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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991.12.11 - Rosewindy BI A oM ICs0 r AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Mr. David Reel Rosewind P.O. Box 1388 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Dear David: BiONOMICS, it Port Townsend December 11, 1991 On December 7th and 9th, I made a site inspection of the Rosewind site. This site is located approximately 400 feet north of Umatilla, 400 feet south of 35th, and 600 feet west of San Juan streets in Port Townsend, Washington. The sloping hillsides are covered with wild rose (Rosa nutkana) and snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), neither of which is a wetland plant. The area of particular interest is that which is the lowest in elevation;- which is presently being farmed. It is in this area that I focused my efforts in making a wetland determination. The parameters which are used to make a wetland determination are threefold: soils, hydrology, and vegetation. Moreover, these three parameters are mutually interdependent. These are the criteria used in the 1989 Joint Federal Manual .for the Identification and Delineation of Jurisdictional Wetlands. According to the Soil Survey of Jefferson County Area, Washington, the soils in this area are San Juan gravelly sandyloam. This series consists of somewhat excessively drain6d gravelly soils. These soils formed in glacial outwash (unconsolidated material left by glaciers, not to be confused with glacial till) under native vegetation consisting mostly of annual perenial grasses, Oregon grape (Berberis as uifolium), sal.al (Gaultheria shallon), wild blackberry (Rubus ursinus), bracken fern (Pteridum aguilinum), Douglas -fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and white oak Quercus Qarryana). None of these,plants are considered to be wetland plants, with the possible exception of some of the grasses. San Juan soils are associated with Clallam, Dick, Everett, Townsend, and Whidbey soils. None.of these soils are on the list of hydric soils compiled by the Soil Conservation Service in 1985, Hydric Soils of the State of Washington. DATA POP-11 ROUTINE ONSITE DETERMINATION METHOD 1 1.)Jq1 41FieldTnvestiator(s) : oY (oi OWi - Date: Project /Site: r 3c State: v _County: Applicant /owner- Plant Community # /Name: P Note: If a more detailed site description is necessary, use the back of data form or a field notebook. Do normal environmental conditions exist at the plant community? Yes No (If no , explain on back) . ViC v kVva r (J, Has the vegetation, soils, and /or hydrolo y. been si nificantiy disturbed? Yes No (If yes, explain on back) i'I,? Qv VEGETATION Indic. Stat. Strat. a/o ANAL --6'%2- 8. 9. _ 10. Percent of dominant species that are is the hydrophytic ve etation criter Rationale: 'L V Indic. Dominant Plant Species Stat. Strat. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 18. 19. 20. - OBL, FACW, and /or FAC< SO0u- ion met? Yes: No Matrix Co or. Other hydric soil indic tors: +P Is the hydric soil criterion et.> Yes Rationale: 11 jirCt- No HYDROLOGY Is the ground surface inundated? Yes No surface Water Depth: 1U is the-soil saturated? Yes No J k r Depth to free- standing water in pit /soil probe hole: List other gield evidence of surface inundation or soil saturation. is the wetl Rationale:_ ogy criteria met? Yes No JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION AND RATIONALE Is the plant community a wetland? Yes No Rationale for jurisdictional decision: This data form can be used for the Hydric Soil Assessment Procedure and the A ent Procedure. Plant Community- ssessm -- See classification according to "Soil Taxonomy. SOILS z Series /phase: on Clv, ow" Subgroup: Yes No g_ Undeterminedthehydricsoilslist? is the soil Is-the soil a Histosol? Yes Nom Histic epipedon present? Yeses_ No Is the soil: Mottled? Yes No_4-„ Gleyed? Yes No Z_ -41 C0[ Mottle Colors: Matrix Co or. Other hydric soil indic tors: +P Is the hydric soil criterion et.> Yes Rationale: 11 jirCt- No HYDROLOGY Is the ground surface inundated? Yes No surface Water Depth: 1U is the-soil saturated? Yes No J k r Depth to free- standing water in pit /soil probe hole: List other gield evidence of surface inundation or soil saturation. is the wetl Rationale:_ ogy criteria met? Yes No JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION AND RATIONALE Is the plant community a wetland? Yes No Rationale for jurisdictional decision: This data form can be used for the Hydric Soil Assessment Procedure and the A ent Procedure. Plant Community- ssessm -- See classification according to "Soil Taxonomy. ter. Ws Revs! met Sol . a i fly t lot diYc HlNaTON. SHEET NUMBER 40 a-p- A N F U A 1) 6 jil - [A i) f L! I Cmc mro Cnic 01 71 Ek wa 0-tv 3p ount L 4 v 'Fair H Al, -1 V& AgEC) 1 t. A :- -.. ::•::"•:; --; fi - • .,•Q _:.cam .;: zN pf z 4 •s: C> 7 GaB4 gy3W N L;mc st X I.orA C aQ or 4A h. TUC A 9 Inc r:l TA 14, Go RT 1wZ.. 