Prepared by: Rummel, Klepper & Kahl

Transcription

1 WETLAND DELINEATION REPORT Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Resurfacing and Bridge Replacement Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Prepared for: PennDOT District 6-0 Prepared by: Rummel, Klepper & Kahl March 2007

2 INTRODUCTION... 1 BACKGROUND & EXISTING CONDITIONS... 1 Topography:... 1 Soils:... 1 Wetlands and Waters of the United States:... 4 Floodplains:... 4 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species:... 4 METHODOLOGY... 4 METHODS... 4 Hydrophytic Vegetation... 4 Hydrologic Indicators... 5 Hydric Soils... 5 RESULTS... 9 Area WA... 9 Area WB... 9 Area WC... 9 Appendix A: Photographic Log Appendix B: Agency Correspondence Appendix C: Wetland Delineation Sketch

3 Wetland Investigation Report March 2007 Kutztown Road (SR1033) Bridge Replacement INTRODUCTION Wetland Investigation Report Kutztown Road, (SR 1033) Bridge Replacement Montgomery County, PA March 2007 Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP (RK&K) is currently conducting preliminary environmental and engineering studies for a proposed bridge replacement in Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has proposed replacement and resurfacing of the bridge and associated roadway approaches. The bridge is located on Kutztown Road (SR 1033), where Kutztown Road crosses Molasses Creek. The study area for the project encompasses approximately 1100m(ft) along Kutztown Road, extending east and west from the existing bridge structure (Figure 1). BACKGROUND & EXISTING CONDITIONS Prior to field investigations, the Montgomery County Soil Survey and the Montgomery County Hydric Soils List were reviewed to identify hydric soils within the study area. The USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle map (East Greenville Quad), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Wetland Inventory (NWI) Map, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and aerial photography were reviewed to identify the location, extent, and types of wetlands found within the study area. Topography: The study area, located in the piedmont physiographic province, consists stream valleys, flat areas and gently rolling slopes with elevations ranging from 300 to 380 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) (Figure 2). Soils: The Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Soil Survey indicates that five (5) soil units are present within the study area. The Hydric Soils List for Montgomery County lists the following soil units as hydric: Bowmansville silt loam and Readington silt loam. The remaining soil units within the study area are nonhydric. Soils in the study area are listed in Table 1.0 (below) and shown in Figure 3. Table 1.0: Soil Units within the Study Area Soil Map Hydric Soil Description Unit Soils List Bp Bowmansville silt loam Yes KsE3 Klinesville very shaly silt loam, % slopes, severely eroded No PeB2 Penn silt loam, 3-8 % slopes, moderately eroded No PkD3 Penn-Klinesville very shaly silt loams, % slopes, severely eroded No ReB2 Readington silt loam, 3-8 % slopes, moderately eroded Yes 1

4 Study Area Figure 1 Project Location Map (not to scale) Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Resurfacing and Bridge Replacement Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, PA March 2007

5 Study Area Figure 2 USGS Quad Map East Greenville Quad (not to scale) Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Resurfacing and Bridge Replacement Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, PA March 2007

6 Wetland Investigation Report March 2007 Kutztown Road (SR1033) Bridge Replacement Wetlands and Waters of the United States: The National Wetland Inventory (NWI) indicates the presence of one Waters of the US feature, Molasses Creek within the study area boundaries. No wetlands are indicated within the study area boundaries (Figure 4). Floodplains: A portion of the study area is located within the 100-year floodplain, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Mapping (FIRM, panel number 42091C0018E) (Figure 5). The floodplain area is located along Molasses Creek, which flows into the Green Lane Reservoir. The floodplain is a Zone A floodplain, which FEMA defines as No base flood elevations determined. Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species: A review of the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) database indicates that the proposed project has no known potential impacts. In accordance with the PNDI Project Environmental Review Receipt, this project is located in a County, which may require a Bog Turtle Habitat screening (Appendix B). Therefore, a call was placed to the Department of Environmental Protection-Southeastern Regional Office to determine the appropriate level of effort necessary to address the Bog Turtle Habitat screening requirements. No bog turtles or appropriate habitat are known to occur within the project study area and no wetlands are being impacted therefore no additional screening effort is necessary. METHODOLOGY METHODS The investigation, conducted in accordance with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual, Y-87-I (Environmental Laboratory, 1987), supplemental guidance issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (COE) and best professional judgment, identified those areas meeting the three-parameter test (hydrophytic vegetation, hydrologic indicators and hydric soils) for delineating wetlands and Waters of the U.S.. Hydrophytic Vegetation Plants were identified using appropriate taxonomic keys and field guides. The wetland indicator status for each species identified was determined from The National List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands: Northeast (Region 1), (Reed, 1988). This publication assigns indicator statuses to the approximately 6,000 species of plants that commonly occur in wetlands and uplands in the Northeastern United States. A species assigned an indicator status of UPL (upland) nearly always appears in an upland habitat. A species assigned an indicator status of FACU (facultative upland) typically appears in uplands two thirds of the time and in wetlands one third of the time. A FAC (facultative) indicator status is evidence that the subject plant is equally likely to occur in wetlands or uplands. A species assigned an indicator status of FACW (facultative wetland) will typically be found in wetlands about two thirds of the time, while appearing in uplands about one third of the time. A species assigned an indicator status of OBL (obligate) is almost always found in wetlands. Greater than 50% FAC, FACW, or OBL species must be present for the area to meet the 4

