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Home My WebLink About20020730 Ver 4_Mitigation Monitoring Plans_20230727USS BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA LIVING WITH WATER IMPROVEMENTS WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA MONITORING PLAN SCO ID NO. 20-21601-02A July 2023 Prepared For: USS BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA 1 BATTLESHIP ROAD WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 28401 BATTLESHIP ' MEN .-U.i s CULTURAL RESOURCES NORTH CAROLINA Submitted By: moffatt & nichn 4700 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 300 Raleigh, North Carolina 27609 919-781-4626 M&N Project No. 10258-02 USS Battleship North Carolina: Living with Water Improvements Monitoring Plan Table of Contents 1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................. iii 1.1. Project Area Wetlands Description............................................................................................................................................iii 1.2. Proposed Wetland Impacts........................................................................................................................................................ ii 2. Monitoring Plan........................................................................................................................................................................ni 3. Success Criteria.......................................................................................................................................................................iv 3.1. Wetland Vegetative Cover......................................................................................................................................................... iv 3.2. Wetland Hydrology (Tidal Events)............................................................................................................................................ iv 3.3. Tidal Creek................................................................................................................................................................................. iv 4. Adaptive Management Plan...................................................................................................................................................iv List of Figures Figure 1: Preliminary jurisdictional determination.................................................................................................................................. ii List of Tables Table 1: Summary of wetland impacts and proposed enhancements..................................................................................................iii Table 2: Post project monitoring for living shoreline and wetland creation and enhancement............................................................iii ,1„ 2 LISS Battleship North Carolina: Living with Water Improvements Monitoring Plan 1. Introduction The Battleship is under threat from storm surge, sea level rise, sunny day tidal flooding and stormwater run-off. Notwithstanding hurricanes, the Battleship has seen more flood stage events in the past decade than in the previous 60 years. Resting 28 miles upstream of the Atlantic Ocean, the Battleship property is hydrologically contiguous to more than 2000 acres of tidal wetlands and intertidal shoreline on Eagles Island. Like many coastal sites, an increasing trend in tidal flooding causes problems. Tidal erosion and flooding inundation damages habitats, creates sink holes, reduces accessibility to the Memorial, and degrades water quality with vehicular pollutants, soil, and silt. The Battleship is committed to an on -the - ground green infrastructure solution to improve accessibility, prepare for, and adapt to climate change, and improve degraded fish and wildlife wetland habitats and water quality. The Living with Water Project is designed to reduce flooding occurrences to ensure the public has safe access to visit the Memorial, as well as support water quality and natural habitat improvements. The Living with Water Project uses nature -based infrastructure to capture, hold, infiltrate, and direct floodwaters to the Cape Fear River. A naturally enhanced shoreline constructed tidal marsh and creek, and parking lot improvements will work in tandem to mitigate flood risk, improve water quality, and provide ecosystem and educational benefits. 1.1. Project Area Wetlands Description The project area encompasses approximately 1.5 acres of brackish and freshwater marshes on the contiguous tidal floodplain of the Cape Fear River (Figure 1). Brackish tidal coastal marsh forms a continuous fringe along the project area shoreline that is interrupted by extensive rip rap within the berth. The landward boundary of the tidal wetlands within the project area is bounded by USS North Carolina Road. The road functions as an artificial berm that has effectively expanded tidal influence into the Battleship's western parking area allowing for disturbed brackish marsh dominated by narrow -leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) and large dense monospecific stands of common reed (Phragmites australis). A preliminary jurisdiction wetland determination was completed in May 2021 and submitted to the Corps of Engineers and a subsequent site visit was conducted in which wetland line was concurred. USS Battleship North Carolina: Living with Water Improvements Monitoring Plan MOFFATT AND NICHOL PERFORMED A WETLANDISTREAM DETERMINATION ON 25 MAY, 2021. MOFFATT AND NICHOL FINDINGS HAVE NOT BEEN SURVEYED OR VERIFIED BY THE USACE OR NCDWR. THIS EXHIBIT SHOULD BE USED FOR PRELIMINARY Moffatt & nichoi PLANNING PURPOSES MOFFATT AND NICHOL RECOMMENDS CONSULTATION WITH A CIVIL ENGINEER TO CONFIRM THE LOCAL BUFFER REQUIREMENTS- THIS IS NOTA SURVEY NOR SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. Wetland reas (Acres) 1. BATTLESHIP WA: 0.216A VVB. 1.217 NORTH CAROLINA WC: 0.120 Battleship NO -_ - ".WA 1 Battleship Road Wilmington, NC 28401 Aerial Site Map ---' 1 in = 107 R " NEW HANOVER COUNTY ..ilii..:_.. 