20001045_Information Letter_20090505

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NCDENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Beverly Eaves Perdue Coleen H. Sullins
Governor Director
May 5, 2009
New Hanover County
DWQ No. 2001117 and 20001045
Gregory J. Thorpe, Manager
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Project Development & Environmental Analysis Branch
1548 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1548
Subject: Wastewater Treatment Mitigation Site, New Hanover County, TIP No. U-0092A/B
Dear Dr. Thorpe:
This correspondence is in reference to your letter dated March 17, 2009, regarding the
Wastewater Treatment Mitigation site located in New Hanover County, North Carolina. This site
is being utilized by the North Carolina Department of Transportation as compensatory mitigation
for wetland impacts associated with projects U-0092A and U-0092B.
By copy of this letter, we are notifying you that no further monitoring of the site will be required
since the construction and success criteria for the mitigation site has been met.
Thank you for your time and cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact David
Wainwright at [phone].
Sincerely,
W Poleenlins,
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Director
Dee Freeman
Secretary
cc: Brad Shaver, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office, US Army Corps of Engineers
Kathy Matthews, USEPA
Travis Wilson, WRC
Steve Sollod, DCM
Mason Herndon, Division 3 Environmental Officer
Jason Elliot, NCDOT, NEU
Randy Griffin, NCDOT, NEU
Ken Averitte, NCDWQ Fayetteville Regional Office
File Copy
Transportation Permitting Unit
1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650
Location: 2321 Crabtree Blvd., Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone]
Internal: http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/ncwetands/
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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
-BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE
GOVERNOR
March 17, 2009
Mr. Doug Huggett
NC Division of Coastal Management
Parker Lincoln Building
2728 Capital Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27604
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EUGENE A. CONTIy
SECRETARY
Re: Wastewater Treatment Mitigation Site, New Hanover County, State Project No.
8.2250110 & 8.2250108, TIP No. U-0092A & B, Action ID No. 199603836, DWQ WQC
Project No. 001045 & 011117, DCM Permit No. 178-00
Mr. Huggett:
As you are aware, the Department has monitored the Wastewater Treatment Mitigation Site since
its construction in February of 2004. Located in New Hanover County, adjacent to the Smith
Creek Parkway, this 0.73-acre site was monitored to provide compensation for unavoidable
wetland impacts associated with the U-0092A & B Smith Creek Parkway projects. The wetland
restoration area was graded to the elevation of the adjacent marsh and planted with Spartina
cynosuroides, Cladium jamaicense, and Taxodium distichum. A tidal gauge was installed at the
adjacent Bridge Maintenance site in July 2000 and was used as a reference for the Smith Creek,
Wastewater Treatment, and County Sites. Tidal data was collected from July 2000 to July 2004.
These sites were graded to elevations based on this tidal data. According to permit conditions,
NCDOT was required to monitor the Wastewater Treatment Mitigation Site for five years or
until success criteria were met, with vegetation monitoring conducted each year. After each
growing season, annual monitoring reports were submitted to the appropriate regulatory agencies
via the Natural Environment Unit's (NEU) website:
http://wwl4?.ncdot.or,eldohlpreconstructlpelneu/MonitoringIMonitorinZReDorts html
Hydrologic monitoring utilizes four surface water gauges located on the adjacent County
Mitigation Site and a reference gauge located on the Bridge Maintenance Mitigation Site. These
gauges monitor the tidal regime to confirm the site's flooding period.
MAILING ADDRESS:
NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
1596 MAIL SERVICE CENTER
RALEIGH NC 27699-1596
TELEPHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
WEesuz WWW NCDOT ORG
LOCATION:
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE CENTER
4701 ATLANTIC AVENUE
SURE 116
RALEIGH NC 27604
r.. , j An onsite agency meeting was held in July 2004. At this time, it was agreed to remove the
surface water gauge at the Bridge Maintenance Site since there was sufficient past tidal data. The
available,2tidai data for the Bridge Maintenance gauge revealed inundation for 25.6% of the
growing season from February to July (2004). The four surface water gauges at the County Site
were compared to the reference gauge. Three of the four surface gauges indicated that the site
was inundated 100% of the growing season (hourly readings), while one gauge revealed 94.8%.
For the gauge data provided, all four surface water gauges satisfied the inundation criteria
determined by the reference gauge.
After five years of Baldcypress vegetation monitoring, vegetation data for 2008 shows that the
site has met vegetative success criteria by yielding an average density of 72 trees per acre which
is above the minimum success criteria of 50 trees per acre. After five years of marsh vegetation
monitoring, the percent of target species frequency is 63% and the vegetative cover scale value is
4.6. Individual yearly monitoring data is provided within the annual monitoring reports
submitted between 2004 and 2008.
An onsite agency visit is scheduled for this site on April 29, 2009 and any comments or concerns
regarding the success of the site will be addressed at that time. After the site visit, NCDOT
requests that the appropriate resource agencies provide written documentation stating that no
further monitoring is required and that the site is closed. If you have any questions about this
project, please contact Mr. Randy Griffin at [phone].
Sincerely,
Philip S. Harris, III, P.E., Unit Head
PDEA- Natural Environment Unit
cc: Mr. Brad Shaver, ACOE
Mr. David Wainwright, DWQ
Mr. Travis Wilson, WRC
Ms. Kathy Matthews, EPA
Mr. Gary Jordan, USFWS
Mr. David Hams, P.E., NCDOT-REU
Mr. Mason Herndon, NCDOT-DE03
Mr. Randy Griffin, NCDOT-NEU