20110645 Ver 1_Year 2 Monitoring Report_2015_20160224

Annual Monitoring Report
FINAL
Project Name: East Fork Pigeon River Wetland
Monitoring Year 2
NCDMS Contract No.: 006035
NCDMS Project No.: 94203
Haywood County, North Carolina
Data Collected: 6/3/2015-12/10/2015
Date Submitted: 12/14/2015
Submitted to:
North Carolina Division of Mitigation Services
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
1652 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC

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Prepared by:
EQUINOX
balance through proper planning
37 Haywood Street, Suite 100
Asheville, NC 28801
Project Contact: Hunter Terrell
Email: [e-mail]

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Table of Contents
1.0 Project Summary............................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Project History and Background...................................................................................................
1
1.2. Project Goals and Objectives........................................................................................................2
1.3. Project Success Criteria................................................................................................................2
1.4. Annual Monitoring Results...........................................................................................................2
2.0 Methodology.....................................................................................................................................
3
3.0 References.........................................................................................................................................3
Appendix A General Tables and Figures......................................................................................................
5
Appendix B Visual Assessment Data...........................................................................................................
9
AppendixC Vegetation Data......................................................................................................................
18

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1.0 PROJECT SUMMARY
1.1. Project History and Background
The East Fork Pigeon River Wetlands Project Site (project site) is located in the French Broad River
Basin (HUC8- 06010106) near Cruso in Haywood County, NC. The site is situated between the right -
descending bank of the East Fork of the Pigeon River and Old Micheal Road, off of Highway 276.
On November 3, 2010, the USACE approved a wetland Jurisdictional Determination on the project site.
The mitigation plan for the project was completed by Mactec Engineering and Consulting, Inc (Currently
AMEC Environment and Infrastructure, Inc.) in March 2011.
The established mitigation goals for the Site were to enhance and protect existing wetlands and wildlife
habitat along the East Fork Pigeon River. Specifically, the target goal was the vegetative enhancement of
the existing wetland community on the site. The project objectives included:
• Enhance existing wetlands by removing identified invasive plant species through manual and/or
chemical methods and by planting native species within the site.
• Protecting the wetlands on the site with a permanent Conservation Easement.
The project did not require Clean Water Act Section 404 / Section 401 permits as no ground disturbing
activities within jurisdictional wetlands were anticipated or completed on the site. Additionally, the
project was instituted prior to July 28, 2010 and did not require a mandatory IRT mitigation plan review.
The control of nuisance plant species within the bottomland hardwood forest and shrub/groundstory open
areas on the Site entailed the treatment of the seven invasive nuisance plant species: Bamboo
(Phyllostachys sp.), common cattail (Typha latifolia), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Japanese
knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), kudzu (Pueraria montana),
and Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense).
A majority of the invasive species were mapped in the 2011 mitigation plan; however Chinese privet and
multiflora rose were essentially scattered throughout the entire bottomland hardwood forest. The control
methods entailed the treatment of small -sized plants with foliar spray and larger stems by hack and squirt.
The chemical `aquatic glyphosate' was used for the herbicide applications. The cut bamboo was placed in
a slash pile and burned on the site. New shoots of bamboo, which developed after the initial treatment,
were treated with aquatic glyphosate. All invasive control treatments and planting efforts were conducted
by Habitat Assessment & Restoration Professionals (HARP) (Charlotte, NC). The nuisance plant species
were treated for two growing seasons prior to the planting of the site. DMS postponed the planting of the
site to allow for an additional growing season of nuisance species control prior to planting. Additionally,
DMS will be completing follow up invasive treatments through the 5 year monitoring term.
The 2011 mitigation plan estimated an approximately 5.64 acre wetland planting area. Based on 2013 site
conditions and the implemented invasive plant treatment areas, approximately 2.26 acres of the total area
of USACE jurisdictional wetlands on the site (13.95 acres) were planted in December 2013. The wetland
areas that were excluded from the planting operation encompassed: (1) a deepwater wetland drainageway
which occurred along the southern shoulder of Old Michael Road and was determined to be an historic
channel of the East Fork Pigeon River; (2) the stream banks of East Fork Pigeon River (bankfull bench
and spoil areas); and (3) the heavily forested portions of the bottomland hardwood forest. Therefore, the
planting operation primarily encompassed the areas of the bottomland hardwood forest that were open
and lacking an overstory of trees or a dense shrub component. The planting of trees (seedlings) within
these open areas will essentially restore the hardwood overstory of the wetlands.
East Fork Pigeon River Site 1 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

