20071937 Ver 1_Mitigation Plans_20071115

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07-1937
Proposed Mitigation Plan for A.S.J. Mathis Farms, L.L.C. on an
Unnamed Tributary to Brier Creek, Wilkes County
Prepared by:
Joe H. Mickey Jr.
River Bend Consulting, State Road, North Carolina
and
Foggy Mountain Nursery, Lansing, North Carolina
For:
John M. Mathis,
A.S.J. Mathis Farms, L.L.C.
Roaring River, North Carolina
November 9, 2007 ,~ "`~ _ r p_
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A.S.J. Mathis Farms, L.L.C. of Roaring River, North Carolina has been issued a Notice of
Violation (NOV) by the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water
Quality (DWQ) for impacts to an unnamed tributary to Brier Creek, Wilkes County (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1. Location of A.S.J. Mathis Farms, L.L.C. mitigation site and downstream off-
site impacts to an unnamed tributary to Brier Creek, Wilkes County. Map from Ronda US
Geological Survey Map, 1:24, 20 ft contours.
Approximately 4861inear feet of stream channels were impacted during land clearing
operations. Fill dirt, stumps and woody debris was used to fill approximately 264 linear feet of a
very small perennial channel (determination by George Smith, DWQ, personal communication)
(stream 1). In addition to these impacts, the riparian buffer was removed along 2221inear feet
of a small headwater perennial stream which begins at a spring and flows north under US 421
(stream 2). Several days of heavy rains during the week of October 16 -20, 2007 resulted in
excessive sedimentation of the perennial stream both on and off the site.
Based on a site visit with Mr. John Mathis (owner) and conversations with Mr. Steve Tedder
(DWQ) on November 8, 2007, this plan details the mitigation activities proposed to restore most
of the impacted stream, reestablish vegetated buffers on-site and to remove off-site accumulated
sediment for approximately 1000 feet downstream or north of US 421. Five major items are
described that are needed to bring the site into compliance with DWQ.
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Item 1. Stream 1 -pipe 148 ft of the perennial channel with a 12 inch pipe with rock
collection intake (Figures 2 and 3). Fill will then be placed over this pipe.
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FIGURE 2. Looking downstream showing stream 1 and the impacted perennial channel
section to be piped for 148 ft.
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FIGURE 3. Stream 1 side view (looking west) showing the impacted perennial channel
section to be piped for 148 ft.
Item 2. Stream 1 -restore 116 ft of the impacted perennial channel by removing the debris
placed in the channel. Once the material has been removed, the channel banks will be reseeded
and stabilized with erosion control matting/straw mulch as needed (Figure 4). Native
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trees/shrubs will be planed along this channel. At the confluence with the spring seep channel, a
rock step will be build to prevent future head-cutting back up this channel during high flow
events (Figure 5). A buffer width ranging from 60 ft to 100 ft will be maintained along this
channel.
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FIGURE 4. Stream 1 side view (looking west) of the 116 ft of small perennial channel to
be restored.
FIGURE 5. Lower end stream 1 showing the small perennial channel at the confluence
with stream 2 called the perennial spring seep stream. A rock step will be built at the
confluence with the spring seep channel to prevent head-cutting.
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Item 3. Stream 2 -Restore 222 ft of spring seep channel by removing accumulated
sediments and reshaping and replanting the stream banks (Figures 6 and 7). At the lower end of
the property the existing rock check dam just above the NC Department of Transportation
(NCDOT) property line will be maintained during the life of the project and removed once all
channel work is completed. Sediment removal will begin at this point and proceed upstream so
that the rock dam will function properly and retain sediment on-site during construction. Once
the stream work is completed, it will be removed or repositioned as a riffle structure. Below this
structure, a rock step or cross-vane will be constructed to prevent future channel head-cutting
(Figure 8). Once the material has been removed, the channel banks will be reseeded and
stabilized with erosion control matting/straw mulch as needed. Native trees/shrubs will be
planed along this channel.
FIGURE 6. Stream 2 looking downstream from the spring head to US 421 showing the
222 ft of perennial channel to be restored.
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FIGURE 7. Stream 2 looking downstream showing the lower two-thirds of the spring
seep channel to be restored by removing accumulated sediments and re-vegetation of the
banks.
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FIGURE 8. Stream 2 looking upstream from the NCDOT right-of--way line showing the
existing rock check dam, which is full of sediment, (note that the stream channel is flowing
around the rock check dam). This is the site of the proposed riffle construction and rock
step or cross-vane structure.
