HomeMy WebLinkAboutHMP MEP2013-00038 Bulkhead - HMP Habitat Managment Plan - 10/28/2013 1 { ,
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Habitat Management Plan
Seidel Bulkhead
Stretch Island
For:
Joel & Sarah Seidel
PO Box 308
Grapeview,WA 98546-0308
Prepared by:
BioResources, LLC
Kim Schaumburg
Fisheries biologist, University of Washington, 1981
10112 Bay View Rd. KPN
Vaughn,WA, 98394
(253) 884-5776 or 225-2973
Email: kimberly0356ikenturytel.net
October 28,2013
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 2
Table of Contents
I. Project Description
A. Project Location........................................................................ 3
B. Project Description..................................................................... 3
C. BMPs&WDFW Construction Requirements......................................4-5
II. Species and Habitat Information
A. Species and Habitat Information....................................................... 5-6
B. Survey Results.......................................................................... 6-7
C. Existing Environmental Conditions................................................... 7
III. Effects
A. Direct Effects............................................................................ 7-8
B. Indirect Effects.......................................................................... 8-9
C. Mitigation.............................................................................. ..9-10
List of Attachments
1. Vicinity Map....................................................................................11
2. Site Plan......................................................................................... 12
3. Cross Section................................................................................... 13
4. Site Photograph................................................................................. 14
5. Site Photograph.....................
6. Site Photograph................................................................................ 16
7. Site Photograph................................................................................ 17
8. Site Photograph................................................................................ 18
1 i
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 3
I. Project Description
A. Project Location
Section 08,Township 21N, Range 01 W.
200 Sund Road East,Grapeview, WA
Latitude 47.31811 N Longitude 122.82624 W(Attachment 1)
Tax Parcel#12108-54-00011
B. Project Description
This Habitat Assessment Report has been submitted on behalf of Joel and Sarah Seidel as
required by the Mason County Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) in order to construct a
bulkhead along the shoreline of their property on Stretch Island near Grapeview. The
applicant's property is located on Sund Road East and consists of approximately 155 feet
of high bank frontage. Approximately 74 feet is protected by an existing concrete
bulkhead. The remaining approx. 81 feet of frontage is unbulkheaded and has been
severely undercut by tidal and wave action. The proposed project is the construction of
shoreline protection in the form of a rock bulkhead along approximately 81 feet of
frontage (Attachments 2 & 3).
A single-family residence (SFR) is located approximately 35 feet in elevation above the
beach toe and 40 feet from the edge of the nearly vertical bluff at the proposed project
site (Attachment 4 & 5). Both adjoining waterfront properties are bulkheaded with
concrete, including the south 74 feet of the applicant's property, as previously noted
(Attachment 6). The site's shoreline is accessed via a private (neighborhood)trail and
stairs located off Sund Road East, about a half block to the south. The proposed bulkhead
will be constructed of large angular rock, along the toe of the bluff, landward of MHHW,
for approximately 81 feet of frontage. The bulkhead will be backed by filter fabric and 4
to 8 inch quarry spalls. Base rock will be keyed into the ground a minimum or 18 to 24
inches below the existing beach grade with the bulkhead's approximate height to be 5.0
feet above the existing beach grade. An existing pile of medium sized rock located by the
applicant's concrete bulkhead will be used in the project. To allow beach access,rock
steps will be located adjacent the wing wall of the applicant's existing concrete bulkhead
(Attachment 7). The steps will not be inset but will be located landward of MHHW. After
construction is completed, a sufficient amount of excavated native substrate will be
placed atop and just landward of the bulkhead and sloped upward and landward, then
planted with native vegetation, thus integrating the bulkhead into the bluff. There will be
no walking path between the bulkhead and the bluff.
All bulkhead equipment and materials will be barged to the site. Construction equipment
will consist of two track excavators and various hand tools. Work on the project is
tentatively scheduled to begin after the receipt of all required permits and approvals.
Work will be completed in less than 14 days during daylight working hours normal to a
rural neighborhood.
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 4
C. Best Management Practices & WDFW Construction Requirements
In order to maintain the present water quality of Case Inlet during project construction,
Best Management Practices(BMPs)will be implemented. BMPs are defined as physical,
structural, and/or managerial practices that prevent or reduce the pollution of water
(WDOE). The following source control BMPs, which are detailed in the WDOE's
Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (2005), shall be implemented
for long-term protection of water quality at the site:
1. Preserving Natural Vegetation—BMP C101. Wherever practical native
vegetative shall be preserved to reduce erosion. Limiting site disturbance is the
single most effective method for reducing erosion(WDOE 2005).
