HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230820 Ver 2_Moon Cabin_IRT Post-Contract Walk-Minutes
MEETING NOTES
MEETING: IRT Post‐Contract Site Walk
MOON CABIN MITIGATION SITE
Catawba 03040105‐ Yadkin River Basin/Goose Creek Watershed; Union County, NC
DMS# 100656; Wildlands Project No. 005‐02206
DATE: Monday, July 17, 2023
LOCATION: West Duncan Road
Indian Trail, NC
Attendees
Steve Kichefski, USAC Erin Davis, USACE Matthew Reid, NC DMS
Olivia Munzer, NC WRC Mac Haupt, NC DWR Maria Polizzi, NC DWR
Shawn Wilkerson, Wildlands Noyes Harrigan, Wildlands
Materials
Wildlands Engineering Technical Proposal 4/26/2023
Meeting Notes
The meeting began at 3:00 PM. Shawn Wilkerson (SW) presented a brief overview of the project:
Site consists of Cabin Creek, UT1, and a wooded tributary with culvert.
3,390 SMUs, 402,615.391 Riparian Buffer Credits (Goose Creek) are proposed
Slate belt streams with bank height ratios lower than degraded Piedmont streams and more likely to go
dry in summer
Streams surrounded by agricultural fields (currently sowed with soybeans), fields bare in winter, eroded
rills from fields enter main channel
Ford crossing halfway down Cabin Creek
1. Erin Davis (ED) asked if streams were classified as intermittent and whether the slate belt geology would
affect stream structures used. All streams within the project are classified as perennial streams. Shawn
Wilkerson (SW) noted that rock will be harvested to use in stream structures and that less woody
structures would be used due to the propensity to rot during drier periods.
2. Olivia Munzer (OM) asked if buffers could be increased. SW explained that buffer widths past 100’ are
not economically viable due to 3:1 credit ratio past this width.
Meeting attendees walked site starting at the downstream end of Cabin Creek.
3. Steve Kichefski (SK) asked if the entire project was Priority 1 restoration. SW confirmed that P1 would
be used for most of the project except for transitions to existing sections where P2 would be used.
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MOON CABIN MITIGATION SITE‐ Union County, NC
July 17, 2023 IRT Site Walk Meeting Notes
4. Mac Haupt (MH) and ED asked about the strategy for invasives (Johnson grass, aquatic invasives). The
Wildlands’ Stewardship will work on a plan for treatment, pre‐ and post‐construction.
5. SK asked about the approach for the rills in the farm fields. SW clarified that they will be graded back
and possibly have check‐dams added. SW added that riparian plantings within the CE would help to
stabilize these features since vegetation is currently only present during plating season.
6. MH asked if any of the slate seams within the existing channel bed could be used as knickpoints in the
proposed design. SW indicated that, although the stream’s pattern would change, additional slate
seams will mostly likely be found within other areas of the valley and may be used for grade control
structures.
7. ED asked if grading would take place in the floodplain and if we had a plan to mitigate risk due to poor
soils with soil amendments. SW explained that our Stewardship team has gained experience using soil
amendments on many of our recent projects and that we would do the same on Moon Cabin. Matthew
Redi (MR) indicated that tree growth may be slow in the slate belt for the first five years and that this Is
often addressed by explaining this in the Mitigation Plan.
8. OM asked the presence of an in‐line pond downstream and how it would affect uplift of the site.
Wildlands was not aware of the pond or whether it was on‐line.
The team walked up UT1, back to Cabin Creek, and then walked up the wooded tributary running into the
right bank of Cabin Creek.
9. The team discussed removing the culvert about 100’ up this tributary at this location and continuing
restoration down to Cabin Creek. SK noted that the current Concept Design figure does not show this
and will need to be updated to reflect this additional restoration length.
10. A review of our option agreement shows that we plan to place a ford crossing just above our easement.
11. MC and SK wanted to know how much the channel would be lifted vertically. SW explained that the
final amount will depend upon the proposed design with a W/D ~ 14 and that the new channel will be
about 1’ deep or less.
The team walked up Cabin Creek to the upstream wooded portion and entered along the left bank.
12. ED noted that many invasives were present in the area, including Johnsongrass and Chinaberry. SK
noted that this portion of stream was incised despite the riparian vegetation.
13. ED asked if wooded section would affect ability to use a P1 approach in the field. SW explained that,
although the stream was incised, the bank heigh ratio was low, there is a nice root knickpoint, and that
we should be able to catch up to P1 quickly, well before we get to the field.
14. OM asked about a buffer between the conservation easement (CE) and agricultural fields to prevent
impact to vegetation in the CE if the farmer sprays crops. SW explained that our Stewardship and
Monitoring teams are experienced in noticing violations and we have been quick to communicate with
the landowner and ask for reparations, if necessary.
The team walked back down Cabin Creek to the culvert at the downstream end.
15. SW pointed out the powerlines running along the north side of West Duncan Road and clarified that
restoration would continue to the culvert but not the conservation easement. The existence of the
powerline easement will allow for NCDOT to maintain the culvert without affecting the conservation
easement.
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MOON CABIN MITIGATION SITE‐ Union County, NC
July 17, 2023 IRT Site Walk Meeting Notes
16. ED asked if flow gages and cameras would be used for the streams. NH responded that it would depend
on if the streams were classified as intermittent or perennial and the requirements from the IRT. Specific
monitoring requirements will be determined in the mitigation plan.
17. The IRT reiterated their major concerns for the site were soil amendments, invasive treatment, and the
eroding rills.
18. The team discussed the potential for future development of the parcels surrounding the CE given the
growth in the area. SW explained that the landowner expressed interest in keeping surrounding parcels
within the family.
19. SW informed the team that Cabin Creek actually extends up the fork with the culvert to be removed
(previously referred to as the wooded tributary in this memo, unlabeled in the Concept Design figure)
and suggested referring to this stream as Cabin Creek in the future. The first stream entering Cabin
Creek on the left (called Cabin Creek in the Concept Design Figure) would be named UT1, and the
second stream entering Cabin Creek (called UT1 in the Concept Design Figure) would be named UT2.
20. The site walk concluded at approximately 4:30 PM.
The IRT’s concluding comments supported the project with stream restoration mitigation approach and 1:1
crediting for each of the streams on site: Cabin Creek, UT1, and UT2.
These meeting minutes were prepared by Noyes Harrigan on July 24, 2023. Reviewed and revised by DMS on 07/25/2023.