20180196 Ver 1_Mitigation Information_20180209

Water Resources
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
InC�Cuu
�C= by FEB Q g ZOIB �I
ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
LINDA CULPEPPER
Interim Director
BUFFER MITIGATION WOR NUTRIENT OFFSET
Vol SITE VIABILTV ASSESSMENT REQUEST
(Form must be complete and all attachments included to process request)
❑X BUFFER MITIGATION ❑ NUTRIENT OFFSET ❑ BOTH
Name
John Hutton
Company
Wildlands Engineering, Inc
Address
312 West Millbrook Road, Suite 225 Raleigh, NC 27609
Phone
919-851-9986
Email
[e-mail]
Do you have the right to access the property?
N YES ❑ NO
PARCEL/SITE DETA CS
Proposed Site N me
Full Delivery Catfish Pond (RFP# 16-007279)
Address
US 501 _
City
Bahama County: Durham
River Basin
Neuse 8 -Digit HUC: 03020201
Sub -watershed (if in
Jordan Lake or Falls)
Falls Lake
Will this be part of a stream or wetland project/bank? N YES ❑ NO
Has anyone from DWR or the USACE visited the site in the past 12 months? ❑ YES N NO
Has a riparian buffer or stream call been performed by Division of Water Resources staff on the
subject site? ❑ YES E NO
Is the project receiving any state or federal grant money? N YES ❑ NO
Are there any State, Local or Federal Permits associated with the subject site? E YES ❑ NO
PARCEUSITE ATTACHMENTS (provide items 1-4 as a separate attachment, not to exceed to pages)
1. Detailed description of the site including existing site conditions and Aerial Site Map;
2. Include a timeline of landuses and landuse changes from 1990 -Present;
3. Most recent 1:24,000 scale USGS Topo Map showing the site; AND
4. Most recent published NRCS county soil survey showing site;
SEND COMPLETE REQUESTS TO:
NCDWR - 401 & Buffer Permitting
Branch
Attn: Katie Merritt
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
or by email to Katie.MerrittAncdenr.gov

Catfish Pond Mitigation Site
Land Use Assessment:
Land use at the Catfish Pond Mitigation Site consists of cattle pasture and forested areas. Land use has
remained consistent since at least 1940.
Existing Site Conditions:
Pages G.2 through G.9 extracted from the NCDMS technical proposal follow this page. This section
describes existing site conditions in detail.

5.2.1 Existing Site Conditions
The Site is located approximately 12 miles north of the City of Durham in Durham County and can be
accessed by a gravel farm road via N Roxboro Road (NC 501). The project reaches drain to Mountain
Creek which is listed as impaired on North Carolina's 303d list. Approximately 1 mile southeast of the
project site, there are two Significant Natural Heritage Areas, the Little River Uplands and the Little River
Aquatic Habitat. Currently, the Site is characterized by a mix of flat floodplains used for livestock grazing
and moderately sloped floodplains with some forested canopy and grazed understory vegetation. Based
on a review of historical aerials (presented in the appendix), Catfish Pond was installed sometime
between 1940 and 1955. Additionally, between 1955 and 1972, deforestation for agriculture occurred in
the floodplains of the project reaches and in the surrounding watershed.
The Site contains Catfish Creek and the associated existing impoundment (Catfish Pond), two unnamed
tributaries to Catfish Creek (UT1 & UT2), and a tributary which drains directly to Mountain Creek
referred to as Mountain Tributary. Catfish Creek generally flows east through the property to its
confluence with Mountain Creek. UT1 enters the site from an adjacent parcel south of the project area
and flows north to its confluence with Catfish Creek. UT2 flows southeast from the project boundary for
a short distance until it joins Catfish Creek. Mountain Tributary begins within the project area and flows
southeast before turning and flowing northeast into Mountain Creek. The confluence of Mountain
Tributary with Mountain Creek is located approximately 2,600 LF upstream of the confluence of Catfish
Creek with Mountain Creek. Mountain Creek stands to benefit from the enhancement or restoration of
both Catfish Creek and Mountain Tributary.
