20191577 Ver 1_Monitoring Report_20240311

CLearWaLer
An FnviroScience Company
C1earWater Environmental Consultants, Inc.
www.cwenv.com
March 05, 2024
Mr. Andrew Moore
Division of Water Resources
Asheville Regional Office
2090 U.S. 70 Highway
Swannanoa, NC 28778-8211
RE: Project Ranger
(SAW-2019-01867) (DWR Project No.20191577)
Year 4 Annual Documentation
Buncombe County, North Carolina
Dear Mr. Moore,
The attached Year 4 Annual Documentation is submitted on behalf of Lee Thomason and
Biltmore Farms, LLC. in compliance with condition 8 of the DWR 401 Permit WQC004226
issued June 1, 2020. Project Ranger is also authorized under Section 404 and Section
10 in a permit issued by USACE on July 10, 2020 for the construction of a bridge over
the French Broad River. The site is located at 1600 Brevard Road, in Asheville, North
Carolina (Figure 1). A qualitative assessment of the banks upstream and downstream of
the bridge location was performed by ClearWater Environmental Consultants, an
EnviroScience Company, on February 29, 2024.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at 828-698-9800 if you have any questions or
comments.
Sincerely,
McKenzie Beyer,
Biologist
/ L . (�- CiCee"'VI-11if1l-
/
R. Clement Riddle, P.W.S.
Senior Scientist
145 7r" Avenue West, Suite B
Hendersonville, NC 28792
828-698-9800 Tel

Biltmore Farms Project Ranger
Year 4, Second Annual — Photographic Documentation — 03/05/2024
Project Ranger has been authorized to begin construction of a bridge over the French Broad River
in a Section 404 and Section 10 issued by USACE on July 10, 2020, and the Division of Water
Resources Water Quality Certification Issued June 1, 2020. The site is located at 1600 Brevard
Road, in Asheville, NC (Figure 1). The Year 4 Annual qualitative assessment of the banks upstream
and downstream of the bridge location was performed by ClearWater on February 29, 2024, in
compliance with condition 8 of the DWR 401 Permit WQC004226 issued June 1, 2020. This
qualitative monitoring will be repeated quarterly for one year, or two bankfull events (whichever is
longer), and then annually for three years. Clearing for the bridge began in early February 2021.
With the completion of this report ClearWater has achieved quarterly monitoring for one year, two
bankfull events, and two annual monitoring. Moving forward monitoring will be performed annually
for one additional year to comply with condition 8 of the 401 permit, this site assessment is the
second of three annual documentations.
The assessment included collecting eighteen (18) georeferenced photographs of both banks of the
French Broad River and noting any existing visible areas of bank erosion (Figures 1 - 2). The
upstream extent of the study reach began at Bent Creek River Park, approximately 600 LF upstream
from the proposed bridge location, while the downstream extent ended at an overhead electric (OHE)
powerline crossing, approximately 1200 LF downstream from the proposed bridge location. The
photo points were georeferenced with a Geode sub -foot GPS device and collected both on foot and
by canoe. Three areas of active erosion or bare vertical banks were identified during the baseline
survey conducted on December 21, 2020 and were observed again during the February 29, 2024
survey. One area of sediment aggradation was identified during the June 10, 2021 survey. Active
sediment aggradation was not observed during the Year 4 Annual monitoring.
Area 1 includes portions of bank erosion at Bent Creek Park on the left bank of the French Broad
River. This is visible in Photo Point 1. The erosion in Area 1 is likely due to the lack of a forested
buffer and heavy use of the banks by the general public to access the creek. No change was
observed.
Area 2 includes a vertical bare bank on the right bank of the French Broad River visible in Photo
Point 14. This bare bank is immediately downstream from a log debris jam, approximately 350 feet
downstream from the bridge location. No change was observed.
Area 3 includes vertical bare banks which are actively slumping and eroding, located on the right
bank of the French Broad River. The Area 3 erosion is visible from Photo Point 8 and Photo Point
16. This portion of the bank lacks a forested buffer and is located in a maintained OHE right-of-way
(ROW). The location of the photo points and three areas of existing bank erosion are indicated on
the attached Overview Map (Figure 2).
Area 4 includes a previously documented bar of sediment aggradation along the right bank of the
French Broad River. This area formed approximately 75 feet downstream from the rip -rap causeway
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near the bridge construction site (Figure 2). The aggradation effect was likely caused by an eddy
current downstream of the temporary bridge causeway. The upland work area at this location was
surveyed and no instance of silt fencing failure or sediment escape into the river was observed. This
previously observed sediment aggradation has dissipated and is no longer visible following the
:;aubeway i er i iuvai.
y:
Photo Point 1 Facing Left Bank to Bent Creek River Park — No change observed.
r
Photo Point 2 Facing Left Bank to Bent Creek Confluence - No Change observed.
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i
Photo Point 3 Facing Left Bank — Causeway was removed prior to the site evaluation in May 2022.
No chanize observed since then.
Photo Point 4 Facing Left Bank - No change observed.
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f-I
_. .
Photo Point 6 Facing Left Bank - No change observed.
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is - a"a'� ''Swi�pXsor�t a as
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Photo Point 12 FacinR Right Bank 7-Previous site of causeway. has since been removed.
4 02/29/2024
Photo Point 13 Facing Right Bank - No change observed.
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02/29/2024
Vertical Bare Bank on Right Bank near Photo Point 14 - No change observed.
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Photo Point ] 5 Facing Right Bank - No change observed.
n
Photo Point 16 Facing Right Bank - No change observed.
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