20140189 Ver 1_Close-outs_20221031 (2)

Strickland, Bev
From: Davis, Erin B
Sent: Monday, November 7, 2022 4:20 PM
To: Baker, Caroline D
Subject: FW: [External] RE: Oct 24 Arrington Bridge & Buffalo Branch Close -Outs
Attachments: ABIII and Buffalo Branch Close Out Site Visit Memo.pdf
NOTE — Attachment to be filed in two project folders
Laserfiche Upload: Email & Attachment
DWR#: 20140189 v.1 & 20140704 v.1
Doc Date: 10/31/22
Doc Type: Mitigation — Mitigation site visit
Doc Name: General topic of email title
From: Ryan Medric <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2022 3:42 PM
To: Tugwell, Todd J CIV USARMY CESAW (US)<[e-mail]>; Kim Browning
<[e-mail]>; Davis, Erin B <[e-mail]>; Haywood, Casey M CIV USARMY
CEMVP (USA) <[e-mail]>; Wilson, Travis W. <[e-mail]>
Cc: Dailey, Samantha J CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Jamey Mceachran
<[e-mail]>
Subject: [External] RE: Oct 24 Arrington Bridge & Buffalo Branch Close -Outs
CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to
Report Spam.
Sounds good, Todd. We will take a look at the data and get it to you all when it's successful. Also we can plant some
container cypress in those areas this dormant season.
Site visit memo attached.
Ryan Medric
Project Manager
RES I res.us
D: 919.741.6268 I M: 703.424.6313
From: Tugwell, Todd J CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2022 1:06 PM
To: Ryan Medric <[e-mail]>; Isenhour, Kimberly T CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
<[e-mail]>; Davis, Erin B <[e-mail]>; Haywood, Casey M CIV USARMY
CEMVP (USA) <[e-mail]>; Wilson, Travis W. <[e-mail]>
Cc: Dailey, Samantha J CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Jamey Mceachran
<[e-mail]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: Oct 24 Arrington Bridge & Buffalo Branch Close -Outs
1

Thanks Ryan. I appreciate the info. As we discussed, once we get the data from the gauges showing a successful
growing season, I'm fine to close it (rather than waiting until next fall). Unless we start getting a lot of rain soon, I
suspect that would be early in the next growing season.
As for the cattail areas, I do think it would be good to have some containerized cypress planted to kick-start those areas,
esp. since this would be the final opportunity to do so.
Also, were there field notes prepared for the meeting by any chance?
Thanks,
todd
From: Ryan Medric <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2022 12:00 PM
To: Isenhour, Kimberly T CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Tugwell, Todd J CIV
USARMY CESAW (USA)<[e-mail]>; Davis, Erin B <[e-mail]>; Haywood, Casey M
CIV USARMY CEMVP (USA) <[e-mail]>; Wilson, Travis W. <[e-mail]>
Cc: Dailey, Samantha J CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Jamey Mceachran
<[e-mail]>
Subject: [URL Verdict: Neutral][Non-DoD Source] RE: Oct 24 Arrington Bridge & Buffalo Branch Close -Outs
Arrington Bridge III closeout site visit follow up:
We replaced all the HOBOs on 10/27 and plan to download and process the data after the growing season ends on 11/22.
I have attached a photo of the encroachment repair at the east end of the project where the dirt stockpile was. Between
last Monday and Thursday the pile was moved away from the easement so the new markers are much more obvious. We
will add signs to the PVC when we are out there again in November. We also mapped the cattail treatment areas where we
experienced tree mortality. Those areas are shown on the attached CCPV and represent 1.4 acres.
Please let me know if you'd like us to replant the cattail areas this winter.
Thanks,
Ryan Medric
Project Manager
RES I res.us
D: 919.741.6268 I M: 703.424.6313
From: Isenhour, Kimberly T CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2022 2:20 PM
To: Tugwell, Todd J CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Davis, Erin B
<[e-mail]>; Haywood, Casey M CIV USARMY CEMVP (USA) <[e-mail]>; Wilson,
Travis W. <[e-mail]>
Cc: Dailey, Samantha J CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Ryan Medric
<[e-mail]>; Jamey Mceachran <[e-mail]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Oct 24 Arrington Bridge & Buffalo Branch Close -Outs
Just to confirm, we had to move the meet time for these two sites to 10:00 am.
RES Neu -Con: Arrington Bridge III year 7 and Buffalo Branch year 7
2

