Pickle Creek Phase II DWR AsBuilt Walk Site Notes

From: Merritt, Katie
To: Menefee -Dunn, Barbara A
Subject: please file
Date: Friday, July 7, 2023 4:43:21 PM
Attachments: Pickle Creek Phase II As -built site visit minutes.odf
Barbara,
Please file the email thread below & the Attached PDF as 1 file into LF. Metadata description is as
follows:
DWR#: 2021-0348 version 3
Doc Date: July 7, 2023
Doc Type: Mitigation As -Built Plans
Doc Name: DWR AsBuilt Walk Site Notes
Thank you,
katie
From: Merritt, Katie
Sent: Friday, July 7, 2023 4:41 PM
To: Katie Obenauf <[e-mail]>; Jamey Mceachran <[e-mail]>
Cc: Hartshorn, Blake <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [External] Pickle Creek Phase II -Task 2 Walkover Notes
Hey Katie & Jamey,
Thank you for writing up the AsBuilt Walk notes for Pickle Creek Phase II. Blake and I have
additional comments below:
• Prior to EBX planting the site, DWR provided verbal guidance to Jamey w/ EBX, that DWR
would support leaving the area currently planted in Miscanthus void of planted stems and
advised waiting until EBX considered the site conditions to be more favorable to plant the
trees. Considering DWR provided RES with this guidance and supported this effort before
initial planting efforts were implemented, DWR will issue a partial credit release for task 2
instead of holding the full credit release until Miscanthus has been planted. This would result
in a 10% credit release instead of a 20% credit release for Task 2.
• Considering how late EBX will be planting stems in the Miscanthus areas, DWR will require
that the vegetation data collected for the Year 1 monitoring report for the Pickle Creek Phase
II site be delayed and collected no earlier than Fall/Winter 2024.
• EBX is intending to plant the Miscanthus areas at a lower stem density per acre than what has
already been planted on the rest of the site. EBX will need to collect transect data, in
addition to monitoring plot data, to document stem density when this area has been planted.
It is requested that the transects be taken along the riparian areas of D2 and J1.
Documentation (photos, tables, figures, summary) will be required to be submitted to DWR
showing that both the Phase 1 and Phase II portions of the site have been adequately planted
where Miscanthus is currently present. All of this information needs to be submitted with the
As -Built Report.
• DWR supports mowing within the Miscanthus portions of the site only on an as -needed basis

and only until trees become established and exhibit healthy heights and vigor.
• In addition to planting stems, EBX needs to commit to seeding the portions of the site where
Miscanthus is present, unless a healthy herbaceous layer naturally colonizes these areas. If
seeding is deemed unnecessary, EBX will need to provide photo documentation justifying that
decision in with the As -Built Report.
• The As -Built report cannot be submitted for Task 3 until the entire Phase II Bank Parcel (and
inner DMS parcel) have been fully planted per the approved BPDP (and corresponding DMS
Mitigation Plan). A site visit by DWR will be required as part of the As -Built Report review
process.
Thank you for your patience,
Katie
Katie Merritt
Nutrient Offset & Buffer Banking Coordinator
401 & Buffer Permitting Unit
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Office: 919-707-3637
Work Cell: 919-500-0683
Website: https://deQ.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-Quality permitting/401-buffer-
permitting-branch
NEW EMAIL!! katie.merrittna deq.nc.g_ov
512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27620
1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
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North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
From: Katie Obenauf <kobenaufl7a res.us>
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2023 3:34 PM
To: Hartshorn, Blake <blake.hartshornna deq.nc.gov>; Merritt, Katie <katie.merrittl7a deq.nc.g_ov>
Cc: Jamey Mceachran <imceachranl7a res.us>
Subject: [External] Pickle Creek Phase II -Task 2 Walkover Notes
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Good afternoon Blake,
We've written up notes for the Pickle Creek Phase II, Task 2 site walkover, with a map showing the
updated locations of the moved veg plots. Please let me know if you have any questions, or issues
with the file.

