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Home My WebLink About20001045 All Versions_General Correspondence_20110805d M SiIVL o� � � � � @P�� STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTIV�NT OF TRANSPORTATION BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE GOVERNOR August 5, 2011 Mr. Doug Huggett NC Division of Coastal Management Parker Lincoln Building 2728 Capital Boulevard Raleigh, NC 27604 EUGENE A. CONTI, JR. SECRETARY Re: Third Street Bridge Mitigation Site, New Hanover County, State Project No. 8.2250110, TIP No. U-0092A, Action ID No. 199603836, DWQ WQC Project No. 001045 & Ol 1117, DCM Permit No. 178-00 Mr. Huggett: _ As you are aware, the Department has monitored the Third Street Bridge Mitigation Site since its construction in Spring of 2006. Located in New Hanover County, adjacent to the Smith Creek Parkway, this 1.30-acre site was monitored to provide compensation for unavoidable wetland impacts associated with the U-0092A Smith Creek Parkway project. The wetland creation area was graded to the elevation of the adjacent wetland and planted with bottomland hardwood species. Two groundwater monitoring gauges and a surface water tidal gauge were installed to record the hydrologic data at the site in May of 2006. According to permit conditions, NCDOT was required to monitor the Third Street Bridge Mitigation Site for five years or until success criteria were met, with vegetation and hydrologic monitoring conducted each year. After each growing season, annual monitoring reports were submitted to the appropriate regulatory agencies via the Natural Environment Unit's (NEU) website: http: //wtivw. ncdot. o`•g/doh/preconsh-trct/pe/neu/Monitoring/Monitorin�Reports. html Hydrologic success criteria for the site states that the wetland restoration area must be inundated or saturated (withiri 12-inches of the surface) by surface or groundwater for at least a consecutive 12.5% of the growing season during years of norma] rainfall. Therefore for the 273-day growing season in New Hanover County, the 12.5% criterion is a consecutive 34 days. A site visit was held on April 29`h, 2009 with the regulatory agencies to address problems with the planted shrub vegetation and the success of the hydrologic monitoring. Based on that meeting, it was agreed that NCDOT would continue vegetation monitoring through the five year monitoring period but hydrologic monitoring could be discontinued. Table 1 provides a summary of the hydrologic MAILING ADDRESS: NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 1598 MAIL SERVICE CENTER RALEIGH NC 27699-1598 TELEPHONE: 919-707-6000 LOCATION: Ff�:: 919-2�2-5785 . CENTURV CENTER BUILDING B . 1020 B�RCH RIDGE DRIVE � WEesiTE: WWW.NCDOT.ORG Ra�Ei �H NC 27s10 data (the percentage of the growing season that saturation was indicated) at each broundwater gauge location for the 2006-2008 monitoring years. Table 1. Summarv of Hvdrolo�ic TS-GW1 TS-GW2 Climate Conditions 13.2 29.4 Average Rainfall 200fr2008 65.9 100.0 Below Average Rainfall 100.0 100.0 Average Rainfall . , After five years of vegetation monitoring, vegetation data for 2010 shows that the site has not met the vegetative success criteria by yielding an average density of 248 trees per acre which is below the minimum success criteria of 260 trees per acre. The shrub area located under the bridges has continued to fail to meet the vegetation success criteria due to soil compaction issues. This 0.47-acre area has been addressed with the regulatory agencies and due to the significant amount of mitigation that was provided for the U-0092 projects it has been determined that no additional mitigation will be req.uired. Annual monitoring data is provided within the annual monitoring reports submitted between 2004 and 2008. NCDOT has completed the monitoring requirements as stated in the permit for U-0092A and requests that the Third Street Bridge site is closed. NCDOT requests that the appropriate resource agencies provide documentation stating that no further monitoring is required. . If you have any questions about this project, please contact Mr. Randy Griffin at (919) 707-6121. Sincerely, I� i�_�---. Philip S. Harris, III, P.E., Unit Head PDEA- Natural Environment Unit cc: Mr. Brad Shaver, ACO� Mr. David Wainwright, DWQ Mr. Travis Wilson, WRC Mr. Chris Militscher, EPA Mr. Gary Jordan, USFWS Mr. Scott McLendon, ACOE Mr. Brian Wrenn, D WQ Mr. David Harris, P.E., NCDOT-REU Mr. Stoney Mathis, NCDOT-DE03 Mr. Randy Griffin, NCDOT-NEU