20070245 Ver 1_Monitoring Plan_20080324

vRs
March 20, 2008
Ms. Cyndi Karoly
401 Oversight/Express Permitting Unit
NC Division of Water Quality
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650
Q~~~oer~D
MAR 2 4 2008
DENR • WATER QUALITY
WETLANDS AND STORMWATER BRANCH
Re: DWQ #20070245; USACE Action ID 2007-00286-067
Issuance of a Department of the Army Permit for wetland fill associated with the construction of
the Marine Special Operations Command Complex (MARSOC) located in the former Stone Bay
Rifle Range Area, Camp Lejeune, Onslow County, North Carolina.
Subject: On-Site Wetland Monitoring Plan
Dear Ms. Karoly:
Please find enclosed two (2) copies of a wetland monitoring plan for the two on-site wetland mitigation
sites proposed at the Marine Special Operations Command Complex (MARSOC) at Camp Lejeune,
Onslow County, North Carolina. The monitoring plan should be considered part of the On-Site Wetland
Mitigation Plan that was submitted to you under a separate cover letter.
Please call me at [phone], or email me at charley [e-mail], if you should have any
questions regarding this submittal.
Sincerely,
URS Corporation -North Carolina

Charles E. Benton, PWS
Senior Environmental Scientist
CEB/cb
Enclosures
cc: Mr. Brad Shaver, USACE-Wilmington Regulatory Field Office
Mr. Martin Korenek, Environmental Management Dept., Camp Lejeune
Mr. Bristol Reynolds, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.
Mr. Keith Tricome, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.
Mr. Robert Marszalkowski, URS Group, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA
Mr. Will Breeden, URS Group, Inc., Wilmington, NC
URS Corporation -North Carolina
1600 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 400
Morrisville, NC 27560
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.urscorp.com

MARSOC On-Site Wetland Monitoring Plan
1.0 PROPOSED WETLAND MONITORING PLAN
The Marine Corps is proposing on-site restoration of two riparian wetland areas at the Marine
Special Operations Command (MARSOC) project site, located in Camp Lejeune, Onslow
County, North Carolina. The combined restoration will restore 1.5 acres of riparian forested
wetlands and 287 linear feet of intermittent streams. A monitoring plan is an essential
component of a compensatory mitigation project'. It is the only mechanism by which (1) the
restoration performance can be measured, (2) the performance can be reported to the
interested parties, and (3) the restoration design can be reexamined and the appropriate
corrective measures taken. Afive-year monitoring program is proposed for the two on-site
mitigation areas.
1.1 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The goal of the proposed project is to provide compensatory in-kind mitigation to off-set
unavoidable wetland and stream impacts by the MARSOC project. The mitigation site will
provide a similar hydrologic .regime, comparable soils, and similar vegetative communities as
the impacted wetlands. The primary objective of the proposed project is to comply with the
compensatory mitigation acreage requirements within the anticipated US Army Corps of
Engineers (USAGE) and North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) wetland permits.
The Marine Corps propose to compensate wetland and stream loss at a 1:1 ratio for the
permanent impacts to 0.914 acre of riparian wetlands and 287 linear feet of intermittent
streams, associated with the Road Relocation and FY07/FY08 phases of the MARSOC project.
The proposed performance standards for wetland success will be based on the presence of the
three criteria described in the 1987 USAGE Wetland Delineation Manual' (wetland hydrology,
hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soils). Additional performance standards are based on the
secondary objectives of establishing a riparian forested wetland community that is dominated by
native vegetation.
Objective 1:
Meet wetland criteria set forth in the 1987 USAGE Wetland Delineation ManualZ.
Performance Standard 1:
Achieve a dominance of wetland hydrology, defined as saturation of the major part of the
root zone (50 percent or more of the upper 12 inches of the soil profile) or ponding upon
the soil surface for at least 12.5 percent of the growing season. For the purpose of this
determination, the growing season is defined as the period in which temperatures are
expected to be above 28 degrees Fahrenheit in 5 out of 10 years.
Performance Standard 2:
Achieve a dominance of hydrophytic vegetation, defined as a vegetation community
where more than 50% of all dominant species are facultative (FAG) or wetter, excluding
FAG- plants.
Performance Standard 3:
Achieve a dominance of hydric soils, defined as a soil that is saturated, flooded or
ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions that
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USAGE Action ID 2007-00286-067; DWQ #20070245 U.S. Marine Corps
Wetland Monitoring Plan March 2008