The 2011 Mitigation plan and project implementation did not include any enhancement activities for the
East Fork Pigeon River or the unnamed perennial stream that occurs within the western portion of the
Site. These surface waters are essentially unimpaired and provide suitable habitat for fish and benthic
macro -invertebrates. The proposed stream preservation assets have a minimum 30 -foot buffer from edge
of bank on each side of the channel.
1.2. Project Goals and Objectives
The established mitigation goals for the Site were to enhance and protect existing wetlands and wildlife
habitat along the East Fork Pigeon River. Specifically, the target goal was the vegetative enhancement of
the existing wetland community on the Site. The project objectives included:
• Enhance existing wetlands by removing identified invasive plant species through manual and/or
chemical methods and by planting native species within the Site.
• Protecting the wetlands on the Site with a permanent Conservation Easement.
1.3. Project Success Criteria
The project success criteria are as follows:
Vegetation success within the wetland areas that were planted and proposed for Wetland
Enhancement (2.26 -acres) will be based on the criteria established in the USACE Stream
Mitigation Guidelines (2003). This document states that vegetation monitoring results indicate the
following planted stem density minimums in the corresponding monitoring years: 320 stems/acre
through year three, 288 stems/acre in year four, and 260 stems/acre in year five.
Vegetation monitoring will not be conducted in the wetland preservation areas; however, the
entire site will be monitored via yearly photo points. Invasive plant species and beaver
colonization will be suppressed on the entire site until project closeout; however, there will be no
success criteria linked to treatment of the invasive plant species or beaver removal.
1.4. Annual Monitoring Results
Monitoring Year 2 data collection consisted of monitoring three previously established vegetation plots in
three of the four planted areas. Results from vegetation monitoring indicate that all plots are currently
meeting the interim success criteria of 320 planted stems per acre (Table 6). Planted stem density
averaged 688 stems per acre across all plots. Stem density ranged from 486 stems per acre to 850 stems
per acre. When naturally recruited stems are included, densities ranged from 729 to 1,012 stems per acre
with an annual mean of 1,106 stems per acre across all plots. A total of twelve woody species were
documented in the vegetation plots.
Visual assessment, performed on June 4, 2015 and December 10, 2015, focused on planted stems outside
of the permanent vegetation plots and the status of invasive exotic vegetation. Although no quantifiable
data related to planted stems were collected during the visual assessment, observations suggest that the
planted stems are surviving throughout the easement. Dead stems were noted; however, these were
limited to isolated stems and not large areas. Several small areas of dense dodder vine (Cuscuta
pentagona) growth continue within the bamboo treatment area and could potentially affect planted stems.
Additionally, the southern side of the easement receives high flows from the East Fork Pigeon River.
Wrack lines and scour in the floodplain was noted, however, planted stems appear to be coping.
In addition to planted stems, an inventory of invasive exotic vegetation was performed. Japanese
honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), and Chinese privet
(Ligustrum sinense) were documented throughout drier, upland areas of the easement and scattered in low
densities throughout the easement (Figure 2). Initial treatments of invasive -exotic vegetation occurred in
October of 2015, targeting bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.), Kudzu (Pueraria montana), and Chinese Privet.
East Fork Pigeon River Site 2 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Treatments showed good efficacy; however, populations of invasive -exotic vegetation still persist
throughout the easement (Figure 2).
Summary information/data related to the occurrence of items such as beaver or easement encroachment
and statistics related to performance of various project and monitoring elements can be found in the tables
and figures in the report appendices. Narrative background and supporting information formerly found in
these reports can be found in the restoration plan on NCDMS's website (NCEEP 2014). All raw data,
supporting tables, and figures in the appendices are available from NCDMS upon request.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
Vegetation plot monitoring data were collected following the standard CVS-EEP Protocol for Recording
Vegetation, Level II, Version 4.2 (Lee et al. 2008). A total of three plots were monitored for this project.
3.0 REFERENCES
Lee, Michael T., R.K. Peet, S.D. Roberts, and T.R. Wentworth. 2008. CVS-EEP Protocol for Recording
Vegetation, Version 4.2(http://cvs.bio.unc.edu/methods.htm)
NCEEP (North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program). 2014. Final Wetland Mitigation Report -
East Fork Pigeon River Wetlands Project. Haywood County, North Carolina. Raleigh.
East Fork Pigeon River Site 3 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