Otherwise, have a safe and happy-luly4thl
Katie Obenauf
Ecologist
RES I res.us
M: 336.705.3041
Restoring a resilient earth for a modern world
Email correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third
parties by an authorized state official.

M E M O RA N D U M
fires
3600 Glenwood Ave., Suite 100 Raleigh, North Carolina 27612 1919.209.1052 tel. [phone] fax
TO: NCDWR
FROM: Katie Obenauf — RES
DATE: June 30, 2023 (discussion held on June 26, 2023)
RE: Summary of Task 2: Vegetation Planting and Monitoring Device Completion Site Visit
for Pickle Creek Phase II Nutrient Offset Bank, Wayne County, NC
DWR #2021-0348 V3
Attendees
Blake Hartshorn, NCDWR Katie Obenauf, RES
Jamey McEachran, RES Emily Ulman, RES
Date & Time
June 26, 2023 @ 11:00 a.m.
Project SummarX
Construction, planting, and as -built set-up of the Pickle Creek Phase II Bank Parcel, under the RES Pickle Creek Phase II
Nutrient Offset Banking Instrument, are now complete. As constructed, the Pickle Creek Phase II site provides 23,172.844
nutrient offset credits. The site, including the DMS site, was prepped in March 2023 by ripping, seeding and marking the
DMS and Bank Easements with signage. Trees were planted on May 16th, 2023 and As -Built Monitoring Device Installation
was conducted on May 17 and 24. During as -built set-up, eleven planted tree species were recorded, and the plots yielded
an average of 699 stems per acre. Due to dense Miscanthus giganteus, 6.63 acres of the total 25.89 acres was not planted to
allow for treatment of the crop and provide better conditions for survival of planted bareroots. At this time, 6.86 acres within
the Bank easement have been planted, and 3.73 acres within the Bank easement remain unplanted. As a result, two of the
nine planned fixed vegetation plots have not been established. Changes to the established vegetation plots are limited to
minor location changes. The remaining acreage will be planted Fall 2023 and vegetation plots 15 and 17 will be established
at that time.
Site Visit Discussion
The site visit began at the crossing along J1 and proceeded with walking up D4 and seeing Plots 22 and 23. Then the group
crossed over J1 where the culvert had been removed and walked to the two locations where the hydrants had been removed.
No signs of the old hydrants can be seen and the herbaceous is well established. Then the group walked to Plots 21, 20,
and 19 while checking on the easement boundary and tree spacing. The group crossed D3 and continued walking towards
D2. All the while the group did some spot checking to ensure that the Top of Bank of J1 (within the DMS Easement) was
also planted. The Group inspected the area where Miscanthus is being treated and could see that there had been some
decent kill but agreed additional treatment will be needed before planting. The site visit ended by walking up D2 on the Left
Bank Buffer and checking veg plot 16.
o All veg plots and areas that were planted had adequate stems per acre and were planted at consistent spacing,
including the areas checked within the DMS easement.
One small area will need some additional stems. DWR requested that RES plant the easement line
between plot 19 and 20 to ensure there are stems within 6 feet of the easement line.

o DWR requested a map with updated vegetation plot locations (see attached). Specifically Veg Plot 23 and Veg Plot
20 were moved during installation.
o All easement signage was installed and spaced out adequately.
o DWR suggests we install an ESP or plant livestakes at top of ditch D2 to help with runoff from the road.
o RES explained the next steps for the Miscanthus areas:
■ RES intends to treat at least 2-3 more times this summer.
RES will not rip this area as it may encourage additional growth.
RES will leave the biomass in place.
■ RES intends to plant the rest of the site in November 2023 but is considering doing a lower stems
per acre to all for rows to be mowed and sprayed in future years if necessary. This would include
the proper notification and approval from NCDWR before mowing occurs.

n