't .., attic ..._. _.... .. CD I DY Approved By: taste: DY 05111/2021 WN Project No. 10258-01 FIGURE 1 vlv Figure 9: Preliminary jurisdictional determination 1.2. Proposed Wetland Impacts Legend [:]Wetland Study Areas MWetlands 111 Concrete Wall Barrier The Living with Water Project comprises three components, including 1) Living Shoreline, 2) Tidal Creek and Wetland, and 3) Green Infrastructure Improvements. The living shoreline activity will restore more than 720 linear feet of hardened shoreline that had been stabilized over decades with layers of riprap materials to a natural intertidal estuarine shoreline using a nature -based design. Proposed tidal creek and wetland activities will create 1.3 acres of new coastal wetlands, enhance 0.74 acres of existing coastal wetlands through excavation to a lower elevation to capture tidal floodwaters and establish native species, and convert 0.08 acres of existing coastal wetland to open tidal creek channel. The impervious, flood -prone area of existing visitor parking and disturbed wetlands will be converted to intertidal wetland habitat with a tiered elevation design to support habitat migration and allow for adaptation of coastal wetland native plant species. There is a net decrease in impervious area (approximately 0.5 acres) based on removal of the existing deteriorated parking lot. Based on a site visit by Division of Coastal Management staff in June, it was determined that the existing wetlands within the project site are designated as coastal due to tidal influence from receiving waters and presence of coastal wetland species. As listed in Table 2.1 and shown in Figure 2.1 below, a breakdown of wetland impacts are as follows: 111111111110 USS Battleship North Carolina: Living with Water Improvements Monitoring Plan Table 1: Summary of wetland impacts and proposed enhancements T e of Wetland Im act Acreage S . ft. Descri d 1111111100— Permanent MP-2 (4b) Fill 0.26 11,326 Fill of existing coastal wetlands MP-2 (1 c) Coastal wetland excavation Excavation 0.74 32,235 (existing wetland to enhanced wetland MP-2 (1 c) Excavation 0.08 3,485 Existing wetland conversion to constructed tidal creek channel Total 1.08 47,046 Temporary Temporary 0.43 18,731 Temporary coastal wetland impacts in DOT right-of-way Total 0.43 18,731 Creation Tidal wetland 1.15 50,094 Tidal wetland created Tidal creek 0.10 4,356 Tidal creek created Total 1.25 54,450 2. Monitoring Plan Post -project monitoring will be used to determine the success of the project's goals — restoration of an intertidal estuarine shoreline and creation of subtidal and intertidal wetland habitat. The below table shows post -project monitoring procedures, metrics that will be collected and the frequency of data collection. The spatial extent of post -project monitoring is the activity footprint of the restored living shoreline and established tidal wetland. Table 2: Post pr ject monitoring for living shoreline and wetland creation and enhancement Metrics nits Methods Frequency and Timing Percent Cover of Vegetation (0- Percent Cover of Vegetation by Once per year for 3 years post- 100%) species including Phragmites construction Elevation (feet) Various elevation measurements Once per year for 3 years post - throughout Project Footprint construction Wetlands Hydrology Elevation Measurements of water level in Daily Measurements using an feet Low Marsh and in High Marsh accepted water level sensor Tidal Creek and Living Shoreline Visual Monitoring and Once per year for 3 years post - Areas Photographs construction USS Battleship North Carolina: Living with Water Improvements Monitoring Plan In addition to the post -project monitoring procedures in the above table, implementation monitoring will evaluate the extent to which the final mature site mirrors the planned design and includes the following protocols: Preparation of an as -built elevation survey of the entire project area after construction to verify planned target elevations and to provide a baseline against which to measure future changes during the monitoring period. 2. A stratified random design will be used to determine the placement of individual sampling plots along each transect. 3. Plots will be visited and evaluated annually during the period of peak biomass (late July to early August) for species composition and percent cover. 3. Success Criteria 3.1. Wetland Vegetative Cover Year 1: No more than 10% mortality of planted stems and less than 5% cover of Phragmites. Year 2: No more than 10% mortality of planted stems and less than 5% cover of Phragmites. In combination with the planted stems and volunteers of the same species, the low and high marsh areas must exhibit an overall 50 % ground cover. Year 3: No more than 10% mortality of planted stems and less than 5% cover of Phragmites. In combination with the planted stems and volunteers of the same species, the low and high marsh areas must exhibit an overall 85% ground cover. All volunteer species must be noted separately and may be deemed suitable toward meeting the success criteria. 3.2. Wetland Hydrology (Tidal Events) For Low Marsh Areas (S. altem flora): Area must exhibit normal diurnal tide cycle events. For High Marsh Areas: Area must exhibit normal irregular tide events, a minimum of 3 times a year. 3.3. Tidal Creek Tidal Creek must be stable and not show signs of significant erosion, such as headcutting or eroding banks. The monitoring period will be for 3 years, or until deemed successful if corrective measures have to be initiated due to failure of any of the above success criteria. 4. Adaptive Management Plan For the created/enhanced tidal creek wetland areas: If area fails to meet the yearly vegetation success criteria, corrective measures may be implemented. These measures may include supplemental plantings or removal of unsuitable species through herbicidal application or by hand. If the area fails to meet the yearly hydrology performance standard, regrading may be implemented. Other adaptive measures may be deemed necessary contingent on the circumstances.