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March 13, 2006
TO: Mr. John Dorney
NC Division of Water Quality
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1621
RE: Mason Inlet Relocation Project - DWQ#2000-0008
Biological Monitoring Plan
Dear John:
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Land Management Group, Inc. (LMG) is in receipt of your recent letter to Mr. Greg
Thompson of New Hanover County regarding the Biological Monitoring Plan for the
Mason Inlet Relocation Project. As you noted, LMG has submitted annual biological
monitoring reports summarizing habitat conditions in the vicinity of the inlet from
December 2002 (pre-project) through December 2005 (Year 3 post-project). The
protocol used for the production of these reports is based upon the Biological Monitoring
Plan originally developed in 2000. This plan was subsequently incorporated into the Inlet
Management Plan that was provided as Appendix P in the final project Environmental
Assessment (April 2000).
Your office provided comments on the Biological Monitoring Plan in a letter dated July
17, 2000. LMG and Applied Technology & Management (ATM) provided a response to
your comments via a letter dated January 8, 2001. The review and comments from your
office (together with comments from other state and federal agencies) culminated in the
Inlet Management Plan and included in the final EA. The Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) was subsequently issued. In addition, the protocol for the monitoring is
detailed in the Pre-Construction Biological Monitoring Report (May 2002) under Section
2.0, Methodology.
Attached is a copy of the Biological Monitoring Plan developed prior to pre-construction
monitoring. I hope that this information, together with the timeline outlined above is of
assistance. Please let us know if there is any additional information that we may be able
to provide.
Should you have further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me via
email (cpreziosi(a?lmgroup.net) or phone [phone]).
Sincerely,
Land Management Group, Inc.
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Christian A. Preziosi
Wetland Section Manager
cc. Greg Thompson, New Hanover County
Noelle Lutheran, NC DWQ - Wilmington

MASON INLET RELOCATION PROJECT
BIOLOGICAL MONITORING PLAN
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Goal:
The goal of the biological monitoring program is to determine if there is a significant
difference between pre-construction and post-construction conditions for specific
parameters sampled annually in tidal marsh, intertidal sand flat, and barrier island
beachfront (i.e. intertidal surf zone) habitats located within and adjacent to the project
area. These data, in conjunction with data collected from supplemental monitoring
programs, will help to document any potential impact to habitats resulting from project
activities.
1.2 General Scone:
Pre- and post-construction monitoring will assess primary productivity, benthic infaunal
abundance and composition, substrate texture/organic content, and macroinvertebrate
densities (beachfront only). Quantitative and qualitative sampling will yield information
to be used to determine if any deleterious effects may be attributable to the inlet
relocation project. The extent to which monitoring parameters will be affected depends
on various physical conditions (e.g. the character of the dredged material, tidal and
current regimes, etc.). Therefore, concurrent physical monitoring will be referenced in
future biological monitoring reports. In addition, unit area (acre or square feet) of
intertidal habitat type gain and/or loss will be quantified and reported in annual reports.
Concurrent monitoring conducted by UNC-Wilmington will provide more detailed
information related to waterbird utilization and water quality (pre- and post-construction).
Specifically, Dr. David Webster (UNCW - Biological Sciences) will be overseeing the
piping plover monitoring that will include supplemental information regarding avifaunal
habitat utilization. Dr. Mike Mallin (UNCW- Center for Marine Science) will be
overseeing the water quality monitoring program that will include sampling of five
stations located within Banks Channel, Mason Creek, and the Atlantic Intracoastal
Waterway (AIWW). These monitoring programs will be directed independently of the
biological monitoring detailed in this document. However, annual biological monitoring
reports will reference the piping plover and water quality monitoring and will include
pertinent data and/or conclusions derived from these programs. In addition, information
generated from the Wilmington Harbor Project Monitoring Program will be discussed as
it relates to the findings of this project.
Monitoring efforts will provide quantitative information to determine if pre-construction
conditions (sampled in December 2001) are significantly different from post-construction
conditions (sampled annually thereafter for a period of three years). Results from
concurrent monitoring programs will help to determine if any observed changes may be
attributable to project activities.
2.0 DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
The biological monitoring program will be conducted in three principle habitat types:
(1) Intertidal Marsh (adjacent to Mason Creek)
(2) Intertidal Sand Flat (adjacent to proposed sedimentation basin; near existing
and proposed inlet)
(3) Intertidal Surf Zone (barrier island beachfront).
