20190157 Ver 2_Viability Assessment Request Form_20190225

Water R esources
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
LINDA CULPEPPER
Interim Director
BUFFER MITIGATION &/OR NUTRIENT OFFSET
SITE VIABILTV ASSESSMENT REQUEST
(Form must be complete and all attachments included to process request)
❑ BUFFER MITIGATION ❑ NUTRIENT OFFSET ❑x BOTH
Name
John Hutton
Company
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. (Wildlands)
Address
1430 S. Mint St, Suite 104 - Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone
(919). 851.9986 x 106
Email
[e-mail]
Do you have the right to access the property?
0 VES ❑ NO
PARCEL/SITE DETAILS
Proposed Site Name
Perry Hill Mitigation Site
Address
2623 Frank Perry Road
City
Hillsborough
County: Orange
River Basin
Neuse
8 -Digit HUC: 03020201
Sub -watershed (if in
Jordan Lake or Falls)
Falls Lake Watershed
Will this be part of a stream or wetland project/bank?
0 VES ❑ NO
Has anyone from DWR or the USACE visited the site in the past 12 months? ❑ VES 0 NO
Has a riparian buffer or stream call been performed by Division of Water Resources staff on the
subject site? ❑ VES 0 NO
Is the project receiving any state or federal grant money? ❑ VES 0 NO
Are there any State, Local or Federal Permits associated with the subject site? ❑ YES 0 NO
PARCEL/SITE ATTACHMENTS (provide items 1-4 as a separate attachment, not to exceed 10 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.Merritt(&ncdenr.gov

Perry Hill Mitigation Site Existing Conditions
The Site is predominantly pasture used for grazing cattle and contains four unnamed tributaries (UTs) to
the Eno River. For this project, the mainstem has been named Perry Branch and the tributaries are UT1,
UT2, and UT3. Ephemeral drainages upstream of the UTs have been labeled EC2 and EC3. Perry Branch
originates off site and generally flows southwest through the Site. UT1 originates on the project parcel
and flows southeast into Perry Branch Reach 3.
UT2 originates on the project parcel in a forested headwater wetland and flows southeast to Perry
Branch. Similarly, UT3 originates on the project parcel and flows southeast to Perry Branch.
Historic Land use
A review of historic aerials from 1950 to 2016 shows that onsite streams have existed in their same
approximate location for more than 68 years, and that the agricultural management of the land has
remained consistent as well. The only area that has seen some change in land use is on Perry Branch
Reach 1. A pond was constructed on the channel between 1950 and 1964, and trees were allowed to
grow on this section between 1974 and 1993. During that same period, a single row of trees grew on
Perry Branch. No major changes have occurred since 1993.
Further details about the existing streams and associated reaches are provided below.
Perry Branch
Reaches 1, 2, and 3 of Perry Branch are impacted by headcuts held by tree roots and streambank
trampling by cattle. Within the project limits, Perry Branch and the three tributaries are entirely
accessible by cattle. The stream substrate consists of cobbles and gravels in riffles with an abundance of
accumulated fines from bank erosion and cattle trampling in overly wide sections. A single row of
sporadic mature trees and herbaceous species are typical bank vegetation. Perry Branch Reach 1 is
located within a generally immature forest with little understory. Cattle impacts are widespread in this
reach, perhaps due to the shade provided during summer heat. The upstream half of Perry Branch
Reach 2 exhibits a right bank with a wide mature forest buffer, though cattle extensively impact this
area. Mature trees along the streams often have roots exposed in the eroding stream bank.
Perry Branch alternates between areas of incision where the channel is narrow and stream banks are
eroding, and areas where the stream is overly wide and severely trampled by cattle, placing the stream
in varying stages of Simon's evolutionary channel model.
Cross-sectional surveys were conducted on Perry Branch and are provided in the appendix for review.
Four riffle cross sections are provided, including XS1 on Reach 1; XS2 and XS3 in Reach 2; and XS4 on
Reach 3. XS1 and XS2 are closest to straightened E4 Rosgen
stream type, while XS3 is closest to a G4 channel and XS4 is
closest to an F4 channel.
A high-voltage transmission line crosses Perry Branch near the
downstream property line of the project parcel. The proposed
conservation easement will stop at this utility easement line.
UT1
UT1 is an intermittent channel that originates on the project
parcel and flows southeast into Perry Branch Reach 3. It
originates at a headcut where the land use transitions from
row crops to a cattle pasture. There are no trees on UT1, the
lower banks are generally bare, and riparian vegetation
consists of pasture grasses.