MARSOC On-Site Wetland Monitoring Plan
favor the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation, in more than 50 percent of
the area.
Objective 2:
Establish a riparian forested wetland community (Planting Success).
Performance Standard 4:
Achieve a diversity of at least four woody wetland plants with a wetland indicator status
FAC or greater, as listed on the mitigation plans.
Performance Standard 5:
By the fifth growing season, achieve an 80 percent plant survivorship of the planted
woody species. Wetland plantings should be sufficiently robust by the fifth growing
season to be self-maintaining.
Objective 3:
Establish a restoration site that contains stable slopes and stream channels.
Performance Standard 6:
Achieve a restoration site that re-establishes the upstream and downstream contours to
their pre-culvert condition, while maintaining the integrity and stability of the slopes.
Performance Standard 7:
Achieve a restoration site that re-establishes streams to their pre-culvert condition, while
maintaining the integrity and stability of the existing and constructed stream channels.
1.2 POST CONSTRUCTION
As-Built Survey
Prior to planting, spot elevations will be taken to ensure that the proposed mitigation plan
elevations were achieved. Within the wetland zones, the As-Built survey shall deviate from the
theoretical plan surface by more than 0.2 foot.
As-Built Plant List
Immediately following planting, an As-Built plant list will be prepared that lists the name and
quantities of each species installed at the mitigation sites. This plant list will provide the baseline
information from which plant survivorship over the five-year monitoring period can be evaluated.
1.3 MONITORING
Initial Vegetative Response
An initial vegetative response will be evaluated during an initial monitoring visit approximately
one to two months following the completion of all planting activities. The purpose of this
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USACE Action ID 2007-00286-067; DWQ #20070245 U.S. Marine Corps
Wetland Monitoring Plan March 2008

MARSOC On-Site Wetland Monitoring Plan
monitoring is to evaluate the immediate response of the plantings to their new environment.
Qualitative descriptions of the overall appearance of the vegetation will be documented.
Annual Monitoring Program
A five-year monitoring program will be implemented to evaluate the long-term success of the
restoration effort. One monitoring visit per year will be conducted during the later portion of the
growing season (e.g., late August to mid September). At least two transects will be established.
The transects will be established at a compass bearing perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of
the created wetlands. The monitoring points will be marked in the field using either wooden
stakes or PVC tubing. The corner of a 1 meter by 1 meter (1 m2) sampling quadrat will be
placed at each monitoring point for data collection. The quadrat corner selected for use (e.g.,
northeast corner) will remain consistent among all monitoring points and throughout the course
of the lave-year monitoring period.
Each sampling quadrat will be evaluated for vegetative percent coverage and species
composition. To document the development of hydric conditions within the soil profile, soil
borings will be taken using a soil auger at each sampling quadrat. The soil boring hole will also
be evaluated for the presence of standing water.
Fixed-point photograph locations, indicated with permanent markers (e.g., wooden stakes), will
also be established that would best portray a visual depiction of the restoration. Photographs of
the restoration will be taken from these fixed-point locations at each monitoring visit, at the
same orientation per location (e.g., facing north, facing southeast, etc.). These photographs will
supplement the monitoring data as a visual aid for reporting.
All relevant observations would also be documented during the monitoring visits. These
observations include wildlife species, invasion by nuisance plants, occurrence of woody species
in the herbaceous community, and disturbances to the landscape, including erosion and stream
bank instability.
1.4 MONITORING REPORTS
The results of the restoration monitoring program will be provided to appropriate regulatory
agencies on an annual basis, with a final report issued at the end of the five-year period. The
interim reports (monitoring years 1 to 4) will be delivered prior to the end of the calendar year of
the respective monitoring period. These reports will include the vegetation community metrics
data, color photographs from the fixed-point locations, a comparison of the current monitoring
results with prior data, general observations of the restoration area and assessment of
restoration success, and recommendations for any corrective measures to be taken. The final
monitoring report will present an overall assessment of the restoration effort and will also
present a chronological summary of all the interim monitoring results. The reports will be
prepared in accordance with the USACE Regulatory Guidance Letter on Minimum Monitoring
Requirements for Compensatory Mitigation Projects Involving the Creation, Restoration, and/or
Enhancement of Aquatic Resources. a
2.0 REFERENCES
~ US Army Corps of Engineers. Regulatory Guidance Letter, No. 02-02. Subject: Guidance on Compensatory
Mitigation Projects for Aquatic Resource Impacts under the Corps Regulatory Program Pursuant to Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.
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MARSOC On-Site Wetland Monitoring Plan
z Environmental Laboratory. 1987. Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. Technical Report Y-87-1, US
Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
s US Army Corps of Engineers. Regulatory Guidance Letter, No. 06-03. Subject: Minimum Monitoring Requirements
for Compensatory Mitigation Projects Involving the Creation, Restoration, and/or Enhancement of Aquatic Resources.
August 3, 2006.
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USACE Action ID 2007-00286-067; DWQ #20070245 ~ U.S. Marine Corps
Wetland Monitoring Plan March 2008