CEMVR-OD-P WETLAND COMPENSATORY MITIGATION BANK PROPOSAL

Transcription

1 This purpose of this public notice is to solicit comments on the proposed project. POC: Trevor Popkin, Telephone: 309/ r:'l"r.'i ~ PUBLIC NOTICE US Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District Sponsor: Nahant Marsh Education 4220 Wapello Avenue Davenport, Iowa CEMVR-OD-P Issued: July 31, 2018 Expires: August 29, 2018 WETLAND COMPENSATORY MITIGATION BANK PROPOSAL This notice is issued in accordance with the Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources; Final Rule (the Mitigation Rule) described in the Federal Register dated April 10, 2008 (33 CFR Parts 325 and 332). 1. Project Location: The proposed site is located within Sections 4, 5 & 8, Township 77 North, Range 3 West, Scott County, Iowa. See attached location maps. 2. Bank Objectives: The overall goal of the Nahant Marsh Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank will be to enhance and restore wetlands and wildlife resources that will help restore the biological and ecological functions of the Copperas Duck Watershed while providing economically efficient and flexible mitigation opportunities when wetland and stream mitigation is required. This bank will support the national goal of no net-loss of wetlands. 3. Project Description/Bank Establishment. The sponsor has submitted a prospectus to establish the Nahant Marsh Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank. The site consists of two separate parcels totaling approximately 86 acres. The Clarke Parcel (CP) is approximately 37.5 acres, and the North Triangle Parcel (NT) is approximately 48 acres. The NT parcel land use is made up of emergent, scrub-shrub, stream, and forested areas. The CP land use is a mix of open water, scrub-shrub, cropland and forested area. The site is located within the Mississippi River floodplain. a. The sponsor proposes to utilize wetland enhancement and restoration to establish wetland mitigation credit. The Clarke Parcel will consist of: restoration of 6 acres non-forested (emergent) and 0.8 acres forested wetland; enhancement of 12.2 acres of non-forested and 3.3 forested wetland; and preservation and/or creation of 12.3 acres of buffer. The North Triangle Parcel will consist of: enhancement of 17.1 acres of non-forested wetland and 30.3 forested wetland; and creation of0.3 acres of buffer. All areas would be managed to meet specified wetland types and vegetative diversity criteria. b. The sponsor is also proposing restoration on 3,015 linear feet of ditch in the NT parcel, within the bank area. During the design phase for this project the current ditch will be assessed, a stream restoration plan will be developed by completing a survey of the area, and by utilizing the Iowa DNR Stream Restoration Toolbox and the Iowa Stream Mitigation Method. Information gleaned from these two datasets will be provided in the Banking Instrument. 4. Service Area: The proposed primary bank service area would include the following HUC 8 watersheds: , , and The proposed secondary service areas would include the following HUC 8 watersheds: , , and Bank Need/Technical Feasibility/Ecological Suitability: The sponsor has considered other banks and impacts within the watershed and has determined there is a need for banking opportunities. The sponsor believes the technical feasibility of the site is high due to the site's location within the flood plain of the Mississippi River and the presence of established wetland communities. Also the topsoil is deep enough to maintain a good growth median even after shallow excavations are completed to improve hydrology. The sponsor believes the ecological suitability for the site would be beneficial because of the variability in habitat. Also, the topography is level to very nearly level. The berms that will be constructed to capture surface water can be smaller and will require less long term maintenance than larger structures. The project would ensure that existing wildlife corridors would continue to exist on the site. 6. Long Term Management: Wetland and buffer areas would be monitored to assure that appropriate vegetative communities and hydrology are established. Remedial actions would be taken if areas are not meeting established performance criteria. Upon approval of the Banking Instrument, a conservation easement would be filed to protect the mitigation bank area. 7. Sponsor Qualifications: Nahant Marsh preserve is one of the largest urban wetlands on the Upper Mississippi River. It is comprised of marshy areas, mesic, wet and sand prairie, and bottomland forest. A spring-fed quarry, known as Carp

