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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStream Habitat Impact Analysis Report - PLN General - 5/18/2018 Mason Fire District #6 Trailer Installation — Union, WA STREAM HABITAT IMPACT ANALYSIS REPORT RECEIVED PLANNING MAY 182018 615 W. Alder Street Prepared For: Chief Volk UNION,WASHINGTON Prepared Bv: ALEXANDER CALLENDER,M.S. PWS LAND SERVICES NORTHWEST LLC OLYMPIA,WASHINGTON March 20,2018 Mason Fire District #6 Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report Prepared for: Chief Volk Union,WA 98592 Prepared by: Alexander Callender,M.S.PWS Ecologist LAND SERVICES NORTHWEST LLC (360)481-4208 20(MAR)2018 Mason Fire District#6 Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Page i. Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 GENERAL PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND LAND USE-------------------- 3 2.1 Historical and Current Land Use 3 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF CRITICAL HABITATS AND SPECIES 3 3.1 Riparian Habitat-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------•--- 3. 3.2 Existing Conditions...............................................................................................3 3.3 Other Features......._... 5 3- ----Critical Species-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 4.0 ANALYSIS OF PROJECT AND UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS--__••.•..••••--•_----_-.••--7 4.1 Project Description------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 4.2 Impact Avoidance Analysis-----------------------------------------------------------------------------••---7 4.3 Vegetation Removal............................•...------------------------------------------------------------. 7 5.0 WATER QUALITY PROVISIONS.........-•--------------------------------------------------------------- 7 5.1 Water Quality Impacts and BMPs--------------------------------------------------------------------------7 6.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 7.0 REFERENCES--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20(MAR)18 Land Services NW LLC Page Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report is the result of a study conducted on parcel tax parcel #322325016001 at 50 East Seattle Street Union WA. 98592 in Mason County with the legal description of UNION HOOD CANAL LAND& IMP CO BLK: 16 LOT 1-10&VAC ALLEY ADJ(Figure 1). The purpose of this report is to: 1) identify and describe the streams or other priority habitats on-site and within 300 ft off-site of the property 2) identify impacts to streams or critical areas and their buffers, and 3) apply management and conservation measures to off-set any unavoidable critical areas or buffer impacts caused by the proposed Trailer installation. This report was prepared to satisfy the critical areas review process required by the Mason County Development Regulations Chapter 8.52 Resource Management Mason County and possibly other agencies that may evaluate impacts to critical areas from the proposed project will be able to utilize information in this report. 1 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report Jim Su bjed Property r r y a�,• i pa..� ---.- -SJATE ROUTE 106 '��. �� '��, '�+ Syr A��yr�lw�6�,r.r,1� '� ,•� rn ALDERNEY id w II s i, e A s 4 i yT " 11[ 1f° Land Services NW LLC Figure 1 120 State Avenue NE#190 Mcinity Map Olympia,WA 98501 0 175 350 700 Feet (360)481 d208 0 � Driving Directions:From Hwyl01 N to SR106 South on McReavy right on 3rd to property on right. 2 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report 2.0 GENERAL PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND LAND USE 2.1 Historical and Current Land Use Historically and currently, the subject property has been urban city owned property with a Fire Department Facility. There is 0 Street to the south with storm drains (ditch) that flows to Seattle Street to the East. Currently there is a single-family residence to the northeast. There is vacant land to the northwest and a ravine with unmanaged forest to the west. Stormwater along 4th Street used to flow along the south side of the road. Now, the storm drain has a culvert underneath Forth Street to divert and direct storm flows to the ravine. 