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Home My WebLink AboutLog022 MAY 09 2005 2:37PM 425 827-8136 THE WATERSHED COMPANY !, The Watershed Company fl'~ ,-;;.;-" r:(~' ~"-n ... n rr" Is (I,;!:::, 11 \\'/ I::;; '. "'" ~ ~..." ~ '~..J \..':.::l r:.:"\ liP , """".i- I r-.. \ I! \; I, i! I' U' Ul lAY 11m 21 April 2005-, Mr, Michael Asmundson OwnerlManager WeFore. LLC 7401 Cape George Road ' Port Townsend Washington 98568 . JEFFERSON COUNTY ' . DEPT. OF. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 4. '., Re: . Wetl_Delin~on ~ Discovery Bav Golf Club Dear Mr. Asmundson: Wate:rshed Company Wetland Ecologists Hugh Mortensen, Mark OarlI,.and t conducted a wetland delineation study on the Discovery, Bay Golf Course property. in Jefferson COunty. ' Washington, ()D. DecemberJ and2,2004.Thepro~is located in the,nocth Sector of the , junctiOn oCCape OeoI:ge Road'andDiSe6veryRoacf 800m five miles south'qfPort.Townsend. We re-dellneated three \\'etlandsthat were previously delineated by The Watershed CtQpany in June of 1996 and screened five additional areas" identified by youprior to our fieJdvisits. .This letter summarizes the findil'lgs of this study anddetaiis applicable federal, state, and local' we1land regUlations. MethodS The subject property was Setcened for wetlands using methQdolagy €tom. both the Washington State, WetlalJlb ItkntVicatil?n and Delineation Manual ~aShington. Depart:ment of Ecology 1997) and the. Corps' ojEng;netrs Wetland Delineation Manual (EnVironmental ,Laboratory , 1987). . Methodalap$ in botb.manualirare essentially identical,Wetland boundaries were determined on the basis of an examinationol vegetati~D.,' Sojl~ and hydrOlogy... Ar~.d1eeting the criteria set forth in the manuals were detennined to be wetland, .. Wetlands were marked with pink;. and black-striped flagging, and data points aremarked",ith yellow"- and blaek-$triped flagging. Wetland DeteJmination Data Forms are inehJded With this report. , F'indlngs 'Wet1and4' , Wetland A is associated with a stream that enters the ~ from a ,culvert at Douglas Way at the north property line (see attached Survey Map). The stream runs -generally S()uth,tumin~' east to. exit the ptopetty at. a culv.ert . at'. Discoveryltay ,Road and eventually draining' to Discovery Bay. 'BecaUse requir~ buffers on, this 'streatnare in.clu.ded'withinthe requir~ ","clJ.and butf~s, we ,did not delineatethe ,ordinary high watern1ark. . There are three distinct areas ,within this '~and inade up of open water~scrub-shn1b, and foreSted areas. . Wetland A is 2.34 acres in size. The' ins1ream ponds are present near the propertybo~es of Wetland A and are cOnnected to each .other via' a ripatjan wetland, which varies i1i width from. jusf wider than the stream to appro~y 80 feet. The' pandat the north property boundary is approximately' 20 by 100 feet. andcootains aquatic vegetation and woody debris. Dominant vegetation in the area of this :po~d includes red alder (A.lnus 1410 Market Street · Kirkland. 'W"A 98033- Phone (425) 822.5242 .' Fax (425) 827-8136 ' LOG' ITEM z,?..- { of ~ # Page p.1 .~ MAY 09 2005 2:37PM THE WATERSHED COMPANY 425 827-8136 .. p. 2 ! ~.,,,, "'~ ,. c,.: ;, .., ,"" !":J \"7 ~l,,, U tJ !~; ! r\ "-" .. ..,-) :' i Ii! I IlAY f 1 1005 10 : i i; , U Ll M. Admundson 21 April 2005 Page 2 of 4 Final Report _ JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPT. OF COMMUNIW DEVELOPMENT rubra), bitter cherry (Pnmus emarginata), and willow (Salix sp.) in the fur~ tayer;and snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), gooseberry (Ribes sp.), and western crabapple (Malus fusca) in the understory. Common emergent species ate creeping buttercup (Ranwaculus repens), water parsley (Oentmthe aarmentosa), bulrush (Scirpus sp.). and sedge (Carex sp.), Soils in this area are dark gray (lOYR 411) silty clay loam with mottles and saturated where there is not standing water. The pond at the southern boundary of this wetland is smaller and has little open water. It supports mainly cattail (Typha lati/olia). A narrow band of riparian vegetation connects this pond to the rest of Wetland A. Vegetative species surrounding the cattail stand include red alder, salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Pacific dewberry (R. ursinus), osoberry (Oemlena cerasiformis), lady fem (Athyrium filix-femina), and horsetail (Equisetum sp.). Soils in this area are very dark brown (lOYR 2/2) sandy muck and were inundated when we visited the site. The large middle section of Wetland A is a riparian wetland that varies in: width but follows the stream, Dominant vegetation includes red alder, gooseberry, salmonberry, red-osier dogwood (Comus stolinifera), water parsley, skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum). and piggyback plant (Tolmiea menziesil'). A portion of the west boundary of Wetland A was not surveyed in 2004 (see Sutvey Map); in this area, the mapped boundary was based on a 1996 W.H. Pacific survey, This portion will be surveyed prior to construction. Wetland B This small wetland is 0.06 acres in size and is l~ated along Discovery Bay Road, south of Wetland A. It includes a small area of standing water supporting cattail, SUtTOunded by shrubs and small trees. In addition to cattail, the wetland is dominated by Nootka rose (Rosa nutlr4n4) and willow, Soils are black (10YR 2/1) silty muck, and were inundated in some areas and saturated in others at the time of the field visits. Inunediately surrounding Wetland B is a nam>w upland buffer dominated by madrona (Arbutus menzies-Ii) and Pacific dewberry, bordered by golf C01.1lSC on tIuee sides and Discovery Bay Road to the,east. Wetland C A third wetland, Wetland C, is O.S2 acres in size and is located along a golf cart trail west of Wetland A, This wetland receives water from seeps etnanating from the adjacent slope. It is dominated by red