2 CEMVR-OD-P Nahant Marsh Education Lake, and the surrounding grounds, are part of the Nahant Marsh preserve as well. The 305-acre preserve is owned by the City of Davenport and the Nahant Marsh Board, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Conservation and restoration efforts on the preserve are directed by the Nahant Board. The educational programming is overseen by Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC). EICC's Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC) is also a critical part of Nahant Marsh. Additionally, the Sponsor has hired the experienced wetland consulting firm Earth View Environmental, Inc., an Impact 7G company to complete the needed wetland work. 8. Water Rights: No federal, state or local agency has regulations governing water rights for this type of project at this location. A small amount of surface water will be temporarily stored at the bank site, but water is not being withheld from any landowner. The bank will provide for additional flood storage. The hydrologic sources that will support wetland hydrology at the bank site appear to be sustainable. There are no known plans for any entity to consume so much water upstream of the bank site that flooding would no longer occur. Also, there are no known plans to in any way lower the water table in the vicinity of the bank site. Local groundwater levels may be dependent on river levels. 9. Agency Review: Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineer is participating in this matter as a member of the Interagency Review Team. The lnteragency Review Team consists of the Corps of Engineers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Information submitted with the prospectus was sufficient to determine that a Corps of Engineers NWP #27 authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act will be required. If approved, the proposed bank could provide stream and wetland credit for future, Section 404, authorized projects which requires stream and wetland compensation. Such usage will be in accordance with the mitigation banking instrument, if the sponsor chooses to proceed. I 0. Historical/Archaeological: The District consulted with the Iowa online geographic information systems archeological site and survey databases and determined the permit area was partially surveyed in Based on a review of historic and current aerial photos, topo maps, the HILD database I Culture Map it is the opinion of the District Archaeologist the permit area has the potential to contain historic properties that may be potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The District will require the applicant to submit two (2) copies of a Phase I archaeological survey and geomorphological evaluation report covering the permit area. Geomorphological investigation must extend at least 50 centimeters below the proposed depths of soil disturbance or to a depth below which no possibility of historic properties exists. The applicant, in addition to this Phase I report, may be required to conduct additional Phase II test excavations to evaluate sites for eligibility for inclusion in the NRHP as well as other studies, site avoidance, or data recovery as may be the case. 11. Endangered Species: This proposal is being reviewed by the USFWS. Any comments USFWS may have concerning Federally-listed threatened or endangered wildlife or plants or their critical habitat will be considered in our final assessment of the described work. Any adverse effects on endangered species will be resolved prior to the Corps authorization, or approval, of the work in connection with this project if Corps authorizations are required. 12. Who Should Reply: The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to approve the proposed bank. Any comments received will be distributed to the members of the lnteragency Review Team. Comments should be submitted on or before the expiration date specified at the top of page 1. Comments should bear upon the adequacy of plans and suitability of locations and should, if appropriate, suggest any changes considered desirable. Any person may also request a public hearing. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing. 13. Reply to the Corps of Engineers: Comments or questions concerning this notice may be directed to Trevor Popkin (309/ ), US Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, ATTN: OD-P (T. Popkin), Clock Tower Building - Post Office Box 2004, Rock Island, Illinois Complete Prospectus: The complete prospectus can be found on our public website at: bttps://ribits.usace.army.mil/ribits_apex/f?p=107:278: l ::NO:RP,278:P278_BANK_ID:5085. Hard copies are also available by request. -~ ~ Attach Plan Mr. Michael D. Hayes Iowa Section Chief, Regulatory Branch REQUEST TO POSTMASTERS: Please post this notice conspicuously and continuously until the expiration date specified at the top of page I. 2 NOTICE TO EDITORS: This notice is provided as background information for your use in formatting news stories. This notice is not a contract for classified display advenising.

3 Exhibit A - Location Map Prospectus: Nahant Marsh - '1Vet!ard and Stream Mitigation Bank, Scott County, Iowa Earth View Environmental, Il;c. Page 19

4 Exhibit 1-1- Preliminary Work Plan: North Triangle Parcel A Feet Type O c::j Project Boundary N. Triangle Mitigation Areas Emergent - Enhancement (13. 1 ac) Buffer (0.3 ac) Forested - Enhancement (30.3 c) Scrub-Shrub - Enhancement {4.0 ac) Drainageway - Construct (3015 LF) Prospectus: Nahant Marsh - Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank, Scott County, Iowa Earth View Environmental, Inc. Page 32

5 Exhibit Preliminary Work Plan: Clarke Parcel Clarke Mitigation Areas Type B<lif... ( l ~.1 JC 1t'P.~l I F inl<t\i - R.e:.st1:'f" tl"ll Eni~o-ert 1 > >.) 1': Nml-"'ll-Elhdf'i... ~ r ~-~j - Eoh.lo::m..nr: 1J $..:' t;.-...t~j - F' -=(J'. f' t,'.~j tj ~f~~t>.j \ "'. ~ i.i ac) 5...: 1 u~shtub - Ent...l l l'.~m~ t ( l.c 11e: Feet Prospectus: Nahant Marsh - Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank, Scott County, Iowa Earth View Environmental, Inc Page 33

6 Exhibit J - Proposed Service Area \ \f, ' \.,.. '\... J, ' ~ '\ ""... l... I'' I --, t ' N Bank Location ~ Nahant Bank Site HUC 8 Watershed A Proposed Service Area CJ Primary D secondary, -" "' - " Nahant HUC6 c::::j Nahant EDU D county Prospectus: Nahant Marsh - Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank, Scott County, Iowa Earth View Environmental, Inc.... (411, ~ ~~!Miles Page 34