UT2 and Mountain Creek were identified as intermittent streams on August 18, 2015, using the DWR
Stream Identification Forms. All other onsite streams including Catfish Creek and UT1 were identified as
perennial. Copies of these forms are included in the appendix. Wildlands analyzed existing stream
conditions by collecting cross-section surveys and sediment samples at multiple locations along the
project reaches. Cross-section and sediment sample locations are shown in Figure 2 and associated data
are provided in the Appendix. The streams are depicted on Figure 2. Details about the existing streams
and associated reaches are provided in Section 5.2.2 below.
5.2.2 Existing Conditions - Streams
Catfish Creek
The headwater of Catfish Creek is on the west side of the project parcel and the stream flows east
toward Mountain Creek for a total of approximatly 3,473 linear feet (LF). Catfish Creek was subdivided
into six reaches for analysis. Reach break locations for Catfish Creek are shown in Figure 2. Overall the
project reaches of Catfish Creek are Rosgen B/C type streams depending on valley position and current
condition. Streamside vegetation along Catfish Creek Reach 1 consists primarily of established
hardwoods suchs as silky willow (Salix sericeo), green ash (Froxinus pennsylvanica), sweetgum
(Liquidambar styraciflua), paw paw (Asiminia triloba), and hazel alder (Alnus serrulata). There are
instances of invasive vegetation throughout the Site including Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) and
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). Herbacous vegetation is limited from grazing and cattle
access. Ground cover is dominated by Japanese stiltgrass (Wrostegium vimineum)and grasses such as
fescue (Festuca spp.).
Catfish Creek Reach 1 begins at a small groundwater seep on the west end of the Site and flows east for
approximately 460 LF until its confluence with UT2. Catfish Creek Reach 2 begins at the confluence of
UT2 and continues downstream for approximately 630 LF. Catfish Creek Reaches 1 and 2 are very similar
in their current condition. Both reaches are moderately sloped and flow through somewhat confined
valleys with a decent canopy of vegetation and limited understory. Cattle access and riparian buffer
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grazing are the major limiting factors in the overall health and stability of Catfish Creek Reaches 1 and 2.
Isolated areas of over widening and instability exist along these project reaches, which can be directly
correlated to cattle access. Invasive vegetation include areas of Chinese privet. Bedform within these
reaches is more stable and diverse compared to other project reaches. The remote location within the
watershed discourages cattle from traveling within the stream banks.
Catfish Creek Reach 3 begins 460 LF downstream of the
confluence of UT2 and Catfish Creek and flows east for
230 LF until an existing farm crossing. Catfish Creek
Reach 3 has been extensively altered in the past. The
channel has been re -aligned, straightened, and pushed
up against the right valley wall. Additionally, cattle
access within this reach has resulted in extensive
impacts to the stream substrate, bedform, and stability.
Based on observations on-site, the cattle have begun
using the channel as a wallow area and cattle trail. A
remnant channel can be seen in the left floodplain
which may have been the previous location of Reach 3
prior to alteration. The combination of relocating the
channel, straightening the pattern, and livestock access
has caused the channel to incise and become
disconnected from the floodplain with a bank height
ratio greater than 1.5. Understory vegetation along the
reach is limited and heavily grazed. Some hardwood
species have established over time to help stabilize the
system but overall vegetation within the floodplain is
sparse and dominated by pasture grasses.
Catfish Creek Reach 4 flows out of a culvert for an existing farm crossing and continues east for
approximately 600 LF until just upstream of Catfish Pond. Catfish Creek Reach 4 has bedrock influenced
bedform and very little incision. Instability along the reach is from cattle access, wallowing, and grazing.
The stream flows through a somewhat confined, moderately sloped valley with hardwood streamside
vegetation and an understory dominated by invasive vegetation.