UT1 has three active headcuts and is typically deeply incised
with some segments that are widening, apparently due to
livestock access. A cross section was measured on UTI, which
shows the channel is closest to a Rosgen F5 stream type.
UT2
UT2 originates from an ephemeral drainage on the project
parcel (EC2 on attached aerial map) and flows southeast to
Perry Branch. Several headcuts are migrating upstream
through the reach. Reach 1 of UT2 is located within a mature
forest. Cattle impacts are less pronounced on Reach 1 of UT2
due to a poorly maintained fence which partially excludes
livestock. Along Reach 2, the right bank has a deficient buffer
that is approximately 0 to 30 feet wide. Cattle impacts are evident throughout UT2 Reach 2.
UT2 has multiple active headcuts and is typically slightly to moderately incised. Bank erosion is
pervasive. Cross sections were measured on the upper and lower reach. The upper reach is indicative of
an incised B4 channel, while the lower reach is closest to a straightened E4 Rosgen stream type.
UT3
UT3 originates on the project parcel and flows southeast to Perry Branch. The upstream 850 feet of the
drainage is an ephemeral channel (EC3 on attached aerial
map) with a buffer of approximately 5-10 feet on each side.
UT3 becomes an intermittent stream feature downstream
of a culvert that discharges into a forested area. Livestock
impacts are evident within the forested area, including bank
trampling and shearing. Mature trees are present but the
understory and herbaceous vegetation are for the most part
absent.
A headcut is migrating up UT3 from Perry Branch. Above
this, UT3 is vertically stable but widespread fine sediment
covers the streambed. A cross section was measured on the
lower, incised portion of the reach which indicates the
channel most closely resembles a G5 stream type.
Existing Conditions- Riparian Buffer Vegetation
The actively grazed fields on the Site are dominated by pasture grasses such as fescue (Festuca spp.)
with scattered trees along top of bank. Mature canopy species within forested areas along UT2, lower
UT3, and upper Perry Branch are primarily black walnut (Juglans nigra), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis),
green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), eastern red cedar (luniperus virginiana), and sweetgum
(Liquidambar styraciflua), with fewer shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica).
Shrub species are sparse and primarily consist of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). In addition to
pasture grasses, the herbaceous layer in these areas include New York ironweed (Vernonia
noveboracensis), pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), pigweed
(Amaranthus spp.), Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), knotweed (Persicaria spp.), and Japanese silt
grass (Microstegium spp.). Herbaceous species in wetter areas include common rush (Juncus effusus)
and sedges (Carex spp.).

Project Location
A
Proposed Conservation Easementagwo
Project Streams Perennial , ♦ V.
Project Streams - Intermittent ♦♦♦ i, ♦♦♦
r Project Ephemeral Channels
Non -Project Streams ♦♦ ♦♦ ; 0'
Cross Sections , . ♦♦ ♦♦�
t ks
Incision ♦♦ ♦♦
Erosion ► t ♦ x; ♦♦ t •
Topographic Contours (4')
Utility LineCU 9 ♦+; `♦ t
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0 Reach Breaks r ♦♦ ♦♦ ���� ;
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Reach Name 1% Incision 1% Erosion
`♦ % . ,� 1 �,\ Stream Restoration
s'V ,' a Perry Branch Reach 2 67% 81%
•` UT1 68% 89%
Subtotal 67% 83%
,� , Stream Enhancement I
Perry Branch Reach 1 21% 67%
UT2 Reach 2 54% 75%
AI
ar Subtotal 38% 72%
v •V: Stream Enhancement II
Perry Branch Reach 3 45% 58%
4 �,:.1'•� UT2 Reach 1 76% 76%
UT3 63% 100%
Subtotal 55% 70%
Site Total 55% 76%
W I L D L A N D S 0 250 500 Feet Site Map
Perry Hill Mitigation Site
ENGINEERING I i i I Neuse River Basin (03020201)
Orange County, NC

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W I L D L A N D S 0 250 500 Feet
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Project Location
Proposed Conservation Easement
USGS Site Topographic Map
Perry Hill Mitigation Site
Neuse River Basin (03020201)
Orange County, NC

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1977 Soil Survey of Orange County
WILDLANDS
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0 250 500 Feet �` Perry Hill Mitigation Site
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Neuse River Basin (03020201)
Orange County, NC

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♦♦♦ ,I ,' � IL _ _ Proposed Conservation Easement
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Proposed Buffer Enhancement (via Cattle Exclusion)
Proposed Buffer Preservation
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Proposed Stream Restoration
Proposed Stream Enhancement I
Proposed Stream Enhancement II
Project Ephemeral Channels
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Utility Pole
Riparian Buffer Concept Map
W I L D L A N D S 0 250 500 Feet Perry Hill Mitigation Site
ENGINEERING I i i I Neuse River Basin (03020201)
Orange County, NC