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East Fork Pigeon River Site 4 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Appendix A
General Tables and Figures

Appendix A
Figure 1. Vicinity Map of the East Fork of the Pigeon River Wetland Site
X46�ILOy �
49 74 .,Moor
74 19
23 ` h / , 215 110 I
jet, J
1 0
100
- Or
F
Lam Fork Pigcon river
i
NCDMS
mi
1' r
Figure 1: Vicinity Map
Fast Fork Pigeoti
Project No. 94203
Haywood County, North Carolina
r I �.-4&�
Dimii ma. 1'mmr Asheville, trkc 1-10 Weil fm eipp mimm.cly IS miles..
'Isloe,rxitlfnrC'anrlinailStma.�rdCnntcm. Fo61nu_'IitnPisfraR
Lithe and turn right. Coo rµsrsmximalely a 0.5 mike and
mm r1ght min, NC -I10. Ptalluw'NC 110 rnr app eximnacly 5 miles.
Tarot cft onto 1 r§.27a nod follof+ for 1.3 mile.. {light right rnxtr efld
Kchcal Rout. In uppwitimately 0 miles canemcm is an right
11w xnbjcet Mtuj,2; siw iasis mummenal rrslmiioat'[IV ul Il,:
WDINR I'axnystem 1'nhmi:x rant Prugrzam (I'1'P'1 artd is
mtmmnp cribs a rmordnl etmson,ation eax-nrcnt. hm rs
bmtkrctl by land madcr [nit sic omiNcrahrp. A"vssmf the siw may
require tmv-crrrng mer neer tw aloes the ra-�t htimsdary anti
ICacrcfxc ecc+xc by the gcrteral lwlrlic is rot Itmatiatc f A"e&s by
attthonarxi pa°rrnnrtri. urs�a�nnd 1'ctk-ntl.tgt.au-irn ax tha�ir
ticssgae k(tabmanrs infxdsed in the tlevclupnieal. snrnighl anti
stcaamdshtpol the mexturantnt mic tslio matted within the tcsms an0.
1imeimr0 ul lh[ir defncl rkdk . Any uttcuded bile%imietiun rtt
at-tisity by My l� outsrdt t.1Cthc1,t: prcvittunly sunctiMCd ndt
and wavit"regwrc4rnoroi diruficmuithI:t-:P.
LUId
Date: 5 ptember 20157 Sheet: I of I
Notes'
0 05 1 2
Miles
East Fork Pigeon River Site 6 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Appendix A
Table 1. Project Components and Summation
East Fork of Pigeon Wetland / Project No. 94203
Feature
Mitigation
Quantity (Linear
Ratio
Mitigation Units
Dec 2010
Approach
Footage/Acreage)
N/A
(SMU/WMU)
Stream
N/A
Permit Date
N/A
N/A
Perennial Stream
P
664
5:1
133
East Fork of the
p
1,411
5:1
282
Pigeon River
Mar -11
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Jun -12
Total:
2,075
Total:
415
Wetland
Jul -13
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Nov -13
Bottomland
E
2.26
2:1
1.13
Hardwood Forest
Final Mitigation Plan (Year 0 Monitoring - Baseline)
-
Mar -14
Year 1 Monitoring
Bottomland
Nov -14
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Oct -15
Hardwood Forest
p
11.69
5:1
2.34
Total
13.95
Total
3.47
Table 2. Project Activity & Reporting History
East Fork of Pigeon Wetland / Project No. 94203
Activity or Report
Data
Collection
Complete
Actual
Completion
orDelivery
Land Acquisition
-
Dec 2010
Environmental Resource Technical Report
N/A
N/A
Restoration Plan
N/A
N/A
Permit Date
N/A
N/A
Initial Wetland Delineation
-
Oct -10
Initial Invasive Exotic Reconnaissance
-
Oct -10
Topographic Survey
-
Nov-10—
Initial Mitigation Plan / As -built
-
Mar -11
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Jun -12
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Nov -12
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Jul -13
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Nov -13
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Dec -13
Wetland Planting
-
Dec -13
Final Mitigation Plan (Year 0 Monitoring - Baseline)
-
Mar -14
Year 1 Monitoring
Oct -14
Nov -14
Invasive Exotic Treatment
-
Oct -15
Year 2 Monitoring
Dec -15
Dec -15
Year 3 Monitoring
Year 4 Monitoring
Year 5 Monitoring
N/A - Item does not apply.
- Information Unavailable
East Fork Pigeon River Site 7 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Appendix A
Table 3. Project Contacts
East Fork of the Pigeon Wetland / Project No. 94203
Designer
AM EC Environment and Infrastructure, INC.
4021 Stirrup Creek Drive, Suite 100
Durham, North Carolina 27701
Primary Project Design POC
Richard Harmon [phone]
Construction Contractor
N/A
N/A
N/A
Construction Contractor POC
N/A
Planting Contractor
Habitat Assessment and Restoration Professionals
301 McCullough Drive, 4th Floor
Charlotte, North Carolina 28262
Planting Contractor POC
[phone]
Seeding Contractor
Habitat Assessment and Restoration Professionals
301 McCullough Drive, 4th Floor
Charlotte, North Carolina 28262
Seeding Contractor POC
[phone]
Seed M ix Sources
_
Nursery Stock Suppliers
_
Monitoring Performers (YO) - 2013
AMEC Environment and Infrastructure, INC.
4021 Stirrup Creek Drive, Suite 100
Durham, North Carolina 27701
Monitoring POC
Richard Harmon [phone]
Monitoring Performers (Yl -Y2) - 2015
Equinox
37 Haywood Street, Suite 100
Asheville, North Carolina 28801
Monitoring POC
Hunter Terrell [phone]
Invasive Control Contractor (Y2)- 2015
Carolina Silvics
908 Indian Trail Road
Edonton, NC 27932
Invasive Contractor POC
[phone]
N/A - Item does not apply.
- Information Unavailable
East Fork Pigeon River Site 8 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Appendix B
Appendix B
Visual Assessment Data