Catfish Creek Reach 5 begins just upstream of Catfish
Pond and continues for 345 LF until the confluence
with UT1. Currently, almost all of Reach 5 is
contained within Catfish Pond, a farm pond installed
sometime between 1940 and 1955. Cattle have
unlimited access and were seen wallowing within
the farm pond on multiple occasions during
Wildlands' site visits. The embankment downstream
of the pond has been used as a disposal area
containing trash such as construction waste.
Vegetation around the pond is limited to pasture
grasses and some tree -of -heaven (Ailanthus
altissima).
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Wildlands Engineering, Inc. Page 5.4

Catfish Creek Reach 6 begins at the confluence with UT1
and continues for approximately 1,208 LF until the
confluence of Mountain Creek and Catfish Creek. Catfish
Creek Reach 6 has a bedform dominated by bedrock
features (35% of reach) which have limited vertical
instability. However, livestock access throughout the
site has caused areas of lateral instability and widening.
At multiple locations along the reach there is evidence
of cattle wallows and trampled banks. Cattle impacts
have caused instablity including mass wasting and scour
in isolated areas along the reach.
UTI to Catfish Creek
UT1 flows onto the site from a wooded parcel south of project and flows northeast. The entire stream is
accessed by livestock and based on historical aerials, it appears the channel and floodplain were heavily
altered sometime between 1955 and 1972. In the 1972 historic aerial photo, a large area of
deforestation along the stream corridor is evident. It also appears that the surrounding floodplain was
manipulated from a forested system to agricultural fields for production. UT1 was divided into three
separate reaches for analysis. Overall, UT1 reaches were most similar to Rosgen C-type streams.
UT1 Reach 1 begins at the southern project boundary
and flows northeast for approximately 1,127 LF until the
intersection of an ephemeral tributary. Along UT1
Reach 1 there is a narrow buffer with some woody and
herbaceous vegetation. Throughout the reach there are
cattle entry and exit points which have resulted in
unstable banks leading to scour, mass wasting, and
incision. In addition, cattle impacts have caused the
degradation of channel bed form diversity and instream
habitat.
UT1 Reach 2 begins at the confluence of UTI and the unnamed ephemeral tributary and flows northeast
for approximately 492 LF until an existing farm crossing. A fence line associated with the parcel
boundary bisects UTI Reach 2 approximately halfway up the project reach. Downstream of the fence
line, there is no woody or herbaceous vegetation within the
floodplain and vegetation is dominated by pasture grasses.
Upstream of the parcel boundary, the woody vegetation is
limited with some areas of hazel alder (Alnus serrulata) and
green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). The stream banks have
been cattle trampled, resulting in an overwide dimension.
Upstream of the parcel boundary, it is difficult to identify the
main stem of the channel because cattle trampling has
resulted in a multithread system. The channel exhibits very
little to no bedform throughout the reach and fecal material
is present along the entire reach.
HT1 Reach 3 begins at an existing farm crossing and
continues for 518 LF until the confluence of UT1 and Catfish Creek. At the upstream end of UT1 Reach 3
there is an existing farm crossing with a stacked rock retaining wall which divides the valley between
UT1 Reach 2 and UTI Reach 3. UTI Reach 3 is vertically stable due to widespread bedrock in the
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channel. Just downstream of the farm crossing there is a small area of incision. Similar to other project
reaches the major limiting ecological factor for UT1 Reach 3 is livestock access. Grazing areas in the
floodplain have limited understory vegetation and cattle fecal material supply nutrients to the system.
UT2 to Catfish Creek and Mountain Tributary
UT2 to Catfish Creek and Mountain Tributary are both intermittent headwater tributaries within the
project area. UT2 begins at the farthest western edge of the project and flows southeast towards Catfish
Creek for approximately 633 LF. Mountain Tributary begins in the northwest corner of the project area
and flows southeast before turning and flowing northeast into Mountain Creek. These headwater
tributaries are in a similar existing condition with an established riparian woody canopy and a grazed
understory. Overall, ecological degradation of these streams is directly attributed to cattle impacts.