The following Spill Prevention Control measures shall also be followed: 1)The
contractor will supply the site with a portable bathroom so that solid or liquid waste will
not become a source of stormwater pollution. 2) The contractor shall be responsible for
alerting the appropriate authorities in the event of a hazardous spill. 3) The contractor
shall be able to perform basic control, containment, and/or confinement operations within
the capabilities of the resources and personnel protective equipment available. In other
words, small spills, such as paint or oil, shall be promptly and fully collected and
disposed of at a suitable disposal site. In the event of a significant spill, a fish kill, and/or
if fish are observed in distress the Washington State Department of Ecology
(800.258.5990) and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife's Area
Habitat Biologist, Margie Bigelow(360.427.2179), shall be notified immediately.
The following additional BMPs shall be used to insure that water quality is not
degraded during and after construction:
1. Equipment shall be cleaned and checked for leaks, offsite and daily,before
commencing work.
2. Large angular rock shall be clean before being installed.
The WDFW's HPA provisions(to be issued) and construction requirements (WAC 220-
110-285) shall be strictly adhered to.
WAC 220-110-285
(1) Use of machinery on the beach will be limited to daylight hours and confined to a 25-
foot wide corridor immediately waterward of the new bulkhead face or within the
stockpile area, whichever is greater. The department may permit rock to be stockpiled
within fifty feet of the new bulkhead face; (2)work at the site will take place during the
allowed work windows for the protection of sand lance, surf smelt, and juvenile
salmonids; (3)work will not occur when the project area, including the work corridor
(excluding the area occupied by a grounded barge), is inundated by tidal waters, or when
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 5
tidal waters are within 30-feet of the bulkhead face; (4)excavated material will be placed
within the designated work corridor and covered to prevent erosion. Excavated materials
containing silt, clay,or fine-grained soil shall not be stockpiled below the ordinary high
water line; (5) all trenches,depressions and/or holes created in the beach will be
backfilled prior to inundation by tidal waters. Trenches excavated for the placement of
the base rocks can remain open during construction,but fish must be prevented from
entering the trenches(the turbidity barrier will help to fulfill this requirement); and(6)
the appropriate sized gravel will be spread on the beach following construction(as per the
HPA provisions).
III. SPECIES AND HABITAT INFORMATION
A. SPECIES INFORMATION
In the proposed project area,there are ten species listed under the Endangered Species
Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as either Endangered or Threatened:the
humpback whale(Megaptera novaeangliae),the killer whale (Orcinus orca),the bull
trout(Salvelinus confluentus),the marbled munelet(Brachyramphus marmoratus
marmoratus),the Puget Sound Chinook salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha),the Steller
sea lion(Eumetopias jubatus),the Puget Sound steelhead(Oncorhynchus mykiss),the
green sturgeon(Acipenser medirostris),the Puget Sound Rockfish(Sebastes paucispinis,
pinniger, &ruberrimus),and the leatherback turtle(Dermochelys coriacea).
On a local level,the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes a Priority
Habitats and Species list(PHS)and a Species of Concern(SOC)list. The PHS list
includes habitats, species, and species groups considered to be priorities for conservation
and management. The project site is categorized as one of those habitat types--
Marine/Estuarine Shoreline. WDFW data revealed that three other species of anadromous
salmonids on the State's PHS list may be found within the action area: the Puget
Sound/Strait of Georgia Chum salmon(Oncorhynchus keta),the Puget Sound coho
salmon(Oncorh)nchus kisutch),and the Puget Sound/Coastal cutthroat(Oncorhynchus
clarki clarki). The Puget Sound coho salmon is also an ESA listed Species of Concern.
Species of Concern are not species that are being actively considered for listing under the
ESA by the NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service)or FWS. They have been
identified as Species of Concern because of concerns or great uncertainties regarding
biological status and threats. In addition,Mason County publishes a species of
importance list. The species most likely to be found in the proposed project area include
the Chinook salmon,bald eagle(Haliaetus leucocephalus),pileated woodpecker
(Drycopus pileatus), common loon(Gavia immer),Brandt's cormorant(Phalacrocorax
penicillatus), great blue heron(Ardea herodias),band-tailed pigeon(Colmba fasciata),
hooded merganser(Lophodytes cucullatus),harlequin duck(Histrionicus histrionicus),
and purple martin(Progne subis).