Appendix B
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East Fork Pigeon River Site 10 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

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Appendix B
N/A - Item does not apply.
East Fork Pigeon River Site 13 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5
Table 4. Vegetation Condition Assessment
East Fork of the Pigeon Wetland / Project
No. 94203
Planted Acreage: 2.29
% of
Number of
Combined
Vegetation Category
Definitions
CCPV Depiction
Planted
Polygons
Acreage
Acreage
1. Bare Areas
Very limited cover of both woody and herbaceous material.
N/A
0
0.00
0%
Woody stem densities clearly below target levels based on MY3,
Stipple
2. Low Stem Density Areas
4, or 5 stem count criteria.
Orange Dots White Background
0
0.00
o
0%
Totals
0
0.00
0%
reas with woody stems of a size class that are obviously small
3. Areas of Poor Growth Rates or Vigor
given
N/A
0
0.00
0%
the monitoring year.
Cumulative Totals
0
0.00
0%
Easement Acreage: 16.53
of
Numbers
Combined
Vegetation Category
Definitions
CCPV Depiction
Easement
Polygons
Acreage
Acreage
4. Invasive Areas of Concern
Areas or points (if too small to render as polygons at map scale).
Cross Hatch
11
1.65
10%
(Red - Dense/Yellow - Present)
Stipple
5. Easement Encroachment Areas
Areas or points (if too small to render as polygons at map scale).
0
0.00
o
0%
Purple Dots White Background
N/A - Item does not apply.
East Fork Pigeon River Site 13 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Appendix B
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 1
East/Southeast
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 2
West
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 3
East Fork Pigeon River Site
NCDMS Project No. 94203
Monitoring Year 2 of 5
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 4
North
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 5
Upstream
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 6
Southwest
14 Equinox
Draft Annual Monitoring Report