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Pi x O tr, Admkalty f - ti „` a `.`i s G hw st w se ca :r4dmlraity in - Quimper Peninsula y m v St i- b m S St 4 fi w center St Q 4 S! - N LccU97thStMrwStaSt5t r p } 361h QQ ° 354h St 35th y `r 'k St t '°? G _.'+:;; 4, - 1" @r Caroline K tea r ..x .•;_,..'; tf- 32ndQia 3ath G St b. a Q a 's :.r•s:'a },'+:tit _ _ 29th st 29th = - r iN „ t t Hastl s Ave Ro 27th St mm Zvi 2 0 r 25th $ St Slit A 9 Sf - 24th St SI y2 7 fS sr tps 22nd r St tie -- aMary `c d, 213 Y Si Way Queen V 20th s \fie Jr v _ Vtatoria Anna is S3' y St Me Ell betpt fie. lath z our ea 7 w S d; h a' ::: .- • - 16th St 16 St _ Kah —Ta! dbey d3 45th St tBgt70r! r.'n rl'r rp _ N[lod y a rn 11th 4 y w N i2bi i 6n Vih St 9th St m = LEGEND s "zsu, as _ 8th. - L North Beach Park M may hh © - 2. Fort Warden State Park 5 - a. Jefferson County Fairgrounds Pa side - - 4. Chatzemoka Park S. Sather Park E. FJementary f: High Schools - 2ii 3rd st Port Townsend Bay ; 7. Fire Station S. Library 9. Memorial Park bT . -' •. 70. "City Halt . 11, Police Uepar[ ent 12. notary Park 13. Jfflerson County Courthouse - 11, Chamber of CommerC4 , r2o1 —Y slreel la named on _p - 15. Jefferson General Hospital 16, Municipal Gall Course San Juan soil is somewhat excessively- drained. Permeability is rapid. Roots penetrate to a depth of more than 60 inches. This soil holds 3 to 4 inches'of water available for plants. Runoff is slow, and the hazard of erosion-is slight. San Juan soils are used mostly for urban and rural homesites. Most of the .acreage of this soil is in urban areas or in rural ranch areas where it is used extensively for growing a variety of flowers, bulbs, home garden fruits, berries', and vegetables. Small acreages are also planted in grasses and Legumes used for hay and pasture. I;= examined two soils -pits in the field at the lowest elevations of the site and marked them with numbered stakes. Based on the chroma and mottling found in these soil samples, 'I would consider .these soils to be hydric. They are very dark brown and black soils, very rich in organic material. The hydric color characteristics notwithstanding, the soils were not saturated in early December, and it is not apparent that they would actually function as hydric soils. In other words, I saw no evidence in the field that these soils are saturated sufficiently during the growing season to be condusive to the growth of hydrophytic vegetation. As you mentioned to me, anecdotal accounts indicate that this area has not been flooded in 35 years. In addition, an aerial photograph taken on March 27th., 1975 does not show any evidence of wetland hydrology at the site. The same photograph, taken during the.begining of the growing season, clearly shows ponding of water in .other nearby wetlands, including the golf. course pond, Froggy Bottoms, and Townsend Meadows. Furthermore, no wetlands in the vicinity of Rosewind are indicated on the National Wetlands Inventory map. In my opinion, the Rosewind site lacks the parameter of wetland hydrology, although it is possible that the area is infrequently flooded. Native vegetation is gone and it is impossible to tell what plants originally inhabited the site. Most recently, the area has been plowed, grazed, planted with forage, and harvested for hay or other forage crops. As such, most of the plants on the site could not be identified. None of the two plants identified by genus and three plants identified by species are wetland plants. No known wetland plants were identified on the site. Although it is possible that some facultative + or facultative wet plants do thrive on the site, it is very unlikely.that they exist in sufficient quantities to meet the criteria for hydrophytic vegetation.. 2 - In conclusion, soils on the site were found to be hydric but not saturated. Wetland hydrology was found to be absent. No conclusive evidence of hydrophytic vegetation was found at the site. In my professional opinion, this site is not a wetland. Moreover, I saw no evidence of valuable native plants, wildlife' habitat, or fish habitat in this low lying area of the Rosewind site. Some function of detention and /or retention of flood waters may be provided by the site, although it is located in a small basin (see basin map). The potential exists to enhance some of the values and functions associated with this site. Given the topography and deep organic topsoil, a wetland could be created on the site. It would be necessary to maintain the hydrology so that anaerobic conditions exist and then the site could be planted with wetland vegetation. The detention capacity of the area could also be increased if that is desirable. We would be happy to assist you with such a project. Please call me if you have any questions. Sincerely, ohn C. Heal, President Bionomics, Incorporated