DWR# 2018-0264v1: IRT Credit Release Site
Visit Meeting Minutes (5-11-2022)
Date: Friday, June 17, 2022 1:41:12 PM
Attachments: Deers Meadow 97131 IRT Credit Release Site Visit 2022.odf
Laserfiche Upload: Email & Attachment
DWR#: 20180264 v.1
Doc Type: Mitigation Site Visit
From: Wiesner, Paul <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2022 11:15 AM
To: Haywood, Casey M CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Davis, Erin
B <[e-mail]>; Kim Browning <[e-mail]>; Munzer, Olivia
<[e-mail]>
Cc: Tsomides, Harry <[e-mail]>; Allen, Melonie <[e-mail]>;
[e-mail]; Kristi Suggs <[e-mail]>; Aaron Earley
<[e-mail]>; John Hutton <[e-mail]>; Shawn Wilkerson
<[e-mail]>
Subject: Deep Meadow Mitigation Site _DMS#97131_SAW-2012-01107_DWR# 2018-0264v1: IRT
Credit Release Site Visit Meeting Minutes (5-11-2022)
Casey, Erin, Kim, and Olivia;
The IRT credit release meeting minutes for the Deep Meadow site visit are attached for your review.
Please let us know if you have any questions, comments or concerns.
Wildlands will include the final meeting minutes as an Appendix in the project's MY3 (2022) report.
Thanks
Paul Wiesner
Western Regional Supervisor
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Mitigation Services
828-273-1673 Mobile
paul.wiesner(c-)ncdenr.gov
Western DMS Field Office
5 Ravenscroft Drive
Suite 102
Asheville, N.C. 28801
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Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the

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

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WILDLANDS
ENGINEERING
MEETING NOTES
MEETING: MY2 (2021) IRT Credit Release Site Evaluation
DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site
Yadkin 03040105; Union County, NC
USACE Action ID No. SAW-2012-01107
DEQ Contract No. 6887
DMS Project No. 97131
DWR Certification No. 18-0264
Wildlands Project No. 005-02169
DATE: Wednesday, May 11, 2022
LOCATION: McIntyre Road
Wingate, NC
Attendees
Kim (Browning) Isenhour, USACE
Casey Haywood, USACE
Erin Davis, NCDWR
Olivia Munzer, NCWRC
Harry Tsomides, DMS
Paul Wiesner, DMS
Sam Kirk, Wildlands
Kristi Suggs, Wildlands
Aaron Earley, Wildlands
John Hutton, Wildlands
Meeting Notes
The meeting began at 10:30 pm. Attendees discussed the site conditions and issues noted in the MY1 and MY2
reports as summarized in the Opening Remarks section below. From there, the group walked to the upstream
extent of Meadow Branch, on to GWG4, and then over to wetland W-E2 and stream EF1. The meeting concluded
at 1:30 PM.
1) Opening Remarks
a) Attendees had an in-depth discussion about the failing groundwater gage data in MY2.
i) Kim asked how Wildlands established the growing season. Kristi said that WETS data was used. Erin
asked which WETS data set was used and recommended that the newest 30-year data set be
employed. Kristi responded that the data set used for Deep Meadow was from 1971— 2020 and will
consider 30-year data for future projects, but that range was incorrect. It was 1971— 2000. Kristi
further investigated the growing season by using the most recent 30 years of data (1992 — 2022).

DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site — IRT Meeting Notes
Using this range of thirty years results in a growing season from 3/17—11/12, but additional data
points were used to establish a revised growing season as explained in vii).
ii) John proposed that soil temperature be used to establish a revised growing season that starts
March 1. Kim replied that to use soil temperature along with the other 12 indicators (i.e., spring/fall
veg indicators) from the Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation
Manual: Eastern Mountains and Piedmont Region, Version 2.0 to support a revised growing season.
Kim said that the revised growing season must be extended on the back end accordingly. The
revised growing season must be used for all monitoring years. Wildlands agreed and developed a
revised growing season after the site walk. See bullet viii) for the revised growing season dates.
iii) Casey asked how many additional gages were installed since baseline. Kristi replied two additional
gages had been installed (3a and 11a).
iv) Kristi asked how the extended growing season would affect the monitoring report submittal
schedule. Erin replied that data collected at the end of the growing season could be included on
subsequent monitoring report. Paul clarified that DIMS would work with Wildlands on the
deliverable schedule in order to include all monitoring data in the applicable monitoring report.
v) Kim suggested to not stop collecting gage data even if it meets criteria early in the growing season.
Wildlands agreed.
vi) Kim suggested that additional gages be installed along restoration reaches in areas not currently
proposed for wetland credit in case additional wetlands are needed to offset failing gages. Wildlands
agreed and plans to further investigate the installation of additional gages during the winter
between MY3 and MY4 within the study areas outlined on the attached map. Wildlands will verify
presence of hydric soils within the study areas to outline reestablishment versus creation sub -areas.
vii) Kim noted that an addendum is not required to establish a new growing season. She suggested that
the new growing season, along with justifications, be included in the meeting minutes. Minutes
should be included in MY3 report. MY3 should include original growing season data versus revised
growing season data. Erin suggested adding a footnote to clarify why growing season was revised.
Wildlands agreed with the suggestions and would like to propose March 15Y— November 28t" as the
growing season for the project. Soil temperature data supports this growing season with a range of
52.0 °F to 80.0 °F from Mar 15t — Nov 28t" in MY1, a range of 40.1 °F to 78.1 °F from Mar 15t — Nov
28t" in MY2, and a range from 50.4 °F to 89.1 °F from Mar 15t — May 315Y in MY3. Additional
documentation for the growing season revision will be collected in the field during the appropriate
time of year. Documentation for the onset of the growing season may include the following: bud
burst for woody plants, emergence of herbaceous vegetation, and/or the emergence or opening of
flowers, while documentation of end of the growing season may include the loss of leaves for woody
deciduous species and/or the last herbaceous plants cease flowering and their leaves become dry or
brown, generally in the fall due to cold temperatures or reduced moisture availability. Wildlands
will include this data in the subsequent monitoring reports.
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. page 2
DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site
MY2 Credit Release IRT Site Walk

DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site — IRT Meeting Notes
DEEP MEADOW Soil Temperature Probe #1
100 Monitoring Years 1-3
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MY1 Soil Temp MY2 Soil Temp MY3 Soil Temp — — Criteria Level
Beginning Date
Ending Date
Success Criteria Max Consecutive Days &
Percentage of Growing Season
Current Growing Season
3/23/2022
11/6/2022
23 days, 10%
Revised Growing Season*
3/1/2022
11/28/2022
27 days, 10%
*Current growing season was revised because the ground water wells were failing to meet the success criteria outlined in the WETS Table
for the Monroe 2 SE, NC Station, and the soil temperature data and seasonal indicators support an extended growing season.
b) Kristi asked Paul how the missing monument should be re -installed. Paul responded that monuments
must be surveyed and set by a PLS.
c) Casey asked if the eroded gully near the ford crossing on Meadow Branch had been addressed. Aaron
replied that the gully had been stabilized by laying back the bank and installing riprap in the channel. No
additional concerns were noted.
d) Sam gave a summary on maintenance issues:
i) Additional PVC markers have been installed to help curb scalping by the farmer.
ii) Previous Johnson grass treatments, coupled with shade from taller trees, have almost eradicated
the invasive.
iii) Wildlands has and will continue to treat parrot feather in the wetlands.
2) Items of Discussion During Walk
a) Attendees looked at the missing log structure on Meadow Branch near station 102+50. The bank
appears to be stable, and no concerns were raised.
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. page 3
DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site
MY2 Credit Release IRT Site Walk

DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site — IRT Meeting Notes
b) Casey asked if the in -stream vegetation treated was parrot feather. Sam replied that it was creeping
water primrose that was successfully eradicated.
c) Kim noted that FAC species could be added to the failing veg plots in wetlands. Wildlands agreed to
evaluate adding FAC species.
d) Kim asked about removal of beaver dams. Sam replied that they have been removed in the past and that
it will be an ongoing effort.
e) Kim remarked about the large amount of box elder species and clarified that over 50% of a single species
is considered monoculture. She suggested adding transects to help support vegetation success. Kim
asked without volunteer box elder species, do veg plots meet criteria? Kristi looked at the data after the
site meeting and confirmed that in MY2 no box elder (Acer negundo) volunteers were used to meet
success criteria for any of the permanent or mobile vegetation plots. However, volunteers of box elder
for VP3, VP5, V139, and VP10 were recorded as greater than 50% of the overall stem density. The total
MY2 density of box elder recorded was 77.8%. Wildlands will reassess the vegetative conditions during
MY3 to see if natural selection and competition begin to suppress the proliferation of box elder within
the site. If the trend of box elder establishment continues, Wildlands will work to thin out the species
monoculture.
f) Kim asked how wetland areas were determined. Wildlands confirmed wetland areas were based on soil
report data gathered during proposal stage.
g) At GWG4, Kim noted the significant reduction in consecutive growing days between MY1 and MY2. John
agreed that the decrease was surprising. Kim and Casey suggested that soil profiles be included with
groundwater gage data in MY4 and MY6 reports. Wildlands agreed.
h) At wetland W-E2, Kim suggested that Wildlands look at consecutive versus cumulative gage data. She
noted that the Corps is considering including cumulative criteria in future guidance. Using the revised
growing season dates, Wildlands compared the number of consecutive versus cumulative days for MY2
in the table below. We will include a discussion of cumulative data in subsequent monitoring reports.
GROWING SEASON: 3/1-11/28
• MY2 Results:
o Consecutive = 5 out of 11 wells
o Cumulative = 7 out of 11 wells
GAGE MEASUREMENTS MY2
Reference Well
Groundwater Gage #1
Groundwater Gage #2
Groundwater Gage #3
Groundwater Gage #4
Groundwater Gage #5
Groundwater Gage #6
Groundwater Gage #7
Most
Consecutive
Days Meeting
Criteria
Percent
Consecutive
Days in Growing
Season
Total Days
Meeting
Criteria
Percent
Cumulative Days
in Growing
Season
Number of
Instances
Meeting
Criteria
48
17.5%
49.0
17.8%
96
53
19.3%
54.0
19.6%
106
20
7.3%
31.0
11.3%
62
17
6.2%
26.0
9.5%
51
34
12.4%
34.0
12.4%
66
64
23.3%
106.0
38.5%
211
34
12.4%
34.0
12.4%
67
21
7.6%
35.0
12.7%
69
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. page 4
DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site
MY2 Credit Release IRT Site Walk

DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site — IRT Meeting Notes
Groundwater Gage #8
Groundwater Gage #9
Groundwater Gage #10
Groundwater Gage #11
Most
Consecutive
Days Meeting
Criteria
Percent
Consecutive
Days in Growing
Season
Total Days
Meeting
Criteria
Percent
Cumulative Days
in Growing
Season
Number of
Instances
Meeting
Criteria
34
12.4%
34.0
12.4%
66
5
1.8%
9.0
3.3%
18
8
2.9%
21.0
7.6%
42
17
6.2%
26.0
9.5%
52
i) At stream EF-1, attendees gathered at monitoring cross section XS4.
i) Kim asked if the restored channel was intermittent or perennial and if the number of dry days
changed post -project. Kristi responded that it still scores perennial and the dry periods had not
changed compared to pre -project conditions. The continuous flow gage data, which is located on
XS3, shows continuous flow in MY1 within the recorded dates of 1/1/20 — 1/12/20. In MY2, the
gage shows continuous flow within the recorded dates of 1/1/21— 11/8/21. In MY3, the gage shows
continuous flow within the recorded dates of 1/1/22- 5/2/22.
ii) Kim asked it Wildlands has pre -project photos that showed if the channel was flowing or dry. Aaron
checked after the site meeting and found pre -construction photos of EF-1 from 2016 as shown in
attached photo log.
iii) Casey asked about the risk of wood structures (log sill and brush toe) rotting due to dry channel.
Aaron responded that there is a risk but implementing habitat into the restored channel was a goal
of the mitigation plan.
iv) Kim asked why veg plot 7 on EF-1 did not meet criteria since it is not in a wetland like the other
failing veg plots. Likely due to a couple of reasons, the location of the plot is drier than conditions
required for some of the planted species (FACW & OBL) and competition with herbaceous
vegetation.
3) Closing Remarks
a) Kim reiterated that a revised growing season must be backed up with data such as on -site soil temp, bud
burst, emergence of herbaceous plants, and other indicators listed in the guidance. See our response in
Section 1) a) vii).
b) Kim said that the IRT agrees with releasing MY2 (2021) stream and wetland credits. She said that if the
groundwater gage data is bad again next year, a conversation about credits will be needed.
These meeting minutes were prepared by Aaron Earley and reviewed by John Hutton and Kristi Suggs on June 7, 2022 and
represent the authors' interpretation of events. Please report and discrepancies or corrections within 5 business days of
receipt of these minutes.
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. page 5
DEEP MEADOW Mitigation Site
MY2 Credit Release IRT Site Walk

Proposed Wetland Mitigation Study Area
I, Deep Meadow Mitigation Site
WILDLANDS 0 250 500Feet DMS Project No. 97131
ENGINEERING I i I i I Monitoring Year 2 Meeting Minutes - 05.11.2022
Union County, NC

EF1 Historic Photo Log
October 2016
October 2016
2016.06.17 (1).JPG