East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 7
East
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 8
South/Southeast
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 9
Southwest
East Fork Pigeon River Site
NCDMS Project No. 94203
Monitoring Year 2 of 5
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 10
South/Southwest
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 11
Southeast
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 12
East
15 Equinox
Draft Annual Monitoring Report

7 -
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 13
Upstream
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 15
North
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 13 East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 16
Downstream West
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 14
East/Southeast
East Fork Pigeon River Site 16 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 17
Northwest
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 18
North/Northeast
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 19
South/Southwest
East Fork Pigeon River Site
NCDMS Project No. 94203
Monitoring Year 2 of 5
East Fork Pigeon River -Permanent Photo Station 20
North
17 Equinox
Draft Annual Monitoring Report

Appendix C
Vegetation Data

Appendix C
Table 5. Vegetation Plot Criteria Attainment
East Fork Pi eon River Wetland / Project No. 94203
Vegetation
Vegetation Plot
Survival
Tract Mean
ID
Threshold Met?
STypes
1 Yes
100%
2 Yes
3 Yes
East Fork Pigeon River Site 19 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5
Table 6. Planted and Total Stem Counts (Species by Plot with Annual Means)
East Fork Pigeon River Wetland / Project No. 94203
Scientific Name
Common Name
STypes
Current Plot Data (MY2 2015)
Annual Means
Plot 1 Plot 2 Plot 3 MY2 (2015) MY1 (2014)
PnoLS P -all I T PnoLS P -all T PnoLS P -all T PnoLS P -all T PnoLS P -all
T
Acer rubrum var. rubrum
Red maple
Tree
1
1
Aesculus
Buckeye
2
2
Alnus serrulata
Hazel alder
Shrub
1
I
Cornus amomum
Silky dogwood
Shrub
1 I
1
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Green ash
Tree
4 4
4
6 6
6
4
4
4
14
14
14
12
12
12
Lindera benzoin var.
benzoin
Northern spicebush
Shrub
1
I
Liriodendron tulipifera
var. whpifera
Tulip -tree, Yellow
Poplar, Whitewood
Tree
6
6
6
Morus rubra
Red mulberry
Tree
1
1
Nyssa sylvatica
Blackgum
Tree
5 5
5
5
5
5
10
10
10
12
12
12
Platanus occidentalis var.
occidentalis
Sycamore, Plane -tree
Tree
12 12
12
5 5
5
5
5
6
22
22
23
24
24
24
Salix nigra
Black willow
Tree
4
18
22
Sambucus
Elderberry
Shrub
2
2
Sambucus canadensis
Common Elderberry
Shrub
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Stem count
size (ares)
size (ACRES)
Species count
Stems per ACRE
21 21
25
12 12
18
18 1
18
1 39
51
51
82
59
59
59
1 1 1 3 3
0.02 0.02 0.02 0.07 0.07
3 3 5 3 1 3 6 5 1 5
1 8 5 5 12 6 6
6
1 850 850 1,012 486 1 486 728 728 1 728
1 1,578 688 688 1,106 796 796
796
East Fork Pigeon River Site 19 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Appendix C
Vegetation Monitoring Plot 1
Monitoring Year 2 — June 4, 2015
Vegetation Monitoring Plot 2
Monitoring Year 2 — June 4, 2015
East Fork Pigeon River Site 20 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5

Appendix C
Vegetation Monitoring Plot 3
Monitoring Year 2 — June 4, 2015
East Fork Pigeon River Site 21 Equinox
NCDMS Project No. 94203 Draft Annual Monitoring Report
Monitoring Year 2 of 5