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 6
A Washington State Department of Ecology GIS map (WDOE 2009) and a WDFW GIS
map(WDFW 2013)revealed that the nearest documented freshwater presence for
Chinook, coho, steelhead, and chum is in Sherwood Creek, located approximately 4.00
miles northwest of the proposed project site. Vaughn Creek and Rocky Creek, located
approximately 3.30 and 4.25 miles to the northeast, respectively, are also documented
salmon bearing streams. Additionally,the WDFW GIS map revealed potential forage fish
spawning habitat on the shoreline at the proposed project site.
B. Survey Results
A field investigation was conducted on the 26 h of September, 2013, during a low tide.
The project area was surveyed visually on foot. The weather was cloudy,the wind calm,
and the temperature around seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
Supralittoral Zone
The supralittoral zone is only underwater during unusually high storm tides. It starts at
the high-tide line and goes toward dry land. The substrate in the supralittoral zone
consists primarily of clay with smaller amounts of sand and gravel. The bluff toe is
severely undercut in places and the erosion has resulted in minor mass wasting that has
deposited clay and vegetation on the beach.
Midlittoral Zone
The midlittoral zone, also known as the eulittoral zone or foreshore, is the intertidal area
that extends from the high tide line to the low water line (or the area that is covered and
uncovered twice each day by tidal waters). At the proposed project site the slope is
gentle, and the substrate in the upper midlittoral zone consists of clay, sand, peagravel,
gravel, and cobble. The substrate in the lower midlittoral zone consists primarily of
cobble with smaller amounts of sand and gravel, eventually giving way to muck. A small
pile of medium sized granite rock was observed along the wing wall of the adjacent
concrete bulkhead to the south. It is probable that this rock was placed on the beach.
The following invertebrate species were observed on the beach: Barnacles (Balanus
glandula) and Pacific oyster shells (Crassostrea gigas).
The following macroalgae species were observed on the beach: Rockweed(Fucus
gardneri).
No eelgrass (Zoestra marina) was observed.
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 7
Existing Terrestrial Vegetation
The following native species were observed growing at the proposed project site:
Douglas-fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii),Western red cedar(Thuja plicata),Red alder(alnus
rubra), madrona(Arbutus menziesii), willow(Salix spp.),beaked hazelnut(Corylus cornuta),
evergreen huckleberry(Vaccinium ovatum),common snowberry(Symphoricarpos alnus), salal
(Gaultheria shallon), sword fern(Polystichum munitum), bracken fern(Pteridium
aquilinum),and honeysuckle(Lonicera ciliosa),
The following non-native, invasive species was observed growing at the proposed project
site: Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor or procerus) and Scot's Broom(Cytisus
scoparius).
C. Existing Environmental Conditions
The environmental baseline represents the existing set of conditions, to which the effects
of the proposed action are then added. The environmental baseline is defined as "the past
and present impacts of all Federal, state, and private actions and other human activities in
the action area, the anticipated impacts of all proposed Federal projects in the action area
that have already undergone formal or informal section 7 consultation, and the impact of
state or private actions which are contemporaneous with the consultation process" (50
CFR 402.02). The proposed project site is located on a residential lot with approximately
155 feet of frontage on Case Inlet in an area classified as an Urban Residential shoreline
environment by the Shoreline Master Program of Mason County. Sund Road East
accesses the site. Properties to the north, south, and west of the proposed project site are
developed and support single-family residences. To the east, across Case Inlet,the
shoreline has also been developed with single-family residences.
The shoreline in the area is a mixture of hard-armored frontage (rock, concrete, and wood
bulkheads) and native beach. It is expected that south winds (prevailing) in conjunction
with high tides subject the shoreline to significant wave action. In addition to bulkheads,
it can be assumed that the existing environmental conditions in the area have been
degraded by inorganic pollutants, as well as organic pollutants, deforestation, and other
anthropogenic changes that accompany urbanization.
III. Effects of the Action
A. Direct Effects
Direct effects are the immediate effects of the project on the listed species and their
habitats (FWS &NMFS 1998). The direct effect to the project site will be the
construction of a rock bulkhead in an area that is marine habitat for six previously
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 8
discussed salmonid species. Direct effects to the shoreline along Case Inlet include the
alteration of littoral (intertidal)habitat from the placement of quarry spalls and large
angular rock on the beach.