Sampling protocols for each habitat type are provided in the following text.
2.1 Intertidal Marsh (adjacent to Mason Creek):
2.1.1 Monitoring Parameters
Selection of monitoring parameters has been based upon those factors potentially
impacted by project activities and those readily sampled and evaluated. The following
monitoring parameters have been identified:
(1) Spartina stem density
(2) Mature (>30 cm height) Spartina stem height
(3) Percent sand, silt, and clay of surface substrate
(4) Percent organic content of surface substrate
(4) Sedimentation rate
(5) Benthic infaunal abundance and species composition
(6) Distance (ft) loss or gain of intertidal marsh habitat at transect locations.
These parameters, while traditionally viewed as representative indicators of marsh habitat
structure and function, require less intensive and less frequent sampling than other biotic
or chemical indices.
At the time of sampling, presence or observable evidence of other faunal species utilizing
the area will be noted.
2.1.2 Field Sampling Protocol
Sampling efforts will focus on the area of potential impact where biota and physical
conditions (e.g. soil texture) are most likely affected by project activities and associated
perturbations such as altered flooding regime and sedimentation. Any perturbations to
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tidal marsh will manifest in system responses distributed linearly from Mason Creek.
Therefore, three permanent 300-foot monitoring transects will be established along a
roughly perpendicular axis on each side of Mason Creek (totaling six transects). Five
permanent stations along each transect (located 5, 50, 100, 150 and 300 feet away from
the marsh edge along Mason Creek) will be established prior to the initiation of the
project. One-meter square quadrats at each station will be sampled for stem density and
height of S. alterniflora. The station located furthest from Mason Creek (300 ft) will
serve as the control plot for each transect. (Refer to the enclosed map depicting
monitoring transects and plots.)
Sediments will be characterized according to percent sand/silt/clay and percent organic
matter. One sample will be collected at each of the fixed stations (5, 50, 100, and 150,
and 300-ft plots). Metal rebar installed flush with the sediment surface prior to project
construction will used to evaluate sediment deposition and/or loss over time for each plot.
Rebar will be located with a metal detector during annual monitoring events. Notched
PVC pipe will be used as a supplemental method of evaluating sediment accretion and/or
loss.
Biological monitoring will include a benthic infaunal survey. Three replicates of 15 cm-
deep cores (10 cm diameter) will be sampled at three observation points (i.e. at 5', 150',
and 300' from creek edge) along three of the six transects. Sampling the three transects
once annually (coinciding with other biological sampling) will yield a total 27 samples to
be analyzed each year. The replicates will be located 10 ft from the permanent vegetative
quadrat at a randomly-generated bearing. Individual core samples will be transferred to
sample bags and labeled. All samples will be transferred to the lab for fixing (using 10%
formalin solution). Samples will be sieved through a 0.5 mm screen mesh to separate
infauna from sediment and vegetative material. Benthic infaunal organisms will be
identified to the lowest reliable taxonomic level. A species list of infaunal organisms
utilizing the marsh substrate will be provided in each monitoring report. Species richness
and abundance will be calculated from these data.
Each survey will incorporate photographic documentation depicting site conditions along
each transect corridor. During each monitoring period, close-up and panoramic views
will be photographed at designated stations.
2.1.3 Data Analysis
Pre-dredging and the post-dredging mean values of each parameter will be statistically
compared using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)/paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed rank
tests. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals will be used to determine statistically
significant differences of means (means will be significantly different if confidence
intervals do not overlap). Proximal and/or distal changes (if any) in sedimentation rates,
stem density and/or stem height will also be statistically determined.
2.2 Intertidal Sand Flat:
Four permanent monitoring stations have been located on each side of the proposed
sedimentation basin at a distance >50 ft from the edge of the basin. Each of the
monitoring parameters identified above will be sampled at each of these stations. Stem
density (if applicable); stem height (if applicable); percent sand/silt/clay and percent
organic matter; sedimentation rate (post-construction); and benthic infauna will be
sampled and/or recorded at each station. At the time of sampling, the presence or
observable evidence of other faunal species will be noted.
Three replicates of 15 cm-deep cores will be sampled for benthic infauna at each of the
four stations. Benthic infaunal sampling at these stations will be conducted using the
protocol outlined above. In addition, metal rebar will be installed flushed to the substrate
surface to monitor sediment erosion and or accretion over time.