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Item 4. A 75 to 100 ft buffer will be maintained at most locations along stream corridors 1
and 2 (Figure 9). This buffer will be reseeded with a temporary cover crop of winter wheat/rye
and permanent native seed mix and mulched. Native trees will then be planted in the buffer.
During construction, water will be diverted into two sediment basins located at the lower end of
the project site on each side of the stream channel (Figure 9). The existing sediment basin on the
left bank (facing downstream) needs to be cleaned out and removed soil placed up slope and
stabilized. A sediment basin needs to be constructed on the right bank (facing downstream).
The outer edges of the buffer will be bermed so that storm flows are directed into the sediment
basins before flowing into the stream.
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FIGURE 9. Overview of the site showing the proposed buffer limits and location of two
sediment basins.
Re-vegetation will consist of the following procedures:
1. Where practical, all daily work will be reseeded with a temporary cover of winter
wheat/rye and a permanent native plant mix. For late fall/winter seeding, 40 lb/acre of
rye grain or combination of winter wheat/rye grain oaks will be used as the nurse crop.
A native seed mix will be developed from the following species list.
Common Name
Annual rye
Blue vervain
Bur-marigold
Deertongue "Tioga"
Eastern gamma grass
Partridge pea
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Scientific Name
Lolium multiflorum
Verbena hastate
Bidens aristosa
Dichanthelium clandestinum
Tripsacum dactyloides
Chamaecrista fasciculate
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Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pennsylvanicum
River oats
Soft rush
Virginia wild rye
Switch grass
Indian grass
Big bluestem
Little bluestem
Chasmanthium latifolium
Juncus effuses
Elymus virginicus
Panicum virgatum
Sorghastrum nutans
Andrppogon gerardii
Schizachyrium scoparium
2. Woody vegetation, including live stakes and rooted trees/shrubs will be planted along all
disturbed areas and in the riparian corridor. Native trees and shrubs will be selected from
a list that are suitable for the site and purchased from local nurseries. Since this is a
DWQ NOV mitigation site, trees, shrubs and live stakes will be planted at a density
sufficient to provide 320 trees per acre at maturity in the 1.5 acre (estimated size) buffer
zone. To achieve this density, a minimum of 480 trees and live stakes should be planted
initially. Along the stream banks, live stakes (silky willow; silky dogwood, elderberry,
and black willow) will be planted this winter along disturbed areas on 3 ft x 3 ft centers.
Native trees and shrubs will be selected by the landowner/landowners agent form the list
provided and purchased from local nurseries. Trees will be container and/or balled stock
and range from 3 ft to 6 ft tall. The addition of trees or shrubs will enhance the long term
stability of the streambanks and provide additional stream shading.
Common name Scientific name
Trees
American elm Ulmus americana
American hornbeam (ironwood) Carpinus caroliniana
black willow Salix nigra
black cherry Prunus serotina
box elder Acer negundo
Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica
holly Ilex opaca
honey locust Gleditsia tricanthos
flowering dogwood Corpus florida
persimmon Diospyros virginiana
sycamore Platanus occidentalis
red maple Acer rubrum
red oak Quercus borealis
river birch Betula nigra
tulip popular Liriodendron tulipifera
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana
white pine Pinus strobus
white oak Quercus alba
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Shrubs
buttonbush Celphalanthus occidentalis
elderberry Sambucus cansdensis
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea
mountain laurel Kalmia angustifolia
red mulberry Morus rubs
rhododendron Rhododendron maximum or catawbiense
wild azela Rhododendron periclymenoides
silky (bushy) dogwood Corpus amonum
silky willow Salix sericea
hazel (tag) alder Alnus serrulata
possumhaw Ilex decidua
spicebush Lindera benzoin
witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana
Item 5. In addition to the stream work, sediment has left the site (Figure 10) and there is
about 1000 feet of stream 2 on the opposite side of 421 that will have to be remediated by hand.
This will be accomplished by shovel and bucket. Removed sediments will be placed upland and
seeded and mulched. If necessary, a sediment fence will be placed around these upslope
sediment deposits. It should be noted that the off-site sedimentation is located on a downstream
landowner. This work will require the adjacent landowner's approval before it can proceed.

FICURE 10. These two pictures show some of the off-site sediment deposits in stream 2
that will be removed by hand labor.
It is anticipated that the five items proposed in this plan will satisfy the DWQ mitigation
requirements as corrective actions resulting from the water quality violation that occurred to the
small, unnamed tributary to Brier Creek during land clearing operations by A.S.J. Mathis Farms.
This plan will remove instream sediment deposits, stabilize eroding streambanks and improve
riparian zone vegetation. Stream aesthetics will be improved with bank stabilization and
establishment of a functioning riparian zone.
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