Temporary direct effects caused by the proposed project include: 1) Sedimentation
and/or siltation, and turbidity in the Case Inlet. 2)Noise. 3) Water pollution from
incidental release of fuel, oil, or other contaminants. 4)Damage done to the shoreline
during the construction process.
1) Disturbed substrate from the installation of the rock bulkhead may result in increased
turbidity and sedimentation and/or siltation, which might affect the migration of juvenile
salmonids along the shoreline by creating a temporary barrier in the littoral zone.
Juvenile salmonids are mobile,so it is possible that they will avoid the area of
disturbance and not be impacted. Salmonids have been observed to move laterally and
downstream to avoid turbidity plumes (Sigler et al. 1984, Lloyd 1987, Scannell 1988).
Gregory and Northcote (1993)suggested that turbidity could be used as a protective
cover by juvenile salmon. As previously discussed, BMPs will be strictly adhered to
during construction in order to maintain the present water quality of the Case Inlet and
prevent runoff and pollution. In order to further minimize the adverse effects,the
proposed new bulkhead project will not take place between March 15th and June 14th,
when juvenile salmonid migration activity is high.
2) The main source of construction noise will be the operation of heavy equipment. The
project site is located in a rural residential neighborhood, so it is expected that the noise
from heavy equipment will not be more excessive than noise normal to the neighborhood.
3) Potential water pollution from accidental release of fuel, oil, or other contaminants is
another possible temporary direct effect. As previously discussed, Spill Prevention
Control measures and BMPs shall be implemented during the proposed project.
4) A fourth possible temporary direct effect is damage done to the shoreline during the
construction process. Movement of the track excavator in the upper intertidal area will
cause some beach substrate disruption. As previously discussed,to reduce this type of
impact the WDFW's construction requirements shall be strictly adhered to.
B. Indirect Effects
Indirect effects are those effects that are caused by or will result from the proposed action
and are later in time, but are still reasonably certain to occur(50 CFR 402.02). Possible
indirect effects from the proposed project include: 1) Scouring and steepening of the
beach in front of the new hard-armored section of shoreline. 2) The loss of shoreline
vegetation. 3)A reduction in the accumulation of large drift logs on the beach.
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 9
1) When waves reflect off shoreline armoring structures,particularly concrete or other
types of flat-faced bulkheads,they can cause scouring and hardening of the substrate.
The sediment in front of a bulkhead will gradually become coarser as wave action and
littoral drift removes the finer sediment and there is no sediment available for
replenishment because it is impounded behind the bulkhead(Macdonald et al. 1994).
Hard-armored bulkheads cut off sediment that was once available to feed the beach,thus
adversely affecting natural beach-forming processes. Impoundment of sediment landward
of the bulkhead can also result in potential loss of forage fish spawning habitat and a
reduction in the amount of available shallow water habitat that juvenile salmonids rely on
for food or cover(including eelgrass beds),although the Pentec Report(2003)reveals
that the amount of eelgrass present along the open shoreline appears to be independent of
the degree of shoreline modification.
Unlike concrete or wood bulkheads,the uneven surface and irregular form of a rock
bulkhead is expected to dissipate some of the energy from wave action and lessen the
previously discussed detrimental effects associated with hard-armoring. The proposed
rock bulkhead will also be located landward of MHHW and the ordinary high water
mark. Bulkheads located landward of MHHW and the ordinary high water mark cause
fewer beach impacts than those at or waterward of MHHW and the ordinary high water
mark. Because the proposed project site is exposed to prevailing winds,no large woody
debris(LWD)will be anchored to the beach as mitigation(as the LWD would likely be
washed away); however,all existing LWD will be left on the beach.
2)Minimal native vegetation will be lost as a result of the proposed project, and the
bulkhead will protect existing native trees growing on the shoreline bank that provide
shade, organic debris, and possible insect prey for salmonids and other aquatic species.
3) Shoreline armoring can also limit the accumulation of large drift logs on the beach, as
large woody debris is less likely to accumulate on beaches that have steepened due to the
presence of a bulkhead(Macdonald et al. 1994). Large woody debris provides detrital
input, food sources,and potential refuge for migrating juvenile salmon. As previously
discussed,all existing LWD will be left on the beach.
C. Mitigation
1. The WDFW's shoreline construction window,HPA provisions,and construction
requirements to be strictly adhered to.
