20090266 Ver 1_More Info Received_20090507

5410 Trinity Road
Palisades II, Suite 320
Raleigh, NC 27607
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
May 5, 2009
Mr. Jim McRight
NC DENR
Public Water Supply
1634 Mail Service Center
Raleigh North Carolina, 27699-1634
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MAY 0 7 2009
DENR • WATER QUALITy
WETLANDS AND STOR5IWATER BRANCH
134891/800
Subject: Greenville Utilities Raw Water Pumping Station Improvements Project
NC DENR Project Number 1486
Freshwater Mussel Survey Report and Mitigation
Dear Mr. McRight:
As part of the Environmental Assessment for the Raw Water Pumping Station Improvements
Project, the Natural Heritage Program requested a freshwater mussel survey of the proposed
project area. This condition was written into the FONSI. Alderman Environmental Services
conducted the freshwater mussel survey on April 24, 2009. A copy of this report is attached.
Three State-listed threatened mussel species were documented during the survey:
' Elliptio roanokensis (Roanoke Slabshell)
• Lampsilis radiata (Eastern Lampmussel)
• Leptodea ochracea (Tidewater Mucket)
Greenville Utilities through the construction contract for the Project will have Alderman
Environmental Services on site to document, remove, and relocate all freshwater mussels found
within the dewatered coffer dam area to suitable habitat during construction of the Project. This
is accepted by both the Natural Heritage Program and the NC Wildlife Resource Commission.
Attached are letters from each agency stating that they concur with the mitigation.
Please consider that all conditions of the FONSI are met and approved such that the Project may
continue with the permitting process. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any
questions or require additional information.
Very truly yours,
BROWN AND CALDWELL
Jennifer . Heard, ?PE
Senior Engineer
JH:vb
Enclosure
cc: Ricky Langley, Greenville Utilities
Barrett Lasater, Greenville Utilities
Robert A. Teem, Brown and Caldwell
Josh Pelletier, USACE
Kyle Barnes, NCDENR DWQ
David Giachini, NCDENR PWS
P:\Greenville Utilities\134891 Raw Water Intake\-400 Permitting\-600 Environmental AssessmentTreshwater Mussel Survey\Ltr. J. McRight.doc
E n v i r o n m e n t a l E n g i n e e r s & C o n s u l t a n t s

Alderman Environmental Services, Inc.
April 26, 2009
PROJECT: Tar River freshwater mussel survey for Brown & Caldwell at Greenville
WTP, Pitt Co., NC
TARGET SPECIES: Federally listed endangered Tar River spinymussel (Elliptio
steinstansana), state listed endangered and federal species of concern Atlantic pigtoe
(Fusconaia masoni), state listed endangered and federal species of concern green floater
(Lasmigona subviridis), state listed threatened creeper (Strophitus undulatus), state listed
threatened triangle floater (Alasmidonta undulata), state listed threatened tidewater
mucket (Leptodea ochracea), state listed threatened eastern lampmussel (Lampsilis
radiata radiata), and state listed threatened Roanoke slabshell (Elliptio roanokensis)
BIOLOGISTS: John Alderman, Joseph Alderman
NCWRC Endangered Species Permit: NC - 2009 ES 09
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ES PERMIT: TE065756-1
STATION 20090424.1jma
HABITAT (CONTINUED):
RELATIVE DEPTH:
DEPTH (%<Z FEET)
SUBSTRATE:
COMPACTNESS:
SAND/GRAVEL BARS:
WOODY DEBRIS:
BEAVER ACTIVITY:
WINDTHROW:
TEMPORARY POOLS:
CHANNEL WIDTH:
BANK HEIGHT:
BANK STABILITY:
BUFFER WIDTH:
RIPARIAN VEGETATION
LAND USE:
PERCENT COVER:
WOODLAND EXTENT:
NATURAL LEVEES:
VISIBILITY:
WATER LEVEL:
WEATHER:
Very shallow to very deep
5
Clay, Silt, Sand, Gravel, Pebble, Boulder,
Bedrock; gravel dominant in thalweg
Normal
Abundant
High in thalweg
Evidence (gnawed sticks)
High
Present
up to 70 meters
Varies
Some erosion/undercutting and unstable in areas
with a thalweg; very stable in areas associated with
sandbars
Wide
Wooded, shrub-brush
Rural
1
Extensive
At least one
Slightly turbid