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF CRITICAL HABITATS AND SPECIES 3.1 Riparian Habitat There exists a deep swale just off site of the western portion of the property. Land Services NW personnel investigated the Swale and identified the ordinary high water mark of a drainage that exists in the Swale approximately 55 feet from the western edge of the upper and lower parking lots. The OHWM was identified and mapped using a Garmin 64 GPS. This off-site drainage is not identified in the WDFW Priority Habitats and Species PHS on the Web, Mapping GIS, National Hydrography Dataset, The Mason County GIS or the Mason County Parcel Viewer. According to Mason County Code 8.52.030 Definitions, "Streams" means "those areas where surface waters flow sufficiently to produce a defined channel or bed. A defined channel or bed is an area which demonstrates clear evidence of the passage of water and includes, but is not limited to, bedrock channels, gravel beds, sand and silt beds and defined channel swales. The channel or bed need not contain water year- round." This definition is not meant to include irrigation ditches, canals, storm or surface water runoff devices or other entirely artificial watercourses, unless they are used by salmon or used to convey streams naturally occurring prior to construction. The drainage would meet the definition set in code for a stream. 3.2 Existing Conditions The subject property is located near the top of the Swale which is aligned in a north south direction. The drainage had flowing water during the initial site visit on March 2, 2018. The water in the Swale meets the Mason County definition of a stream in that it demonstrates clear evidence of the passage of water with channels gravel beds etc. The stream's hydrology has been manipulated and augmented by the addition of stormwater from nearby 41h Street. It is evident from its position in the landscape on a hillslope, that one time, before the houses, streets and other infrastructure, the stream drained naturally occurring hillside seeps. The culvert on 4th Street drains stormwater into approximately 50 feet of shrub scrub area and down steeply into a more forested Swale with Big leaf maples, Western Red cedar, Douglas fir, Beaked hazelnut and other upland vegetation. At the interface with SR106, the stream runs into a fish passage blocking storm grate and through a culvert under SR106 where it meets the Hood Canal. Therefore, even though the stream might meet the definition of fish habitat, the grate at SR106 would prevent fish from occupying the stream. It does contribute to the water quality of the Hood Canal however and is worthy of protection as a FWHCA. 3 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report Table 8.52.170(C): Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Area Development Standards. Table 3.52 ???^(C): Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Area Development Standards. Habitat Type Buffer Structure Setback Streams Type S' 150 feet 2 165 feet 3 Type F 150 feet 2 165 feet 3 Type Np 100 feet 115 feet Type Ns 75 feet 90 feet Lakes Over 20 acres 1 100 feet 115 feet 4 Less than 20 acres with no critical 35 feet 50 feet habitat for listed species S Ns = non-fish habitat with dry periods or seasonal water flow. The bed of the Swale has some sorted gravels, but its flows wind steeply (>16% grade) through primarily upland vegetation such as Big leaf maple,Red alder, Swordfern and Trailing blackberry on site. Most of the trees are second or third growth 10-15 years old. This makes the drainage poor habitat for any fish species. Mason County Code 18.52.030(44) states Type Ns streams" are all segments of natural waters within the bankfull width of the defined charnels that are not type S, F, or Np waters. These are seasonal, non-fish habitat streams in which surface flow is not present for at least some portion of a year of normal rainfall and are not located downstream from any stream reach that is a type Np water.Ns waters must be physically connected by an above-ground channel system to type S, F, or Np waters. This stream is connected to the Hood Canal via a culvert underneath SR106. 4 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report 3.3 Other Features There is an area on the south side of the subject property that contains a man-made depression and supports some hydrophytic vegetation. This is a stormwater feature and is unregulated by the critical areas code. (Appendix A) 3.4 Critical Species The following species are identified as threatened in Mason County and may be found in riparian areas. Bull Trout(Salvelinus confluentus),Threatened Bull trout are members of the family Salmonidae and are a char native to Washington. Compared to other salmonids,they require cold water to survive, so they are seldom found in waters where temperatures exceed 59 to 64 degrees(F). Cranberry Creek is listed for temperature under 303d so it is not expected that bull trout would occupy the unnamed stream. They also require stable stream channels,clean spawning and rearing gravel,complex and diverse cover,and unblocked migratory corridors. Bull trout may be distinguished from brook trout(Salvelinus fontinalis)by several characteristics: spots never appear on the dorsal(back)fin,and the spots that