NATURAL RESOURCES TECHNICAL REPORT Replace Bridge No. 20 on SR-1152 over South Deep Creek Yadkin County, North Carolina TIP B-4683 Federal Aid Project No. BRZ-1152(12) WBS Element No. 38466.1.FD2 THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Project Development and Environmental Analysis Unit Natural Environment Section June 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 1 2.0 METHODOLOGY AND QUALIFICATIONS ...................................................... 1 3.0 PHYSICAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................... 2 3.1 Soils ...................................................................................................................................... 2 3.2 Water Resources ................................................................................................................. 2 4.0 BIOTIC RESOURCES .............................................................................................. 3 4.1 Terrestrial Communities .................................................................................................... 3 4.1.1 Maintained/Disturbed ..................................................................................................... 3 4.1.2 Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest (Piedmont Subtype) ..................................................... 3 4.1.3 Piedmont Alluvial Forest ............................................................................................... 4 4.1.4 Terrestrial Community Impacts ..................................................................................... 4 4.2 Terrestrial Wildlife ............................................................................................................. 4 4.3 Aquatic Communities ......................................................................................................... 4 4.4 Invasive Species ................................................................................................................... 5 5.0 JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES .................................................................................... 5 5.1 Clean Water Act Waters of the U.S. ................................................................................. 5 5.2 Clean Water Act Permits ................................................................................................... 5 5.3 Coastal Area Management Act Areas of Environmental Concern ................................ 5 5.4 Construction Moratoria ..................................................................................................... 6 5.5 N.C. River Basin Buffer Rules ........................................................................................... 6 5.6 Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 Navigable Waters .................................................... 6 5.7 Wetland and Stream Mitigation ........................................................................................ 6 5.7.1 Avoidance and Minimization of Impacts................................................................... 6 5.7.2 Compensatory Mitigation of Impacts ........................................................................ 6 5.8 Endangered Species Act Protected Species ...................................................................... 6 5.9 Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act ................................................................... 7 5.10 Endangered Species Act Candidate Species ................................................................... 8 5.11 Essential Fish Habitat ....................................................................................................... 8 6.0 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 9 Appendix A Figures Figure 1. Vicinity Map Figure 2. Project Study Area Map Figure 3. Jurisdictional Features Map Figure 4. Terrestrial Communities Map Appendix B Scientific Names of Species Identified in Report Appendix C Stream Forms Appendix D Qualifications of Contributors LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Soils in the study area ....................................................................................... 2 Table 2. Water resources in the study area ................................................................... 2 Table 3. Physical characteristics of water resources in the study area ....................... 3 Table 4. Coverage of terrestrial communities in the study area.................................. 4 Table 5. Jurisdictional characteristics of water resources in the study area ............. 5 Table 6. Federally protected species listed for Yadkin County. .................................. 7 Natural Resources Technical Report TIP B-4683 Yadkin County, N.C. 1.0 INTRODUCTION The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposes to replace bridge number 20 on SR-1152 (Neelie Rd.) over South Deep Creek in Yadkin County (Figure 1). The following Natural Resources Technical Report (NRTR) has been prepared to assist in the preparation of a Categorical Exclusion (CE) for the proposed project. 2.0 METHODOLOGY AND QUALIFICATIONS All work was conducted in accordance with the NCDOT Natural Environment Section standard operating procedures and July 2012 NRTR template. Field work was conducted on March 4, 2015. Jurisdictional areas identified in the study area have not yet been verified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) or the North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR). The principal personnel contributing to this document were: Principal Investigator: Phil May Education: B.S. Biology, 1992 Experience: Senior Scientist, Carolina Ecosystems, Inc., 2006-Present Senior Scientist, HDR Engineering, Inc., 2001-2006 Staff Scientist, GN Richardson & Assoc. 1995-2001 Responsibilities: Wetland and stream delineations, stream assessment, natural communities assessment, T/E species assessment, document review Principal Investigator: Brian Smith, PWS Education: B.S. Biology, 1992; M.S. Soil Science 1998 Experience: Senior Scientist, Carolina Ecosystems, Inc., 2004-Present Environmental Scientist, Dewberry, 2003-2004 Environmental Scientist, Blue LWI, 1998-2003 Environmental Specialist, NCDWQ, 1997-1998 Responsibilities: Wetland and stream delineations, stream assessment, natural communities assessment, T/E species assessment, document review Additional personnel who contributed to portions of the field work and/or documentation for this project were Rob Crowther, Chris Hopper, and Joe Sullivan. Appendix D lists the qualifications of these contributors. 1 June 2015 Natural Resources Technical Report TIP B-4683 Yadkin County, N.C. 3.0 PHYSICAL RESOURCES The study area lies in the piedmont physiographic region of North Carolina (Figure 2). Topography in the project vicinity is comprised of gently rolling hills with narrow, level floodplains along streams. Elevations in the study area range from 760 to 820 ft. above sea level. Land use in the project vicinity consists of forest habitat and agricultural fields. 3.1 Soils The Yadkin County Soil Survey identifies seven soil types within the study area (Table 1). Table 1. Soils in the study area Hydric Soil Series Mapping Unit Drainage Class Status Banister fine sandy loam BaB Moderately Well Drained Hydric* Dan River and Cordorus DhA Well Drained Hydric* soils Dan River and Comus soils DmA Well Drained Hydric* Nathalie sandy clay loam NeB2 Well Drained Non-Hydric Rhodhiss-Scott Knob RdF Well Drained Hydric* complex Toast sandy clay loam TeD2 Well Drained Non-Hydric Tomlin sandy clay loam TnC2 Well Drained Non-Hydric * - Soils which are primarily nonhydric, but which may contain hydric inclusions 3.2 Water Resources Water resources in the study area are part of the Yadkin River basin [U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Unit 03040101]. Two streams were identified in the study area (Table 2). The location of each water resource is shown in Figure 3. The physical characteristics of these streams are provided in Table 3. Table 2. Water resources in the study area NCDWQ Index Best Usage Stream Name Map ID Number Classification South Deep Creek South Deep Creek 12-84-2-(1) WS-III UT 1 to South Deep Creek SA 12-84-2-(1) WS-III 2 June 2015 Natural Resources Technical Report TIP B-4683 Yadkin County, N.C. Table 3. Physical characteristics of water resources in the study area Bank Bankful Water Channel Map ID Velocity Clarity Height (ft) Width (ft) Depth (in) Substrate South Deep 4 60 18 Sand Moderate Clear Creek Slightly SA 1 4 6 Sand, Silt Moderate Turbid There are no designated anadromous fish waters, trout waters, or Primary Nursery Areas (PNA) present in the study area. There are no designated Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW), High Quality Waters (HQW), or water supply watersheds (WS-I or WS-II) within 1.0 mile downstream of the study area. South Deep Creek is designated as a WS- III Critical Area (CA) from a point 0.6 miles upstream of U.S. Hwy. 601 to a point 0.1 miles downstream of U.S. Hwy. 601, approximately 0.9 mile downstream of the study area. The North Carolina 2014 Final 303(d) list of impaired waters identifies no waters within the study area or within 1.0 mile downstream of the study area as impaired due to excessive sedimentation and turbidity. No benthic sampling locations were found within 1.0 mile of the study area. Fish samples were taken adjacent to the study area at South Deep Creek at SR-1152 (Neelie Rd). It