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Home My WebLink AboutHMP-Bulkhead - HMP Habitat Managment Plan - 9/30/2003 THE SOOT C OMPANY Wetland and Wildlife Consulting Services 416 S. D('ashington Oh mhia. VA 98501 (360) 35 2-989? FAX(360) 352-9914 HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN RECEIVED SEP 2 9 2003 FOR THE FOSTER&WILLIAMS ARCHITECTS FIORINI PROPERTY RECEIVED Mason County Tax Parcel No. 222335200087 SEP 2 9 2003 3021 East Mason Lake Drive East 426 W. CEDAR ST: SEPTEMBER 2003 Prepared for: Julio Fiorini C/O Grant Foster Foster & Williams Architects P.O. Box 102 Shelton, WA 98584 prepare y: .07 of Wet/,a'h O F 0gas 3. S. Shanewise PWS %S yX CD Senior Ecologist �4;o p0099sWs 11 wetland Fiorsp03hmp ��Wv►�� CONTENTS Introduction............................................................................l Methods..................................................................................1 Results............................. . . Recommendations..................................................................3 Figure 1. Figure 2. INTRODUCTION This Habitat Management Plan has been prepared to address the repair of a deteriorated shoreline bulkhead on a waterfront property on Mason Lake. The existing rock bulkhead will be replaced with an ornamental stonewall that will replicate a neighboring wall on adjacent property. This action is being taken to preserve a shoreline terrace with an actively used fire pit. Existing shoreline habitat occurs as developed lawn,with volunteer regrowth of woody vegetation controlled through cutting. The proposed bulkhead repair will cause minimal additional impacts to the existing, degraded shoreline habitat. However, if mitigation compensation is deemed necessary, allowing a small section of shoreline to remain bulkhead-free and grow volunteer vegetation waterward from the top of bank would provide at least some improvement to the existing habitat conditions. In addition, aquatic emergents waterward of the bulkhead should be allowed to establish naturally, and all solid waste, including the old bulkhead rock, should be removed and disposed of away from the lake shoreline. METHODS Site Inspection Site inspection was performed on 26 August 2003. All areas of the shoreline were reviewed. FIORINI HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN THE COOT COMPANY - I - RESULTS EXISTING CONDITIONS Old Embankment Bulkhead This property contains an old embankment bulkhead that consisted of medium-sized rock piled against the base of a near vertical earth wall approximately 3 feet high. Over time, the wall has slumped and the rocks have become displaced to the point that bank protection is now minimal. The OHWM of the lake occurs near the top edge of this embankment. Existing Waterfront Lawn This property has its entire lake frontage as a terraced landscape with sporadically kept lawn. The lower,waterfront terrace has a large fire pit that is actively used by the landowners. Shoreline volunteer growth of shrubs and trees are continually suppressed through cutting. Shoreline emergents are generally sparse, and are probably controlled to some degree also. A list of the more common plant species found along the shoreline where the bulkhead repair is proposed is provided below. Douglas' spirea (Spiraea douglasii) slough sedge (Carex obnupta) soft-stem bulrush (Scirpus validus) pointed rush (Juncus oxymeris) taper-tip rush (Juncus acuminatus) horsetail sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum) Adjacent Undeveloped Shoreline The property adjacent to the north is an undeveloped lot. The shoreline here has a dense deciduous shrub growth along the top edge of the OHWM as well as a dense emergent community extending into the shallow waters of the lake. This condition probably represents what the subject property shoreline looked like prior to development into waterfront lawn. Adjacent Developed Shoreline The property adjacent to the south is a fully developed with a well maintained waterfront lawn and bulkhead wall along the same embankment edge that is proposed for repair on the subject property. This maintained waterfront has almost no vegetation either along the embankment top or in the lake shallows. FIORINI HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN THE COOT COMPANY -2- PROPOSED USE New Bulkhead Wall The landowner wishes to repair the existing, degraded bulkhead condition by building a wall with ornamental stones similar to the neighbor's design. Indeed, the new proposed bulkhead would become a replicate extension of the neighbor's in location and height. This action is desired to prevent erosion of the waterfront terrace where the fire pit is located. IMPACT ASSESSMENT Minimal Habitat Disturbance The proposed bulkhead repairs will cause minimal disturbance to the existing habitat conditions. The entire frontage is currently kept mostly free of volunteer woody vegetation, and shoreline emergent vegetation is also kept in check. Placement of the ornamental stones to create a solid bulkhead will not substantially alter the existing, degraded habitat values of the shoreline. RECOMMENDATIONS Allow Natural Shoreline Revegetation If mitigation compensation is deemed necessary for the minimal habitat impacts that will occur from the proposed bulkhead repair, setting aside a small portion of shoreline to leave in an undeveloped state should be considered. Preserving approximately 15 feet of shoreline along the northern waterfront adjacent to the existing undeveloped shoreline would increase the habitat values of the entire property shoreline beyond what currently exists. The idea would be to stop the new bulkhead at this 15 foot preservation edge, and to just allow natural regrowth of all vegetation waterward from the top of the bulkhead embankment. No Aquatic Plant Removal Emergent aquatics that establish waterward of the repaired bulkhead should be left intact. This vegetation can provide water quality benefits and act as habitat structure for aquatic invertebrates. Remove Solid Waste/Old Rock All solid waste along the shoreline should be removed and disposed of away from the waterline. This is to include all rock removed from the old bulkhead as well as concrete blocks, metal fence posts, etc. FIORINI HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN THE COOT COMPANY -3 - 5/lore%ham { / <lc ro c.,i f Gig. m � •�P08ED,®,,� E>ftT-pk2�*_- (.�`CXL YARDS CFPtr JWM AWEA GRAY FLL ALL CE PALC �WTAMr.ImLL To LEva. ' aF�OX LOGATtC�1 a? Mason Lake <� �. .� �\ ♦ 'ETA •w�. E?dST_Daps M.Q17M 1. �y,�Jr s*a0 ELA7ER +---:W pow arcm v To aE� IDN �� / \\ FnR D°tlN3p=AIdD-STC R'+uu £dST_Fbm pIT \ \ \ � f \\ ♦ OdsT. MCLIBE OF BULIGEaD> \\ \\ f?fchard t Jah( \ \ Property '$ EXdSThAs Tigms \\ \\ \ \ \ \ SIDE TARD L6E Fr y Owner's HOMEAPFVwX E `\ \ 'mds'r zs•am-.,.pr,,= \euaD- \ TO T�aa lejC*W50FCT�eLoocs \ SkX YARD HOC LM_J \\ P s° �a Site Plan Carole Doherty Property owner's scale 1 ol Ek187.RETAINING WALL NousEE NEW "KEY6TONE" BLOCK APPROX.LAKE BULKHEAD WATER LEVEL DOCK N ORDINARY NIGH WATER MARK I ' ll u I 4 0 LAKE 15ED B"M TREATED PILINGS +� 10'-0" OZ.MAX. N FILL AMOUNT 1 8F X 80 LW 160 cF l 160 CF/1-1 - 6 U. YARD8 i 1 I u