Low
Sunny, hot
TECHNIQUES AND SURVEY TIME:
TECHNIQUES: Visual/tactile and SCUBA
SURVEY TIME: 4.5 person-hours SCUBA + 3 person-hours
visual/tactile
3
Leptodea ochracea (Say, 1817) - 5 live females (71 mm gravid, 58 mm, 56 mm gravid,
58 mm gravid, 52 mm); 2 live males (85, 68 mm); SCUBA CPUE = 0.44; visual/tactile
CPUE = 1.67 (found at end of crawls on sandbars; only species found using visual/tactile
techniques)
Lampsilis radiata radiata (Gmelin, 1791) - 1 live, gravid female (87 mm); 1 live male
(83 mm); SCUBA CPUE = 0.44
Female L. radiata radiata
5
Elliptio eongaraea (I. Lea, 1831) - 29 live (81, 98, 90, 76, 76, 97, 82, 83, 90, 84, 83, 101,
82, 91, 76, 66, 65, 75, 66, 67, 88, 75, 91, 101, 75, 88, 80, 90, 87 mm); SCUBA CPUE _
6.44
2;'
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NCDENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Natural Resources Planning and Conservation
Beverly Eaves Perdue Linda Pearsall Dee Freeman
Governor Director Secretary
MEMORANDUM
Date: 30 April 2009
To: Jennifer Heard
Brown and Caldwell
From: Angie Rodgers, Freshwater Ecologist
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP)
Subject: Project #1486 - Response to Greenville Utilities RWI - Freshwater Mussel Survey Report
In an email dated 27 April 2009, results from a recent (24 April 2009) mussel survey were provided, as
requested by NCNHP, for the Greenville Utilities raw water intake project. Surveys were conducted by
Alderman Environmental Services, Inc., and a total of seven freshwater mussel species were recorded
in the project vicinity, three of which are state listed as threatened: Tidewater mucket (Leptodea
ochracea), Eastern lampmussel (Lampsilis radiata), and Roanoke slabshell (Elliptio roanokensis).
Based on the survey results, Alderman Environmental Services, Inc. recommended relocating mussels
from the proposed dewatered coffer dam area to more suitable habitat. We are comfortable with the
assessment and support their recommendation. We appreciate the City of Greenville's willingness to
implement these suggested measures and we commend them for this effort. This represents the City's
commitment to protecting natural resources in the area and will minimize impacts on freshwater
mussels related to this project.
Based on the above recommendation, we will concur with the issuance of a Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI). Should you need further assistance, do not hesitate to contact me at [phone]
or [e-mail].
cc via email:
Melba McGee, NCDENR
Jim McRight, NCDEH
Sarah McRae, NCNHP
Maria Dunn, NCWRC
Rob Nichols, NCWRC
E0 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
May 4, 2009
Ms. Jennifer C. Heard
Brown and Caldwell
5410 Trinity Road
Palisades H, Suite 320
Raleigh, NC 27607
MAY 0 5 2009
BY: -------------
Dear Ms. Heard;
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) have reviewed the freshwater
mussel survey conducted by Alderman Environmental Services, Inc. for the Greenville Utilities Commission
(GUC) intake structure project located within the Tar River in Greenville, NC. The survey report states three
state listed species Elliptio roanokensis (Roanoke Slabshell) Lampsilis radiata (Eastern Lampmussel)
Leptodea ochracea (Tidewater Mucket) were found during the survey. Alderman has suggested to GUC that
all mussel species within the coffer dam area be removed and relocated to a suitable habitat location.
The NCWRC appreciates the cooperation and efforts demonstrated by GUC to minimize impacts to important
wildlife species. We support the recommendation to relocate mussel species within the coffer dam area to
minimize the project's impacts to these species.
If you have any comments or questions, please give me a call at [phone].
Sincerely,
Maria T. Dunn
NE Permit Coordination
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries - 1721 Mail Service Center - Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] - Fax: [phone]