5.2.3 Watershed Characterization
The Site is located within the Targeted Local Watershed 03020201020040 and DWR Subbasin 03-04-01,
in Durham County. All onsite tributaries drain to Mountain Creek which is classified as Water Supply II
(WS -II), High Quality Waters (HQW) and Nutrient Sensitive Waters (NSW) by DWR. WS -II waters are used
as sources of water supply for drinking, culinary, or food processing purposes. These waters are also
protected for Class C uses including secondary recreation, wildlife, fish consumption, and aquatic life
including propagation, survival and maintenance of biological integrity. NSW waters need additional
nutrient management due to being subject to excessive growth of microscopic or macroscopic
vegetation.
The Site topography, as indicated on the Rougemont, NC USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle,
shows mostly slight to moderately sloped areas throughout the Site with some steep contours along
upstream reaches (Figure 3). Drainage areas for the project reaches were delineated using 2 -foot
contour intervals derived from the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program's 2007 Light Detection
and Ranging (LiDAR) data (Figure 4). Land uses draining to the project reaches are primarily managed
herbaceous cover/pasture, forest, and shrub. The watershed areas and current land use are summarized
in Table 5.2, below. Based on Table 2-2a in Technical Release 55 (TR -55) supplied by the Natural
Resource Conservation Service (NRCS, 1986) the impervious area within the project catchment at the
downstream end was calculated to be 0.75 Acres or approximately 0.4% of the project catchment.
Table 5.2 Drainage Areas and Associated Land Use
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NCDWR
Watershed
Reach Name
Stream
Intermittent/
Watershed
Area (sq.
Land Use
Identification
Perennial
Area (acres)
m�')
Form Scores
Catfish Creek
61% forested; 33% managed herbaceous
R1
35
Perennial
17
0.03
cover/pasture; 6% Shrub
Catfish Creek
85% forested; 13% managed herbaceous
R2
N/A
Perennial
54
0.08
cover/pasture; 2% shrub
Catfish Creek
81% forested; 17% managed herbaceous
R3
30
Perennial
57
0.09
cover/pasture; 2% shrub
Catfish Creek
80% forested; 18% managed herbaceous
R4
N/A
Perennial
63
0.10
cover/pasture; 2% shrub
Catfish Creek
71% forested; 27% managed herbaceous
R5
N/A
Perennial
71
0.11
cover/pasture; 2% shrub
55% managed herbaceous
Catfish Creek
cover/pasture; 43% forested; 1% shrub;
R6
N/A
Perennial
200
0.31
<1% Woody Wetland; <1% Light
Residential Area
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* Upper end of UT1 Reach 1 scored out below 30 point NCDWR threshold during drought conditions but classified as perennial.
5.2.4 Soils
The proposed project is mapped by the Durham County Soil Survey. Project area soils are described
below in Table 5.3. Figure 5 is a soil map of the Site.
Table 5.3 Project Soil Types and Descriptions
Soil Name
NCDWR
This soil is found on narrow flood plains with a slope of 0 to 2 percent. This soil is typically
Watershed
poorly drained and frequently floods. The surface layer of the series is loam with a thickness of
loam
Stream
Intermittent/
Watershed
This well -drained soil is found on uplands with a slope of 15 to 25 percent. The surface layer
Reach Name
Identification
Perennial
Area (acres)
Area (sq.
Land Use
management.
This well -drained soil is found on narrow side slopes on uplands with a slope of 6 to 10
m�')
percent. It has a surface layer of reddish -brown or brown silt loam to about 7 inches. Its
silt loam
Form Scores
resulting from runoff are the major concerns for management.