alder, Nootka. rose, salmonberry. lady fem,and soft rush (.luncus eJTusus). Soils are very dark gray (IOYR 3/1) and were saturated. at the surface when we conducted. out field visits. Upland dominated by red alder, western red cedar (Thuja plicata), salmonber:Ty, Nootka rose, salal (Gaultheria shaIIon), Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor), sword fem (Polystichum munitwn), and grasses borders the wetland to the west. To the east are a gravel and dirt golf can track and golf course. Screened Areas We screened additional areas near tbewest edge of the property for wetlands. We found. all of these areas to be hilly uplands, They included a prc-commercial thinned area of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) with little undergrowth; m area of young madrona and salal with a few Douglas firs; and forested stands of Douglas fir with a shrub understory. We investigated one draw in the west-central portion of the property. No additional wet1ands~ streams, or seeps were identified in any of the screened areas. LOG ITEM # ~2.- Page.~2..-- of~~ MAV 09 2005 2:37PM THE WATERSHED COMPANY 425 827-8136 p.3 ----..---~- .--- , , M. Admundson 2] April 2005 Page 3 of 4 Final Report \ f' r ----- ! i I &fAY 1 1 2005 j c::-;J L , '... JErrFr.;,sm-!~-;'''~_"._,,,-J OH'T OF ('(\, :'" :'." U)!j,~, Y " J NlilvlUNI Ii [j,CVfll.')fJ ". - -c.'. fdNT q~~~s I .~.. Uplands on the property consist of maintained golf course, the screened areas descnbed above, and other meadow, shrub, and forested areas. Comroon vegetative species in naturally vegetated uplands on the study property are western red cedar,westem hemlock (Tsuga beterophylla), red alder, bitter cherry, black cottonwood (Populus Mlsarnifera). salal, Pacific dewberry, Himalayan blackberry,osoberry, vine maple (Acer circinatum), red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), red-osier dogwood, SIlQwberry, salmonberry, sword fem, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum). and deer fern (Blechnum spicant). Planted boJ:ders of the golf course were primarily native shrubs, especially Nooh rose and Oregon grape (Berberis nervosa). Upland soils VtU'Y from brown to dark grayish brown and include sandy loam, clay loam, sandy clay. Local Regulations In unincorporated Jefferson County, wetlands ate regulated. under Article Vl-l (18.15.325) of the Jefferson County Unified Development Code. The Code requires that wetlands be classified acoordingto the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) Wetland Rating System for Western Wqshingtcm. Under this system, Wetland A would be rated a Category I wetland (see enclosed rating forms). due primarily to a high potential to improve water quality and the high-value wildlife habitat functions it provides. The National Wetland Inventory (NWI) shows Wetland A as a freshwater forested-shrub wetland connected 10 an approximately 58-acre freshwater emergent wetland to the north. The stream connects this wetland complex to a freshwater emerge.nt-shntb wetland of approximately 30 seres to the south before draining to Discovery Bay. The wetland would therefore be considered part of a larger wetland complex, ensuring a high rating. Jefferson County requires 1 SO-foot buffers on Category I wetlands. In addition. the County requires a building setback of five feet from all wetland buffers. Wetlands B and C In' not recorded' in the NWI. They ~ Category III and IV, respec:tively, using the Ecology system. The low rating of Wetland C is mainly a result of it being a tdope wetland, As a depressjonal wetland, Wetland B potentially provides moderate water quality and erosion functions, and therefore rates higher than Wetland B. The County requires standard buffer widths of 50 feet on Category ill wetlands and 2S feet on Category IV wetlands. Buffer averaging may be permitted if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of a County Administrator that averaging will not adversely impact wetland functional values; total wetland buffer area will not be less that which the standard buffer would provide; and the standard buffer width will not be reduced by more: than 25 percent. A reduction in buffer width may be approved by the Administrator if the project applicant demonstrates that the standard ltuffer averaging is not feasible. In that ~, the applicant would be required to include with the application a buffer enhancement plan that will improve the buffer's ability to protect wetland functions and values. State and Federal Regulation. Wetlands and streams are also regulated by the Corps under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Any filling of Waters of the State. including wetlands (except isolated wetlands) and LOG ITEM # Z'?-- Page_:3 of V MAY 09 2005 2:38PM 425 827-8136 THE WATERSHED COMPANY I l MAY 1 1 2005 M, Admundson 21 April 2005 Page 4 of 4 Final Report f\f'.'." _".JLrn~r:S!'J~!Ci u.~~l. OF COfv,ry'rUti! fV .-------- streams. would likely reQ-qire notification and permits from the Corps. Noncfofthe~e!ands on the property would be considered isolated. Federally permitted actions that could affect endangered species (i,e. chinook salmon or bull trout) may also require a biological assessment study and consultation with U. S. Department of Fish and Wildlife and/or National Marine Fisheries Service, Application for Corps permits may also require Washington pepartment of Ecology Individual 401 Water Quality Certification and Coastal Zone Management Consistency determination. Generally, neither the Army Corps nor the Department of Ecology regulates wetland buffers. Please note that the findings of this tetter and the delliieated wet1andbou.ndary are subject to the verification and. agreement of l~, state and federal regulatory authorities. Please call if you have any questions or if we can provide additional infunnation. -'" Enclosures LOG ITEM 2.:2.. y _of q # Page p.4 \