PROJECT MEMORANDUM Project: Rainbow Springs 5th Replat CP 72 Drainage Improvements Project– Ponds 2166, 2176 & 2188 To: Chuck Pigeon, P.E. Pigeon Roberts & Associates, LLC From: Andrew Holland, Environmental Scientist MICHAEL G. CZERWINSKI, P.A., ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS Date: September 26, 2016 Subject: Results of Modified Environmental Impact Study MICHAEL G. CZERWINSKI, P.A., ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS (MGC) contracted with Pigeon Roberts, Inc. to perform a limited scope Modified Environmental Impact Study (MEIS) of the proposed Rainbow Springs 5th Replat Drainage Easement Improvements Project for Marion County. The subject site comprises approximately 3.5 acres of Drainage Retention Area (DRA) ponds 2166, 2176 & 2188 and associated drainage easements, located within central portions of the Rainbow Springs subidivision, north of the City of Dunnellon in Sections 13 & 24 T16S, R22E, Marion County, Florida. The subject site DRAs are located approximately one mile west of the Rainbow River, an Outstanding Florida Waterway (OFW), Outstanding National Resource Water (ONRW) and Aquatic Preserve. A Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) was recently approved for the Rainbow River principally to address Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) for nitrate, requiring an 82% reduction in nitrate concentration within Rainbow Springs and Rainbow Springs run. The proposed construction activities include modification of three existing ponds and associated drainage easements to include application of “Bold & Gold” soil amendment, as well as potential drainage swale modifications within six adjacent drainage easements running to the existing pond sites. It is our understanding these pond retrofits are ultimately intended to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the Rainbow River. The purpose of this MEIS study is to document the presence of listed species, wetlands, surface waters or other environmentally sensitive areas within / adjacent to the project limits in advance of proposed construction activities and to address potential impacts to those resources. Listed species, for the purposes of this assessment, are those plants and animals that are formally listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Species of Special Concern, or as a commercially exploited plant by the US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USWFS) (50 CFR 17.11-12), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) (Chapter 68A-27 FAC) or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FCACS) (Section 581 F.S.). Results maps and photo documentation for this investigation are provided in at the end of this report. Wetlands and their limits are defined in Chapter 62-340, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) Wetland Delineation Manual (1987). Wetlands, for the purpose of this 1 2716 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto, Florida 34461 È Phone (352) 249-1012 s Fax (352) 249-1013 s E mail: [email protected] Phase 1 ESA’s ♦ Wetland Delineation ♦ Sinkhole Probability & Evaluation ♦ Listed Species & Habitat Assessments & Mapping ♦ Cultural Resource Assessments ♦ Water Quality Studies ♦ Environmental Impact Assessment assessment are defined as “those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and a duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils” (Chapter 62-340 F.A.C). Ultimately, the inspection revealed the presence of one listed species – the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) – within two of the ponds proposed for modification (Ponds 2166 & 2176). Portions of the subject site assessment area are located within potential suitable habitat for the Federally Threatened sand skink, though no evidence of occurrence was documented on-site, and the limited scope of the project is considered unlikely to adversely affect this species. No wetlands or other surface water features were identified on-site, with the closest apparent wetland / surface water located over 4,000’ to the east or southwest of the subject site. Prior to conducting the field investigations, publicly available mapping data were queried to gain an understanding of the project area conditions. The property is located within the Brooksville Ridge physiographic province (White 1970), in close proximity to the Northern Gulf Coastal Lowlands and Western Valley divisions. Elevations in the project area (based upon USGS Belleview Quadrangle) range from approximately 70-110’ (NGVD), and are generally higher in ponds 2166 & 2176 than in pond 2188. The entire subject site is underlain by Candler Fine Sand, 1 to 5 percent slopes & 5 to 8 percent slopes, both hydrologic group A soil with very rapid permeability and a water table more than 6’ below the surface in most years. Adjacent Land Uses include medium density residential parcels and associated paved road networks associated with the Rainbow Springs subdivision. Results: MGC staff conducted a field inspection of the subject site on September 21, 2016. The majority of the subject site assessment area (~95%) is existing dry Drainage Retention Area ponds and their associated drainage easements, and could best be described as Open Lands habitat (FLUCFCS 19001). The open lands habitat is dominated by a thick herbaceous ground cover of bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides), and common ruderal weeds including cottonweed (Froelichia floridana), ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), and Mexican clover (Richardia brasiliensis). There is a fringe of both developed and vacant lots adjacent to portions of each pond. On vacant lots, habitat is best described as Hardwood / Conifer Mixed forest (FLUCFCS 4340), with a somewhat dense canopy (little maintenance) of live oak (Quercus virginiana), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), sand live oak (Quercus geminata), black cherry (Prunus serotina), turkey oak (Quercus laevis), persimmon tree (Diospyros virginiana), and Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum). Sub-canopy / shrub species noted include winged sumac (Rhus copallinum), beauty berry (Callicarpa americana), and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). There are a few landscape plantings of Florida coonti (Zamia floridana) present along the edges of the drainage easements and ponds. 1 Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classifications System (FDOT, 1999) 2 2716 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto, Florida 34461 È Phone (352) 249-1012 s Fax (352) 249-1013 s E mail: [email protected] Phase 1 ESA’s ♦ Wetland Delineation ♦ Sinkhole Probability & Evaluation ♦ Listed Species & Habitat Assessments & Mapping ♦ Cultural Resource Assessments ♦ Water Quality Studies ♦ Environmental Impact Assessment Wildlife species observed during the September 21st field inspection include (listed species in bold) Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata), American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), southeastern pocket gopher (Geomys pinetis), and eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Generally, the suitability of the site for use by many wildlife species is limited by the habitat (DRA ponds) and location within a mostly developed residential subdivision limits. Observed Listed Species - Gopher Tortoise The gopher tortoise (Gopherous polyphemous) is a state listed threatened wildlife species, and the tortoise and its burrow are protected by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) under Chapter 68A-27.002-004, F.A.C. The gopher tortoise is the only native land tortoise in the southeastern United States and creates a crescent or half-moon shaped burrow in the sand. The gopher tortoises preferred habitat is sandhill, oak scrub and other xeric (dry / nutrient poor) habitats. The gopher tortoise is crucial to the survival of a number of other listed species because its burrows provide important refuges for a much larger wildlife community (Speake 1981, Franz 1986). As gopher tortoise habitat decreases, so do many of the species that utilize their burrows. The current FFWCC guidelines generally prohibit land clearing or soil disturbing activities within 25’ of a potentially occupied burrow without first obtaining a permit. A total of seven (7) potentially occupied gopher burrows (POBs - legally protected) and two (2) abandoned burrows (not protected) were found within or directly adjacent to the project ponds. Of these, four potentially occupied burrows were found within pond 2166, and three were found within pond 2176. No tortoise burrows were observed at pond 2188. Based upon discussions with the Project Engineer, it is not clear at this time the full extent of modification activities that may occur within the DRA’s, whether portions of the DRA’s will be re-graded, and ultimately if construction activities will occur within 25’ of identified potentially occupied gopher tortoise burrows. If the identified gopher tortoise burrows can be avoided by construction activities by more than the legally required 25’, no gopher tortoise permitting or relocation actions would be required. Gopher tortoise permitting and relocation would not be required if construction activities can avoid impacting the burrows and legally associated 25’ protection zones around each burrow. Other Listed Species A review