7 Wetland Investigation Report March 2007 Kutztown Road (SR1033) Bridge Replacement hydrophytic vegetation parameters of the Corps of Engineers three-parameter methodology. Hydrologic Indicators Areas with evident characteristics of wetland hydrology are those where the presence of water has an overriding influence on characteristics of vegetation and soils due to anaerobic and reducing conditions. Indicators of wetland hydrology include drainage patterns, drift lines, sediment deposition, watermarks, stream gauge data and flood predictions, historic records, visual observation of saturated soils, and visual observation of inundation. Wetland hydrology indicators observed during field investigations are noted. Hydric Soils Indicators of hydric soils observed in the project area were noted during the field investigation. Common indicators of hydric soil conditions in non-sandy soils include the presence of sulfidic odor, reducing conditions, gleyed or low chroma colors and concretions. The coastal location of the project dictates that sandy soils are likely also present in the project investigation area. Hydric soils conditions in sandy soils were not assessed using soils colors in the Munsell Soil Color Charts. USDA-NRCS technical guidance document Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States, Version 5.01,2003 dictates hydric conditions are present in sandy soils when indicators such as, histisols, histic epipedons, sulfidic odor, aquic or peraquic moisture regimes, streaking of subsurface horizons by organic matter or the presence of organic pans (accumulations of organic material at the approximate depth of the water table) are evidenced. 5

8 Study Area Figure 3 Soil Map (not to scale) Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Resurfacing and Bridge Replacement Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, PA March 2007

9 Study Area Figure 4 NWI Map (USFWS NWI data) (not to scale) Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Resurfacing and Bridge Replacement Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, PA March 2007

10 Study Area Figure 5 Floodplain Map (not to scale) Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Resurfacing and Bridge Replacement Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, PA March 2007

11 Wetland Investigation Report March 2007 Kutztown Road (SR1033) Bridge Replacement RESULTS On September 22, 2005, RK&K environmental scientists conducted a wetland investigation within the study area of SR 1033 (Kutztown Road) Bridge Resurfacing and Replacement project, Montgomery County, Pa. The study area extends along SR 1033 and encompasses a portion of Molasses Creek. Three (3) Waters of the US were delineated within the project area (see Table 3.0). All Waters were identified in the field using pink or orange flagging and were located using a Trimble GeoXT Global Positioning System (GPS). Table 3.0: Delineated Wetlands for the Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Bridge Replacement Project Delineated Map Sheet NWI Area Designation Area Number Mapping Flag Numbers WA WUS-Perennial Stream 1 Yes 1-14 WB WUS-Channel 1 No 1-6 WC WUS-Channel 1 No 1-6 Area WA Area WA is a perennial stream (Molasses Run) which flows east/southeast through the study area. Area WA flows under Kutztown Road (SR 1033) through a bridge and extends outside of the study area. This feature is approximately 8 feet wide with a water depth of 2 to 4 inches. The bottom substrate consists of rocks and gravel. Area WA was identified in the field using flags labeled WA-1 through WA-14. Area WB Area WB is a manmade ephemeral channel, which flows into Area WA north of the Kutztown Road bridge over Molasses Run (Area WA). Area WB contained a small (<1 inch) of standing water near the confluence with Area WA at the time of the field visit. Area WB is approximately 2 to 3 feet wide and has a mud and gravel bottom. This feature was identified in the field using flags labeled WB-1 through WB-6. Area WC Area WC is a manmade ephemeral channel which flows into Area WB north of the Kutztown Road bridge over Molasses Run (Area WA). Area WC any water at the time of the field visit. Area WC is approximately 1 to 2 feet wide and has a grass and mud bottom. This feature was identified in the field using flags labeled WC-1 through WC-6. 9

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13 APPENDIX A Photographic Log

14 Wetland Investigation Report October 2005 Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Bridge Replacement Area WA- Perennial Stream Area WB- Channel

15 Wetland Investigation Report October 2005 Kutztown Road (SR 1033) Bridge Replacement Area WC- Channel

16 APPENDIX B Agency Correspondence

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21 APPENDIX C Wetland Delineation Sketch

22 DISTRICT COUNTY ROUTE SECTION SHEET 6-0 MONTGOMERY M OF 6 UPPER HANOVER REVISION NUMBER REVISIONS DATE BY OPERATOR: LSmith FILE NAME: n:\projects\2002\02107_dist6\1033\cadd\plans\roadway\pwp-f000_1033.dgn PLOTTED: Friday, April 04, 2008 AT 04:03 PM LIMITS OF WATERS EXTEND BEYOND THE STUDY AREA 25 FEET 0 25 FEET PREPARED BY: RUMMEL, KLEPPER & KAHL, LLP 2570 BOULEVARD OF THE GENERALS SUITE 215 NORRISTOWN, PA PHONE: (610) REGISTERED COMMONWEA LTH OF PROFESSIONAL DAVID WAYNE WALLACE ENGINEER NO. P E N N S Y L V A N R I A DES: LCS DWG: LCS CHK: JOB: DATE: MARCH 28, 2008 FILE: