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Home My WebLink About20190800 Ver 1_Existing Project Conditions_20190627Eco Terra Partners, LLC I Boseman Buffer Site Project Description The proposed Project is located in Edgecombe County, approximately 2.5 miles southeast of the Town of Rocky Mount on the south side of NC Hwy. 97. The Project Site is associated with one property parcel, owned by Joel and Jean Boseman (PIN 3880-38-6335-00). Eco Terra proposes to restore up to 610,000 square feet of riparian buffer along two unnamed tributaries (UTs) to the Tar River. A conservation easement, encompassing approximately 10 to 20 acres, will be recorded to protect the Project Site in perpetuity. Historical Land Use From 1990 to the present, the land use has been in agricultural use for growing row crops. The stream buffers within 100 feet of the two unnamed tributaries has consisted of herbaceous vegetation or row crops. Existing Condition The Project Site is within a 276 -acre parcel currently in active, defined agriculture rotations (Figure 1A & 1B). Adjacent landuse is agriculturally related and no vegetated buffers exist along the length of either unnamed tributary at or upstream of the Project area. For identification purposes, these tributaries have been labeled as Reach 1 (R1) and Reach 2 (R2). There is one existing piped stream crossing that will remain in place. This crossing provides vehicular and equipment access to the southern portion of the property. Historical aerials denote that landuse, including the configuration of both channels, at the Project Site has been consistent since 1955 (Figure 2). Both UTs are mapped on the 2013 US Geological Survey's (USGS) Hartsease Quadrangle (Figure 1) and Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) 1979 Edgecombe County Soil Survey (Figure 4) as stream channels. Current Stream Conditions Reach 1 (R1) (Figure 8) • Drainage area at upstream end of R1 is 84.1 acres. • Drainage area at downstream end of R1 is 167.3 acres. Reach 2 (R2) (Figure 8) • Drainage area at upstream end of R2 is 11.9 acres. • Drainage area at downstream end of R2 19.6 acres. Reach 1 enters the Project area as a defined channel along the western property boundary and extends eastward across the parcel. Upstream of the Project Site, the R1 channel exists as a shallow conveyance. The channel is shallower than three -feet upstream of the culvert. It increases in depth downstream of the pipe under the farm road and appears to have been altered from the historical configuration. However, the channel continues to maintain its characteristics of a jurisdictional stream channel. Continuous flow was noted throughout R1 reach. Snails, small fish, and amphibians were observed in the channel and multiple crayfish burrows exist along the side slopes and stream banks of this tributary. ecoiterra. Response to Buffer Site Viability — Boseman Buffer Site Reach 2 starts on the Project Site as an ephemeral channel (R2a) along the northwestern property boundary, south of Reach 1 and becomes an intermittent stream channel (R2b) approximately 500 linear feet downstream. Upstream of the Project Site, the R2a channel continues through an existing pipe associated with a farm road that is not included as part of this Project. R2b is incised until its confluence with R1. It has continuous baseflow with the presence of snails, and crayfish burrows on along the side slopes of the stream banks. The entire length of R2 is within a topographic crenulation. The stream banks along R1 and R2 appear visually stable but are lacking native trees. Current Buffer Conditions The land within 200 feet of the stream channels is in active agricultural operations, with crops rotating on a seasonal basis. No woody, riparian buffers exist along the entire lengths of R1 and R2; however, minimal invasive species and some native herbaceous species were noted along portions of the stream banks. The Project area is composed of well and poorly drained soils. Jurisdictional wetlands are found along or immediately adjacent to the R1 channel. Untreated sheet flows from the surrounding farm fields enter the streams carrying excess sediment and nutrients. This flow is considered as one of the primary stressors to the Project Site. %10 ecolerra. Response to Buffer Site Viability - Boseman Buffer Site 2 r If r ZI y is v \O\ f —A. S, s 4w L 4 4 'J Legend Parcel Boundary Conservation Easement Option 1 ' a'i ,Ik oe r __ `Y J. �: "� Mry 1 F e -Imp k1' •.. f 1 Historic 1955 Aerial �- �# Boseman Buffer Mitigation Site N �._ � 0�f Tar -Pamlico 03020101 500 250 0 500 ~ Figure Edgecombe County, North Carolina eco termFeet i January 2019 2 1955 Aerial from USGS Earth Explorer 113 Old Town Ce MI X Z./ '177 0 NO 0 V Legend Lj Parcel Boundary Conservation Easement Option 1 USGS Map Boseman Buffer Mitigation Site 700 350 0 700 Tar -Pamlico 03020101 00 Figure VIib Edgecombe County, North Carolina Feet 3 eco terra,January 2019 2013 Hartsease USGS Quadrangle i T 4 aB 4 t J r ai ■ 5 e r A `7■F t apI* A kB a i a a DgA W,k ,■ ■ Bey■ �f■i7{, i !llIII AaA= B r. a in■ Legend Ta s ■ i, Conservation Easement Option 1 'LAI G PL Soil Survey - of Boseman Buffer Mitigation Site N Tar-Pamlico 03020101 500 250 0 500 ~ Figure Edgecombe County, North Carolina Feet 4 eco terra: January 2019 1979 Printed NRCS Soil Survey of Edgecombe County, Map Sheets 9 & 13