rest on the fish's olive green to bronze back are pale yellow,orange or salmon-colored. Bull trout exhibit two forms: resident and migratory. Resident bull trout spend their entire lives in the same stream/creek. Migratory bull trout move to larger bodies of water to overwinter and then migrate back to smaller waters to reproduce.An anadromous form of bull trout also exists in the Coastal-Puget Sound population,which spawns in rivers and streams but rears young in the ocean. In this case, the bull trout would be migratory using the stream as the winter range. Resident and juvenile bull trout prey on invertebrates and small fish.Adult migratory bull trout primarily eat fish.Resident bull trout range up to 10 inches long and migratory forms may range up to 35 inches and up to 32 pounds. Bull trout are currently listed coterminously as a threatened species. No critical bull trout habitat is near the subject property. Chinook(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Threatened The un-named creek is not listed as critical habitat for Chinook. The chinook is the largest of the Pacific salmon species,the world record standing at 57.27 kilograms(126 pounds). It is a keystone species and provides norishment for many different prey species as it migrates from freshwater to marine areas. Chinook use the streams and sorted gravels for spawning. They are sometimes referred to as springers as they return to their migratory streams earlier than many other types of salmonids. The low flows during spawning season and the grate would prevent Chinook from utilizing the un-named stream in the vicinity of the project. Puget Sound Steelhead(Onchorhynchus mykiss),Threatened Listed as threatened since May, 2007 Puget Sound Steelhead have a distinct population segment and utilize several streams in the Puget Sound Region. There is no documentation of Steelhead use in this stream. Steelhead require good water quality and water temperature is important for spawning. 5 March 20,2011 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report The water quality BMP's and mitigation measures proposed should maintain water quality. No critical habitat is found in the project area. Marbled murrelet(Brahyramphus murmoratus). Threatened The marbled murrelet is a small,diving seabird that spends the majority of its time on the ocean(> 90%),resting and feeding,but flies inland up to 70 miles to nest in old growth forest stands. Sexual maturity is reached at age 2 or 3 of an average 15-year lifespan. Marbled murrelets nests from April to mid September.Unlike most seabirds,marbled murrelets are solitary breeders and appear to form strong pair bonds. A female generally lays a single egg on a large old growth limb,then both adults incubate the egg in alternating 24-hour shifts for approximately 30 days. After hatching,the chick is left on its own except when adults bring food(fish),generally near dawn and dusk. Young fledge from the nest in about 28 days and appear to fly to the sea.Marbled murrelets have a naturally low reproductive rate; only one egg per nest is laid and nesting may not occur every year. It depends on large old growth limbs for nesting habitat. Significant portions of nesting areas have already been lost. Oil spills and entanglement in gill-nets are also major risks. Critical Habitat: Critical habitat was designated in 1996 and revised in 2011. The current designation consists of approximately 3,698,100 acres in Washington,Oregon,and California. Although most murrelet nesting habitat on private lands has been eliminated by logging, suitable habitat remains on federal-and state-owned lands.Areas of critical habitat have been designated within the three-state area to protect habitat and promote the recovery of the species. Over the next 50 to 100 years,the protected areas on federal lands,which are generally managed under the Northwest Forest Plan, should provide for an increase in suitable nesting habitat. There is no critical habitat found near the project area. Northern Spotted Owl(Stryx occidental scourina)_Threatened The northern spotted owl does not have any habitat in the project area as there is no old growth forest nearby. It is possible that they may visit the area foraging for mice, voles and other small animals that reside in the project area. It is not likely to be in the project area because there are no habitat features to hold prey species. The surrounding trees are older, but the patch is small. We determined that the minimum 5-acre contiguous forested coniferous stand constitutes suitable nesting,roosting or foraging habitat within the project analysis area. A biologist that conducted the site visit determined that it did not have suitable nesting habitat or trees within a minimum 5-acre contiguous patch with> 60 