These soils are about 60 percent Chewacla soil and 35 percent Wehadkee soil. These are
Chewacla and
somewhat poorly drained soils on flood plains with slopes of 0 to 2 percent that flood
Wehadkee
frequently. They occur as long, level areas parallel to the major streams and rivers. These soils
soils
58% managed herbaceous
UT1 R1
24.5*/33.5
Perennial
77
0.12
cover/pasture; 40% forested; 2% shrub
68% managed herbaceous cover/pasture;
UT1 R2
N/A
Perennial
106
0.16
31% forested; 1% shrub; <1% Light
Residential Area
67% managed herbaceous
UTI R3
N/A
Perennial
109
0.17
cover/pasture; 31% forested; 1% shrub;
<1% Light Residential Area
99% forested; <1% managed herbaceous
UT2
26
Intermittent
32
0.05
cover/pasture
Mountain
92% forested; 8% managed herbaceous
Tributary
26/20
Intermittent
30
0.04
cover/pasture
* Upper end of UT1 Reach 1 scored out below 30 point NCDWR threshold during drought conditions but classified as perennial.
5.2.4 Soils
The proposed project is mapped by the Durham County Soil Survey. Project area soils are described
below in Table 5.3. Figure 5 is a soil map of the Site.
Table 5.3 Project Soil Types and Descriptions
Soil Name
Description
This soil is found on narrow flood plains with a slope of 0 to 2 percent. This soil is typically
Wehadkee silt
poorly drained and frequently floods. The surface layer of the series is loam with a thickness of
loam
about 8 inches. The subsoil of sandy clay loam has a depth of 43 inches. This soil is fairly well
suited to corn and pasture.
This well -drained soil is found on uplands with a slope of 15 to 25 percent. The surface layer
Tatum
has a gravelly silt loam of about 7 inches. The subsoil of silty clay loam has a depth of 42 inches
gravelly silt
and below with a layer of weathered bedrock. This soil is well suited to pine and hardwood
loam
forest and to pasture. Slope and the erosion resulting from runoff are the major concerns in
management.
This well -drained soil is found on narrow side slopes on uplands with a slope of 6 to 10
Georgeville
percent. It has a surface layer of reddish -brown or brown silt loam to about 7 inches. Its
silt loam
subsoil is red, firm silty clay or silty clay loam to about 10 inches. Slope and the erosion
resulting from runoff are the major concerns for management.
These soils are about 60 percent Chewacla soil and 35 percent Wehadkee soil. These are
Chewacla and
somewhat poorly drained soils on flood plains with slopes of 0 to 2 percent that flood
Wehadkee
frequently. They occur as long, level areas parallel to the major streams and rivers. These soils
soils
have a surface layer of loam to about 4 inches and a subsurface layer of silty clay loam to
about 26 inches. These soils are well suited to hardwood forest and pasture.
Source: Soil Survey of Durham County, North Carolina, USDA-NRCS, http://www.nres.usda.gov
5.2.5 Geology
The Site is located in the Carolina Slate Belt of the Piedmont physiographic province. The Piedmont is
characterized by gently rolling, well-rounded hills with long low ridges, with elevations ranging from 300
to 1500 feet above sea level. The Carolina Slate Belt consists of metamorphosed igneous and
W Catfish Pond Mitigation Site - PART 5
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. Page 5.7

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Neuse River Basin 03020201
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Catfish Pond Mitigation Site
Neuse River Basin 03020201
Durham County, NC

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Figure 2 Site Map and Channel Stability
0 500 Feet Catfish Pond Mitigation Site
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ENGIN EE RING I I I I I t Neuse River Basin 03020201
Durham County, NC

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W I L D L A N D S 0 500 Feet Catfish Pond Mitigation Site
E N G I N E E R I N G I I I I I Neuse River Basin 03020201
Durham County, NC

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W I L D L A N D S 0 500 Feet Catfish Pond Mitigation Site
ENGINEERING I 1 I 1 I Neuse River Basin 03020201
Durham County, NC