We will plan to meet at Arrington Bridge at 10:00 and then travel to Buffalo Branch, which is —30 minutes away and back
towards Raleigh.
Arrington meeting location: 35.35003953908373, -78.0148981943754
Buffalo meeting location: 35.60519203241926, -78.29498008074894
Thanks
Kim
Kim Isenhour
Mitigation Project Manager, Regulatory Division I U.S. Army Corps of Engineers I 919.946.5107
3

3600 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27612

Corporate Headquarters
6575 West Loop South, Suite 300
Bellaire, TX 77401
Main: 713.520.5400

res.us
MEMORANDUM
TO: NCIRT
FROM: Ryan Medric – RES
DATE: October 31, 2022
RE: SAW-2015-00360 Neu-Con UMBI Arrington Bridge III and SAW-2014-02129 Neu-Con
UMBI Buffalo Branch Close Out Monitoring Year 7 Site Visit Notes
Attendees
Todd Tugwell - USACE Travis Wilson – NCWRC Jamey McEachran – RES
Casey Haywood – USACE Erin Davis – NCDWR Ryan Medric – RES

Date & Time
October 24, 2022
Arrington Bridge III: 11 am
Buffalo Branch: 1 pm

Arrington Bridge III
- Site was much drier than on previous site visits.
- The IRT expressed their concern with the lack of hydrology data for Year 7 and requested RES repair the
malfunctioning HOBOs and provide successful groundwater data before site closeout. RES replaced the HOBOs on
October 27 and will provide the IRT with successful groundwater data either at the end of this growing season or
the beginning of next growing season.
- RES treated areas of cattails in July 2022 and about 1.4 acres of treated areas included low stem densities. RES
provided the IRT with a map of the areas via email on October 31 and the IRT requested container trees be planted
in these areas this dormant season.  
- Low stem density and poor vigor areas were observed in the areas that typically experience surface water inundation.
The IRT agreed that tree growth/survival is limited in these areas.  
- High numbers of pine volunteers were noted in the upland areas and high numbers of river birch and red maple
volunteers were noted on the fringe of the wetland areas. Also, bald cypress volunteers were observed in wetland
areas.  
- The two open water areas noted in the report and previous years were observed and smaller than the 0.5-acre size
for waterfowl included in the USDA Biology Technical Note on Using Micro and Macrotopography in Wetland
Restoration.
- A large dirt pile was observed at the west end of the project with some of the dirt pile slumping into the easement.
RES had previously added additional easement markers to this area, but the IRT requested more. On October 27
RES added more easement markers with 10-foot PVC and horse tape and provided a photo for the IRT via email on
October 31.
- RES will meet with the long-term steward and landowner on site to discuss the closeout process and the long-term
steward will refresh easement signage.

2

- The IRT agreed to closeout the project once the encroachment was repaired, supplemental planting was performed
in the cattail treatment areas, and successful groundwater data was provided.

Buffalo Branch
- It was apparent that the pine thinning RES performed on site was successful and allowing for planted stems to
thrive.
- There was water in Reach A but not in Reach B or Reach C.
- Remanent beaver dams were observed all along Reach A1.
- Reach B and Reach C failed to record flow data in Year 7, however, had no flow success criteria and flow data was
not requested on these reaches until Year 5. The IRT noted that these reaches most likely would not be approved
for mitigation if the site was proposed today.
- The IRT expressed their appreciation for the wide buffers and acknowledged the wetland enhancement that was not
credited.
- The IRT shared that the ford crossing in the easement break was not ideal and would rather see a culverted crossing
so cattle would not have access in the middle of a project.
- RES will meet with the long-term steward and landowner on site to discuss the closeout process and the long-term
steward will refresh easement signage.
- The IRT agreed to closeout with no contingencies.