percent canopy closure and a multi-layered canopy. Trees within the conifer stand may be various diameters, but suitable nest trees were not plentiful. No nesting sites are found near the project site during the reconnaissance. The multilayered canopy would provide suitable habitat for prey species so protecting the riparian vegetation would help enhance the area as a feeding area for the northern spotted owl. 6 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report 4.0 ANALYSIS OF PROJECT AND UNAVOIDABLE PROJECT IMPACTS 4.1 Project Description The project is proposed to be located in an area that already has been developed as impermeable asphalt parking lot. The applicant proposes to place a 68-foot by 27-foot trailer with utilities on top of the pavement at the rear of the fire station(Figure 2). 4.2 Impacts Avoidance Analysis The Type Ns stream traverses the entire western portion of the property in a south to north direction. There is no fish access to this stream due to a storm grate at the catch basin at SR102(Appendix A) and therefore no fish habitat is utilized in the project area. To avoid any impacts to the stream,the trailer will be placed on the existing asphalt,outside the buffer and building setback line of the stream.There is existing impervious asphalt that will interrupt the buffer,therefore,there will be no direct impacts to the stream. The trailer will be setback to avoid impacts entirely. The new trailer will use existing infrastructure that directs stormwater away from the stream buffer to the flats. 4.3 Vegetation Removal No native vegetation will be removed as a result of this project. 5.0 WATER QUALITY PROVISIONS 5.1 Water Quality Impacts and BMPS Water quality impacts are not expected as a result of this project as any stormwater from the project area runs to the east to an existing stormwater catchbasin. BMP's from the 2012 Department of Ecology's Stormwater Management Manual will implemented make sure that the project will not discharge turbid water off-site,or to the stream. Work will be done in the dry. All equipment will be checked daily for leaks. Refueling and lubrication of equipment will occur offsite. Fuel, lubricants, chemicals, or hazardous substances will not be stored overnight within the project area. . No equipment or debris will be stored in the buffer. Stormwater from the proposed driveway will be directed to a vegetated Swale for infiltration on site. 6.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The project proposes installation of a 68400t x 27-foot trailer and associated utilities. This project will result in no loss of stream functions and values as the trailer and utilities will be located outside of the stream buffer and building setback. No other critical areas were identified during the site visit. The project will provide sustainable development that meets the requirements of Mason County Critical Areas Codes. No impacts are expected from this project as the impacts will be fully avoided. 7 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report Proposed Trailer I" I / r- :y s." e J" X Legend �YF6ste�n BSL Q'S_bot_bufler ®Exestvg_Pameent P.ws Land Services NW LLC Figure 2 120 State Avenue NE#190 Site Plan Olympia,WA98501 (Nota Survey) 0 25 50 100 Feet (360)481-4208 8 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report 7.0 REFERENCE Barnard,R. J., J. Johnson,P. Brooks,K. M. Bates, B. Heiner,J. P. Klavas, D.C. Ponder,P.D. Smith, and P. D. Powers (2013), Water Crossings Design Guidelines, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,Olympia,Washington.http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/ahg/culverts.htm Mason County Ordinance Appendix B (Supplement for the Mason County Resource Ordinance FWHCA Chapter WA Department of Ecology, 2012, 2012 Stormwater Management Manual For Western Washington,Lacey, WA Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. 1999. Species of concern: State candidate species. WDFW. Olympia,WA. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2018. PHS on the Web, Last accessessed 2/12/2018, www.wdfw.wa.(.:ov/mapping/PHS 9 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report Appendix A Photographs 10 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report y ,• r Fria: Fish Passage Barrier at SR 106 r -. .• � r err ; '��r "�;,,$ Stream Interface with Hood Canal 11 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report Culvert Dischar in to Ravine from 4" Street F 4 � k t)Q � 9 fir Invasive Japanese Knotweed and Blackberries 12 March 20,2018 Mason Fire District#6 Trailer Placement Stream Habitat Impact Analysis Report x. $ e a a �q w E �- ,�, :` yp>I��hr a"Wit. �, `''�'*• =:- *�,�,�' ?r'A��►.t� •fart' °� �* - „e► ,qua 01 i -�, ' 11 WSa. Yi'Y Stormwater Feature 13 March 20,2018