May 6, 2021 Aaron Stuckmeyer Pulte Homes
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
May 6, 2021 Aaron Stuckmeyer Pulte Homes – North Florida Division 4901 Vineland Road, Suite 500 Orlando, Florida 32811 Proj: Kerina Parkside PD – County, Florida Sections 10 & 15, Township 24 South, Range 28 East Re: 2021 Sand Skink Survey Report (BTC Project #214-102) Dear Mr. Stuckmeyer: During March and April of 2021, Bio-Tech Consulting, Inc. (BTC) conducted a formal sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) survey on the Kerina Parkside PD site. This project site is approximately 68.66 acres and is located east of Apopka Vineland Road (CR 435) and south of Buena Vista Woods Boulevard, with Fenton Street bisecting the property east to west; within Sections 10 & 15, Township 24 South, Range 28 East, Orange County, Florida (Figures 1 & 2). The following presents an environmental description of the property, survey methodology, and the results of the sand skink survey. TOPOGRAPHY Based upon review of the USGS Topographic Map Lake Jessamine Quad, (Figure 3), the property elevations range from 110 feet to 125 feet NGVD. The land generally slopes down from the western boundary towards the eastern boundary of the subject site. Aaron Stuckmeyer; Pulte Homes Kerina Parkside PD– Orange County, Florida Sand Skink Survey Report (BTC File #214-102) Page 2 of 11 SOILS According to the Soil Survey of Orange County, Florida, prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), eight (8) soil types occur within the subject property boundaries (Figure 4). These soils include the following: Immokalee fine sand (#20) Pomello fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes (#34) St. Johns fine sand (#37) St. Lucie fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes (#38) Sanibel Muck (#42) Smyrna-Smyrna, wet, fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes (#44) Tavares fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes (#46) Zolfo fine sand, 0 to 2 percent slopes (#54) The following presents a brief description of each of the soil types mapped for the site: Immokalee fine sand (#20) is a nearly level, poorly drained soil found on broad flatwoods. The surface layer of this soil type generally consists of black fine sand about 5 inches thick. In most years the seasonal high water table for this soil type is within 10 inches of the surface for 1 to 3 months. It recedes to a depth of 10 to 40 inches for more than 6 months. Permeability of this soil type is rapid in the surface and subsurface layers and in the substratum. It is moderate in the subsoil. Pomello fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes (#34) is a nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well drained soil found on low ridges and knolls on the flatwoods. The surface layer of this soil type generally consists of gray fine sand about 3 inches thick. In most years, the seasonal high water table for this soil type is at a depth of 24 to 40 inches for 1 to 4 months and recedes to a depth of 40 to 60 inches during dry periods. Permeability of this soil type is very rapid in the surface and subsurface layers, moderately rapid in the subsoil, and rapid in the substratum. St. Johns fine sand (#37) is a nearly level, poorly drained soil found in broad areas on the flatwoods. The upper portion of the surface layer of this soil type generally consists of black fine sand about 7 inches thick. In most years the seasonal high water table for this soil type is within 10 inches of the surface for 6 to 12 months and between depths of 10 to 40 inches for more than 6 months. Permeability of this soil type is rapid in the surface and subsurface layers and substratum, and medium to very high in the subsoil. St. Lucie fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes (#38) is a deep, nearly level to gently sloping, and excessively drained soil in uplands. The slopes generally are uniform and range from 0 to 5 percent. Aaron Stuckmeyer; Pulte Homes Kerina Parkside PD– Orange County, Florida Sand Skink Survey Report (BTC File #214-102) Page 3 of 11 Typically, this soil has a surface layer of gray fine sand about 2 inches thick. The upper part of underlying material, to a depth of about 6 inches, is light gray fine sand. The lower part to a depth of about 80 inches of more is white fine sand. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 72 inches or more. Permeability is very rapid. The available water capacity is very low. Natural fertility and the organic matter content are very low. Sanibel muck (#42) is a nearly level, very poorly drained soil found in depressions, freshwater swamps and marshes and in poorly defined drainageways. Typically the surface layer of this soil type consists of black muck about 11 inches thick. In most years undrained areas mapped with this soil type are ponded for 6 to 9 months or more except during extended dry periods. Permeability of this soil type is rapid throughout. Smyrna-Smyrna, wet, fine sand, 0 to 2 percent slopes (#44) is a nearly level, poorly drained soil found on broad flatwoods. The surface layer of this soil type generally consists of black fine sand about 4 inches thick. The seasonal high water table for this soil type is within 10 inches of the surface for 1 to 4 months. It recedes to a depth of 10 to 40 inches for more than 6 months. Permeability of this soil type is rapid in the surface and subsurface layers and in the substratum. It is moderate to moderately rapid in the subsoil. Tavares fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes (#46) is a nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well drained soil found on low ridges and knolls on the uplands. The surface layer of this soil type generally consists of very dark gray fine sand about 6 inches thick. The seasonal high water table for this soil type is at a depth of 40 to 80 inches for more than 6 months, and recedes to a depth of more than 80 inches during extended dry periods. Permeability of this soil type is very rapid throughout. Zolfo fine sand (#54) is a nearly level, somewhat poorly drained soil found on broad, slightly higher positions adjacent to the flatwoods. The surface layer of this soil type generally consists of dark grayish brown fine sand about 5 inches thick. The seasonal high water table for this soil type is at a depth of 24 to 40 inches for 2 to 6 months. It is at a depth of 10 to 24 inches during periods of heavy rain. It recedes to a depth of about 60 inches during extended dry periods. Permeability of this soil type is rapid in the surface and subsurface layers and is moderate in the subsoil. The Florida Association of Environmental Soil Scientists (FAESS) considers Sanibel Muck (#42) and Smyrna – Smyrna Wet fine sand as hydric soil types (#44). Furthermore, this association considers inclusions present in Immokalee fine sand (#20), Pomello fine sand (#34), and St. Johns fine sand (#37), as hydric. This information may be found in the Hydric Soils of Florida Handbook, Fourth Edition, March 2007. Aaron Stuckmeyer; Pulte Homes Kerina Parkside PD– Orange County, Florida Sand Skink Survey Report (BTC File #214-102) Page 4 of 11 LAND USE TYPES/VEGETATIVE COMMUNITIES The Kerina Parkside PD site currently supports five (5) distinct land use types/vegetative communities within its boundaries (Figure 5). These land use types were identified utilizing the Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System, Level III (FLUCFCS, FDOT, January 2004) (Figure 5). The on-site upland land use types/vegetative communities are classified as Pine Flatwoods (411), Upland Scrub, Pine and Hardwoods (436), Coniferous Plantations (441), and Roads & Highways (814). The on-site wetland and/or other surface waters land use type/vegetative community is classified as Bay Swamp (611). The following provides a brief description of the land use types/vegetative communities identified on the site: Uplands: 411 Pine Flatwoods Within the southwestern, southeastern, and northeastern portions of the property exists a coniferous forest that can best be classified as Pine Flatwoods (411), per the FLUCFCS. Vegetation within this community consists of a canopy of predominantly longleaf pine (Pinus Palustris), with scattered sand pine (Pinus clausa), water oak (Quercus nigra), laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), and loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus); a sub-canopy of like-species and saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia); and, an understory of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), inkberry (Ilex glabra), Atlantic St.Johns-wort (Hypericum tenuifolium), blue huckleberry (Gaylussacia frondosa), shiny bluebery (Vaccinium myrsinites), netted pawpaw (Asimina reticulata), chalky bluestem (Andropogan virginicus var. glaucus), wild pennyroyal (Piloblephis rigida). 436 Upland Scrub, Pine and Hardwoods The largest of the property’s upland communities is centrally located and consists of a disheveled coniferous forest with a mix of hardwoods. As such, this community is best classified as Upland Scrub, Pine and Hardwoods (436), per the FLUCFCS. Vegetation within this portion of the property consists of a canopy of predominantly sand pine (Pinus clausa), with scattered sand live oak (Quercus geminata), and myrtle oak (Querucs myrtifolia); a sub-canopy of like-species; and, an understory of rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), garberia (Garberia heterophylla), Florida bonamia (Bonamia grandiflora), silk bay (Persea borbonia var. humilis), tough bully (Sideroxylon tenax), and sky blue lupine (Lupinus diffusus). Aaron Stuckmeyer; Pulte Homes Kerina Parkside PD– Orange County, Florida Sand Skink Survey Report (BTC File #214-102) Page 5 of 11 441 Coniferous Plantations Within the northwest corner of the subject property exists a stand of planted coniferous trees.