20171114 Ver 1_DWR401_WQC_Letter_8-25-2017_20170831

Environmental Resources Section
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS
69 DARLINGTON AVENUE
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 28403-1343
August 28, 2017
Ms. Karen A. Higgins
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
401 Wetland & Buffer Permitting Unit
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
Dear Ms. Higgins:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Beaufort Lab is seeking
concurrence for use of Section 401 Water Quality Certification to carry out research efforts for the
application of dredged material onto degraded coastal marsh located within Mile Hammock Bay (MHB),
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Onslow County, North Carolina. This project is in association with
the Freeman Creek experimental plots thin layer placement project, (Corps Action ID Number: SAW -
2016 -00886) that was conducted spring 2017. Enclosed are five (5) copies of the Application for
Department of the Army Permit, five (5) copies of the supplemental information, and a check in the
amount of $240 (check #1496).
The NOAA proposes to fill two "isolated" ponds with dredged sediment, bringing the surface
elevation back up to that of the surrounding marsh, which is approximately 0 — 8 inches NAVD88. This
is also the elevation at which MHB marsh biomass is highest (Davis et al. 2017). After the elevation is
restored to that which will support marsh vegetation, Spartina alterniflora will be planted over the filled
pond areas. The ponds are, on average, approximately 18-24 inches deep. Filling of Pond A and B will
require a total of approximately 750 cubic yards of dredged material and will cover approximately 0. 17
acre (approximate volumes of Pond A and Pond B are 350 and 400 cubic yards).
The proposed project construction duration will be approximately 30 days (including site prep).
The proposed design will result in the covering of approximately 7,405 square feet (0.17 acres) of
estuarine marsh with sandy material taken from the adjacent Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The
material will be pumped using the government-owned dredge, Snell.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions or require additional
information, please contact me at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].
Sincerely,
by
H U G H ES. E M I L 1, l lll I HUGHIES EMRV.BURTON.1289073660
DN: -US, —U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI,
ON.1289073660 Date:201708.812:20:21 �UORTON.1289073660
Emily Hughes
Environmental Resources Section
Enclosures