HomeMy WebLinkAboutLevel 1 wetland Assessment 002331025Aquatic Environmental Sciences
644 Old Eaglemount Road
Port Townsend, Washington 98368
Fax and Phone (360) 732-4464
Email: brooks o ol~pus.net
October 14, 2003
Michael McAleer
RE/MAX Fifth Avenue Realty
Sequim, Washington 98382
Dear Michael,
1. Purpose. Lot 002331025 (Figure 1) located at 365 Old School House Road in
Jefferson County was inspected to verify a wetland area in the southeast corner of the
property identified by Jefferson County. Field inspection was completed on September
26, 2003.
2. Author's Qualifications. Dr. Brooks is the owner of Aquatic Environmental
Sciences. He has a Doctorate in Marine Biology from the University of Washington
School of Ocean Sciences and Fisheries and was Director of the Fisheries Technology
Program at Peninsula College until January 1997. The author is a Qualified Level (I) and
Level (II) wetland consultant in Clallam County and has eleven years experience in
delineating, constructing and managing wetlands in western Washington. Wetland
mitigation efforts include several major projects approved by the Department of Ecology,
Environmental Protection Agency and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 1996, Dr.
Brooks inventoried all of the wetlands on the Long Beach Peninsula for the City of
Ocean Shores with funding provided by the Department of Ecology.
3. Results. The Jefferson County wetland overlay is not yet available online and the
faxed version provided was not of sufficient quality to include in this report. However,
an examination of the MRCS Soil Survey for Jefferson County (Figure 2) suggests that
the county's map is based on the intrusion of Belfast Silty Clay Loam -Wet Variant (Bm)
soil onto this property. The Belfast silty clay loam wet variant soil is characterized as
occurring on nearly level flood plains. The upper 20 inches of the soil is silty clay loam
and sandy clay loam. The soil, which is included on the list of hydric soils found in
Jefferson County, is described as poorly drained with moderately slow permeability.
Figure 3 is a photograph of the actual soils found in the southeast corner of this property.
These soils are a sandy silt loam mixed with gravel and cobble. The Munsel color was
SYRS/6. No secondary signs of periodic anaerobic conditions (mottling, gleying, etc.)
were observed in this soil to a depth of at least 12 inches. The soils contained no visible
moisture. However, the inspection was made near the end of an exceptionally long and
dry period when normal wetland hydrology might be absent. The property has been used
for pasture. Upland pasture grasses were present with no evidence or reed canary grass
or other wetland species. The National Wetland Inventory identifies the pond lying
northeast of this property but it does not identify any wetlands on this property.
1
w
$''
Maps ^y ,lsN~son C«xmy Csmrai S~wcse GiS . i ~:;, ~i
.~
Figure 1. Site map describing the location of soil pits evaluated on 365 Old
Schoolhouse Road in Jefferson County on September 26, 2003.
! ~fj~
~~~.
~.
.~ ~~ ~ ~~
t .
.~
~~ _~~_ r„ ~ m '~.,,n,,~.
-~ r - ~4~e~q° ,
u°
~~ ~~ r
' J
r ~ G~ ~.~ ~ ~ ~ N, i ~ ~~~
a..,, '-'~'Y
i. ~ ,fl e~,''~ "`~ h~ ~`~ ... ~rm~
~~~
~.
~';
•~
~~ ~ ~1~~~-~~ R
N ~• ~,.
F ~~
~ ~p
„r
~`~
n r^
pG ' ~.
~~
~ ~~
~~.
r`"
~~~~~ ~
Figure 2. Copy of Map 44 of the NRCS Soil Survey of Jefferson County Area,
Washington dated August 1975.
2
Figure 4 was taken from Old School House Road looking west across Parcel
002331025. The landscape slopes gently upward to the west with a grade of two to >4
percent. Figure 5 was taken from Old School House Road looking northeast into the
adjacent area classified as wetland. This terrain if flat and there is a man-made pond
located ca. 500 feet from Parce1002331025. Soils were not inspected on the private
property located east of Old School House Road. However, if this area is wetland, it
would be a very marginal Class III or IV wetland requiring a 50' or 25' buffer. In either
case, the required buffer boundary would lie somewhere within the county right-of--way
carrying Old School House Road across this area.
r. ~ f w _ yr r~ ^31 a
l ~ a,} t ipr~ ' f. ;~ fry
.[ h ~~~ _ i
4' _
x,
*_
! ~r
~Y `~.. ~~ ~ ,fir#~7 ~ r~ .si"bi J~\
Figure 3. Soils from a pit dug to a depth of 12 inches in the southeast corner of 365
Old School House Road in Jefferson County, Washington (County Parcel
002331025).
{ x ~
l : ~ Imo, ~
::~ ~ ~-~
~"`Fm_t,1WS~~~.ifi.1 ~ - Sur "i7! i ~i(t«m"~(~r:
a=
.~.,~+~>
Figure 4. View looking west across Old School House Road at Jefferson County
Parcel 002331025 (365 Old School House Road).
' a fia~"
1 ~
Figure 5. View looking northeast across the area mapped as wetland by Jefferson
County and as containing Belfast silty clay loam wet variant (Bm) soils.
Summary and conclusions. No wetland areas were identified on Jefferson County Tax
Parcel (002331025) located at 365 Old School House Road. The county's determination
appears based on the MRCS (SCS) soil survey. Belfast silty clay loam wet variant (Bm)
soils were not found on this property and the existing soils did not display any secondary
indicators of wetland conditions. In addition, the landscape's topography does not appear
conducive to wetland conditions and the plant community held no species characteristic
of wetland areas. The area across Old School House Road may have characteristics of a
wetland -that was not determined during this inspection. However, if the area is
wetland, it is Category III or IV and the required buffer would not extend across the
right-of--way carrying Old School House Road. Therefore, it is my opinion that there are
no wetland restrictions applicable to Tax Parce1002331025.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kenneth M. Brooks
Aquatic Environmental Sciences
4