2. WDOE's BMPs and spill prevention control measures to be strictly adhered to.
3. Any existing manmade debris on the beach to be removed from the site.
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 10
4. The bank, landward of the new bulkhead,to be planted with native shrubs,
including willow, ocean spray, salal, Oregon grape, and sword fern.
5. After construction is completed, a sufficient amount of excavated native substrate will be
placed atop and just landward of the bulkhead and sloped upward and landward,then
planted with native vegetation,thus integrating the bulkhead into the bluff. There will be
no walking path between the bulkhead and the bluff.
1.4
Seidel Habitat Management Plan 11
Attachment 1
Vicinity Map.
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PARCEL#12108-54-00011
SEC08-T21 N-R01 W-W M. SITE PLAN
N47.31811 W122.82624
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EXISTING
CONCRETE
APPROX. BULKHEAD I ��
———————————PROPERTY LINE —
—---— --
BULKHEAD WILL BE CONSTRUCTED OF LARGE
NG ANGULAR ROCK ALONGAPPROX.81 FEET /
OF FRONTAGE,LANDWARD OF BOTH ( CASE INLET
ADJACENT BULKHEADS AND MHHW IN ORDER {
TO ACCESS THE APPLICANTS EXISTING ^-- —— —--
CONCRETE BULKHEAD,ONE SET OF ROCK
STEPS(NOT INSET)WILL BE INSTALLED AT THE
SOUTH END,WHERE AN EXISTING PILE OF I
MEDIUM SIZED ROCK IS LOCATED.QUARRY
SPALLSAND FILTER FABRIC WILL BE USED EXISTING SFR APPROX,
BEHIND THE NEW BULKHEAD. (LOCATION 6 LW
SIZEAPPROX.) APPRDX.81'
EXISTING MEDIUM-SIZED
BULKHEAD TO BE INSTALLED ROCK ON BEACH
A MINIMAL DISTANCE FOR (PARTIALLY SHOW
CONSTRUCTION(APPROX. — — TO BE UTILIZED IN NEW
5)FROM THE TOE OF THE BULKHEAD CONSTRUCTION,
VERTICAL BLUFF AT THE SITE,
DRAWING IS AN APPROXIMATION
OF THE TOES IRREGULAR TRACK.
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----------------------------------------- ---------------
APPROX, ——————.
y PROPERTY LINE
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N ^ CONCRETE
BULKHEAD
BULKHEAD PROJECT
ME WMMDEL PROJECTNAIIE: SEIDEL BULKHEAD� NORTH DRAIMNG SCALE:1`,ZV
�aW 3 PROJECT ADDRESS JOEL&SARAH SEIDEL
C� a 200 SRJD ROAD EAST
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PARCEL#12108-54-00011 BULKHEAD WILL BE CONSTRUCTED OF LARGE rCROSS SECTION
SEC08-T21N-ROl -W.M. ANGULAR ROCK ALONG APPROX.81 FEET
N47.31811 W122.82624 OF FRONTAGE,LANDWARD OF BOTH
ADJACENT BULKHEADSAND MHHW.IN ORDER
TO ACCESS THE APPLICANTS EXISTING
CONCRETE BULKHEAD,ONE SET OF ROCK
STEPS(NOT INSET)WILL BE INSTALLED AT THE
SOUTH END,WHERE AN EXISTING PILE OF
MEDIUM SIZED ROCK IS LOCATED.QUARRY
SPALLS AND FILTER FABRIC WILL BE USED
� SFR
,(�� BEHIND THE NEW BULKHEAD.' N I'
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b4 BEACH GRADE.
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PROJECTADDRESS: JOEL&SARAH SEIDEL G.� �.
V) a.pavricLs
oE� 200 SUND ROAD EAST
Q GRAPEVIEW,AA ALL SITE SIDNB TE DWIR AREAPPRPXWE
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Seidel Habitat Management Plan 14
Attachment 4
The applicant's unbulkheaded shoreline.
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Seidel Habitat Management Plan 15
Attachment 5
The applicant's unbulkheaded shoreline.
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Seidel Habitat Management Plan 16
Attachment 6
The south end of the applicant's unbulkheaded shoreline, and the applicant's adjacent
concrete bulkhead (on the same parcel).
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Seidel Habitat Management Plan
Attachment 7
Location of the proposed rock steps.
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Seidel Habitat Management Plan 18
Attachment 8
Severe erosion undercutting the bluff toe at the site.
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