Lower Creek & Hunting Creek Watersheds
FINAL Technical Memorandum: Evaluation and Prioritization of Mitigation Opportunities Lower Creek and Hunting Creek Watersheds
October 2, 2009
Prepared for NORTH CAROLINA ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM By EQUINOX ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTATION & DESIGN, INC.
Note: All landowner information has been removed from this document with the exception of PINs. (HCB, October 12, 2011)
Table of Contents 1.
Background
1
2.
Restoration and Enhancement Sites
2
3.
Preservation Sites
16
4.
References
23
List of Figures Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4.
Lower Creek Watershed – Potential Restoration & Enhancement Sites Hunting Creek Watershed – Potential Restoration & Enhancement Sites Lower Creek Watershed – Potential Preservation Sites Hunting Creek Watershed – Potential Preservation Sites
4 13 18 21
List of Tables Table 1. Table 2. Table 3. Table 4.
Lower Creek Watershed – Identified Restoration & Enhancement Sites Prioritization Hunting Creek Watershed – Identified Restoration & Enhancement Sites Prioritization Lower Creek Watershed – Identified Preservation Sites Prioritization Hunting Creek Watershed – Identified Preservation Sites Prioritization
Equinox Environmental Consultation & Design, Inc. i Contract Amendment to #D08020S Muddy Creek Mitigation Search
October 2, 2009 SCO # 050666702
5 14 19 22
Technical Memorandum: Evaluation and Prioritization of Mitigation Opportunities Lower Creek and Hunting Creek Watersheds Prepared for NORTH CAROLINA ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM By EQUINOX ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTATION & DESIGN, INC. October 2, 2009 Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis to identify potential ecological enhancement opportunities and site prioritization in the Lower Creek and Hunting Creek watersheds has been completed. This Technical Memorandum (TM) provides a brief description of project selection and prioritization methodology along with maps and lists of identified project opportunities.
1. Background The North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP) has requested the services of Equinox Environmental Consultation and Design, Inc. (Equinox) under a contract amendment #D08020S to identify and facilitate mitigation opportunities in the Lower Creek (14-digit catalog units 03050101080010 and 03050101080020; Burke and Caldwell counties), Hunting Creek (14-digit catalog units 03050101060050; Burke County), and Muddy Creek (14-digit catalog units 03050101040010, 03050101040020, and a portion of 03050101030060; Burke and McDowell counties) watersheds. The GIS analysis and site prioritization focused on the Lower and Hunting Creek watersheds. Equinox examined 2008 Caldwell and 2005 Burke color photos; 2009 Caldwell and Burke digital parcel information; and 2007 North Carolina stream mapping project data set (NC LIDAR - detailed hydrologic data base) within the Lower and Hunting Creek watersheds. Prioritization for the Muddy Creek watershed will be based on the 2008 site search and will focus on outreach versus specific site evaluations. To further refine project site identification in the Lower Creek watershed, the following 29 sub-watersheds delineated during previous local watershed planning efforts were utilized: • • • • • • • • • • •
Abingdon Creek (AC01 – AC02); Blair Fork (BF01); Bristol Creek (BC01 – BC02); Celia Creek (CC01 – CC02); Greasy Creek (GC01 – GC02); Husband Creek (HC01 – HC03); Lower Creek (LC01 – LC10); Spainhour Creek (SC01 – SC02); White Mill Creek (WM01); Zacks Fork (ZF01 – ZF03); and Zacks Fork Tributary (ZFT1).
Equinox Environmental Consultation & Design, Inc. 1 Contract Amendment to #D08020S Muddy Creek Mitigation Search
October 2, 2009 SCO # 050666702
Restoration and preservation sites identified within the Lower Creek watershed were noted within the following tables and figures as to their location within a priority sub-watershed as identified in the Lower Creek local watershed planning effort (Final Lower Creek Watershed Management Plan Section 6.3, 2006). The 13 Lower Creek priority sub-watersheds considered in this exercise included the following: Restoration – High Priorities • Upper Celia Creek (CC01); • Middle Husban Creek (HC02); • Upper Lower Creek (LC01); • Zacks Fork (ZF01 – ZF03); and • Zacks Fork Tributary (ZFT1). Restoration – Moderate Priorities • Lower Abingdon Creek (AC02); • Bristol Creek (BC01); • Upper Greasy Creek (GC01); and • Lower Husband Creek (HC03). Preservation Priorities • Upper Abingdon Creek (AC01); and • White Mill Creek (WM01). The GIS analysis and site prioritization results will be used to direct outreach efforts within the Lower and Hunting creek watersheds. Outreach within the Muddy Creek Watershed will be directed towards landowners expressing interest during the 2008 mitigation site search.
2. Restoration and Enhancement Sites Equinox used GIS analysis and professional judgment to identify potential project sites based on the following criteria: • • • •
Stream reach with minimal or no forested buffer; Drainage area (at most downstream point on project reach) less than 10 square miles; Minimum reach length of 2,000 contiguous linear feet; and Reach involving 3 or fewer landowners.
Based on these criteria, 95 potential project sites (77 in the Lower Creek watershed and 18 in the Hunting Creek watershed) were identified (Figures 1 & 2). Project reaches were expanded to include additional landowners if the parcels were immediately adjacent to the primary project area, the stream reach was contiguous, and the buffer width was inadequate. For project reaches containing more than 3 landowners, site expansion was terminated if the adjacent parcel contained less than 500 linear feet of additional project potential. Additionally sites involving only 1 or 2 landowners were expanded to include adjacent parcels even if they contained 6 square miles) = 0; Drainage area (3 – 6 square miles) = 1; and Drainage area (
October 2, 2009
Prepared for NORTH CAROLINA ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM By EQUINOX ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTATION & DESIGN, INC.