Monitoring will include four additional monitoring stations to be located within intertidal
sand flat habitat near the existing and proposed inlet locations. Two of the four stations
will be permanent plots to be sampled during each monitoring event. The other two
stations will be temporary (sampled once prior to project initiation) since these are
located near the existing inlet throat and will be converted to supratidal elevations upon
completion of the project. At each of the four supplemental stations, three replicates of
15 cm-deep cores will be sampled for benthic infuana. Metal rebar will be installed
flushed to the substrate surface to monitor sediment erosion and or accretion over time at
the two permanent stations. Refer to the enclosed map depicting the location of the
intertidal sand flat monitoring stations.
2.3 Intertidal Surf Zone:
Numeric sampling of the mole crab and coquina clam populations occurring between
mean high water and mean low water will be conducted along twelve transects located
within the planned Figure Eight Island nourishment area, the Figure Eight Island beach
1.2 miles north of the nourishment area, and the beach south of the nourishment area to
the south end of physical monitoring Cell 5 on Wrightsville Beach (refer to attached
map). The locations of these transects reflect areas of beachfront nourished during
different time periods. For instance, the northernmost section of beach to be monitored
on Figure Eight Island has not been nourished since 1996. Areas of northern
Wrightsville Beach have not experienced any beach nourishment. Monitoring will
therefore encompass a range of nourishment conditions along the beachfront.
Transects located outside of the planned nourishment area will serve as controls. Four
replicates will be sampled at three locations (low, mid, and high) of the swash zone
during each sampling event. Therefore, at total of twelve samples will be collected at
each transect. A 15 cm-deep core (10 cm in diameter) will be used to sample mole crabs
and coquina clams. Each core will be sieved at the time of sampling using a 3-4mm
mesh box sieve. All individuals will be counted and recorded.
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Due to the seasonally-induced paucity of data collected during the required pre-
construction sampling event (conducted in December 2001), an additional sampling event
will be conducted during April/May 2002 immediately after the completion of the beach
nourishment. Subsequent monitoring of beachfront macroinvertebrates will occur
annually to coincide with that time of year. It is expected that beach nourishment will
have an acute impact on infaunal communities. Therefore, annual sampling will provide
data demonstrating repopulation of these areas over time. Data collected from transects
within the nourishment area will be compared to control transects to evaluate the extent
of population regeneration. Control transects are located in areas that have not
experienced beach nourishment since 1996.
During sampling, project scientists will make note of any birds present within an
approximate 50-ft distance of the sampling transect. This supplemental information will
be provided within each monitoring report.
3.0 MONITORING SCHEDULE
Sampling for baseline pre-construction conditions was conducted in December, 2001
prior to project initiation. Post-construction monitoring of the intertidal marsh and sand
flats will occur once annually at the end of each growing season (i.e. in November of
each year). Sampling will occur within the intertidal surf zone after completion of the
beach nourishment and annually thereafter to evaluate mole crab and coquina clam
population regeneration over time. Annual monitoring will continue for life of the permit
or until such time deemed necessary by relevant federal and/or state agencies.
4.0 REPORT DOCUMENTATION
Monitoring reports documenting site conditions and findings will be prepared and
submitted annually to the Division of Coastal Management, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the NC Division of Water Quality, and the NC
Wildlife Resources Commission by May 1St. The following information will be provided
in each report:
(1) Project overview
(2) Site parameters monitored
(3) GPS coordinates of sampling transects and/or stations
(3) Methodology used to evaluate monitoring parameters
(4) Data analysis
(5) Summary of findings
(6) Prints of photographs at specified stations
(7) Maps depicting location of transects and sampling plots
(8) Aerial photographs depicting conditions (i.e. shifts in habitat) pre- and post-
construction.
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Aerial photographs and physical data (e.g. topographic surveys) will be used to determine
shifts in habitat type. Monitoring reports will include a discussion of these alterations
and potential affects on resident/migratory fauna.
Findings of the biological monitoring program will be provided in each report. In
addition, results and/or summaries of concurrent monitoring programs (e.g. physical
monitoring, piping plover monitoring, and water quality monitoring) will be provided.
Monitoring efforts will be coordinated among each program (i.e. water quality
monitoring, bird monitoring, etc.) to ensure consistency in mapping and report
documentation.
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APPENDIX A. MAPS DEPICTING LOCATION OF SAMPLING
TRANSECTS/STATIONS