Note: All landowner information has been removed from this document with the exception of PINs. (HCB, October 12, 2011)
Table of Contents 1.
Background
1
2.
Restoration and Enhancement Sites
2
3.
Preservation Sites
16
4.
References
23
List of Figures Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4.
Lower Creek Watershed – Potential Restoration & Enhancement Sites Hunting Creek Watershed – Potential Restoration & Enhancement Sites Lower Creek Watershed – Potential Preservation Sites Hunting Creek Watershed – Potential Preservation Sites
4 13 18 21
List of Tables Table 1. Table 2. Table 3. Table 4.
Lower Creek Watershed – Identified Restoration & Enhancement Sites Prioritization Hunting Creek Watershed – Identified Restoration & Enhancement Sites Prioritization Lower Creek Watershed – Identified Preservation Sites Prioritization Hunting Creek Watershed – Identified Preservation Sites Prioritization
Equinox Environmental Consultation & Design, Inc. i Contract Amendment to #D08020S Muddy Creek Mitigation Search
October 2, 2009 SCO # 050666702
5 14 19 22
Technical Memorandum: Evaluation and Prioritization of Mitigation Opportunities Lower Creek and Hunting Creek Watersheds Prepared for NORTH CAROLINA ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM By EQUINOX ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTATION & DESIGN, INC. October 2, 2009 Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis to identify potential ecological enhancement opportunities and site prioritization in the Lower Creek and Hunting Creek watersheds has been completed. This Technical Memorandum (TM) provides a brief description of project selection and prioritization methodology along with maps and lists of identified project opportunities.
1. Background The North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP) has requested the services of Equinox Environmental Consultation and Design, Inc. (Equinox) under a contract amendment #D08020S to identify and facilitate mitigation opportunities in the Lower Creek (14-digit catalog units 03050101080010 and 03050101080020; Burke and Caldwell counties), Hunting Creek (14-digit catalog units 03050101060050; Burke County), and Muddy Creek (14-digit catalog units 03050101040010, 03050101040020, and a portion of 03050101030060; Burke and McDowell counties) watersheds. The GIS analysis and site prioritization focused on the Lower and Hunting Creek watersheds. Equinox examined 2008 Caldwell and 2005 Burke color photos; 2009 Caldwell and Burke digital parcel information; and 2007 North Carolina stream mapping project data set (NC LIDAR - detailed hydrologic data base) within the Lower and Hunting Creek watersheds. Prioritization for the Muddy Creek watershed will be based on the 2008 site search and will focus on outreach versus specific site evaluations. To further refine project site identification in the Lower Creek watershed, the following 29 sub-watersheds delineated during previous local watershed planning efforts were utilized: • • • • • • • • • • •
Abingdon Creek (AC01 – AC02); Blair Fork (BF01); Bristol Creek (BC01 – BC02); Celia Creek (CC01 – CC02); Greasy Creek (GC01 – GC02); Husband Creek (HC01 – HC03); Lower Creek (LC01 – LC10); Spainhour Creek (SC01 – SC02); White Mill Creek (WM01); Zacks Fork (ZF01 – ZF03); and Zacks Fork Tributary (ZFT1).
Equinox Environmental Consultation & Design, Inc. 1 Contract Amendment to #D08020S Muddy Creek Mitigation Search
October 2, 2009 SCO # 050666702
Restoration and preservation sites identified within the Lower Creek watershed were noted within the following tables and figures as to their location within a priority sub-watershed as identified in the Lower Creek local watershed planning effort (Final Lower Creek Watershed Management Plan Section 6.3, 2006). The 13 Lower Creek priority sub-watersheds considered in this exercise included the following: Restoration – High Priorities • Upper Celia Creek (CC01); • Middle Husban Creek (HC02); • Upper Lower Creek (LC01); • Zacks Fork (ZF01 – ZF03); and • Zacks Fork Tributary (ZFT1). Restoration – Moderate Priorities • Lower Abingdon Creek (AC02); • Bristol Creek (BC01); • Upper Greasy Creek (GC01); and • Lower Husband Creek (HC03). Preservation Priorities • Upper Abingdon Creek (AC01); and • White Mill Creek (WM01). The GIS analysis and site prioritization results will be used to direct outreach efforts within the Lower and Hunting creek watersheds. Outreach within the Muddy Creek Watershed will be directed towards landowners expressing interest during the 2008 mitigation site search.
2. Restoration and Enhancement Sites Equinox used GIS analysis and professional judgment to identify potential project sites based on the following criteria: • • • •
Stream reach with minimal or no forested buffer; Drainage area (at most downstream point on project reach) less than 10 square miles; Minimum reach length of 2,000 contiguous linear feet; and Reach involving 3 or fewer landowners.
Based on these criteria, 95 potential project sites (77 in the Lower Creek watershed and 18 in the Hunting Creek watershed) were identified (Figures 1 & 2). Project reaches were expanded to include additional landowners if the parcels were immediately adjacent to the primary project area, the stream reach was contiguous, and the buffer width was inadequate. For project reaches containing more than 3 landowners, site expansion was terminated if the adjacent parcel contained less than 500 linear feet of additional project potential. Additionally sites involving only 1 or 2 landowners were expanded to include adjacent parcels even if they contained 6 square miles) = 0; Drainage area (3 – 6 square miles) = 1; and Drainage area (
