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PROPOSAL FOR SOUTH FORK COASTAL MITIGATION BANK IN CAMERON and CALCASIEU PARISHES
NAME OF APPLICANT: Delta Land Services, 1090 Cinclaire Dr., Port Allen, LA 70767
LOCATION OF WORK: Approximately 1,609 acres located 28 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana on LaBove Road in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, (Latitude: 30.03256944˚N; Longitude: -92.83703888˚W) HUC 08080206, as shown on the attached drawings.
CHARACTER OF WORK: Deposition of approximately 115,116 cubic yards of in situ earthen material to fill 34,535 linear feet of artificial drains and return 3,450 linear feet of other waters to natural grade, to restore natural drainage on site. All fill material will be obtained from spoil banks on site. All proposed work will be done for the purpose of establishing a mitigation bank. The work would consist of the following types of restoration: Re-establishment and Rehabilitation for Coastal Prairie, Bottomland Hardwoods and Fresh Intermediate Marsh habitats.
JOINT PUBLIC NOTICE
August 21, 2014
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
NEW ORLEANS DISTRICT
CORPS OF ENGINEERS
REGULATORY FUNCTIONS BRANCH
P.O. BOX 60267
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70160
STATE OF LOUISIANA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
SERVICES
P.O. BOX 4313
BATON ROUGE, LA 70821-4313
STATE OF LOUISIANA
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
OFFICE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT
P.O. BOX 44487
BATON ROUGE, LA 70804-4487
Phone (504) 862- 2595
Phone (225) 219-3225
Phone (225) 342-7940
Fax
Fax
Fax
Email
(504) 862- 2574
(225) 325-8250
(225) 342-9439
jim.holcombe@la.gov
COE REVIEWER:
DEQ REVIEWER:
OCM REVIEWER:
Jacqueline Farabee
E. Johnson
Jim Holcombe
COE NUMBER:
WQC NUMBER:
CUP NUMBER:
MVN-2014-1888
140812-01
P20141035
NAME:
DELTA LAND SERVICES, LLC
c/o DELTA LAND SERVICES, LLC
1090 CINCLARE DR.
PORT ALLEN, LA 70757
Attn: Lee Walters
LOCATION:
Cameron Parish, LA; Lat 30º 1' 57.25" / Long 93º 9' 46.66"; Section 2,3,10 and 11, T12S-R8W; Section 26,27,34,
and 35 T11S-R8W; 28 miles southeast of Lake Charles, LA on LaBove Road; HUC 08080206
DESCRIPTION: Deposition of approximately 115,116 cubic yards of in situ earthen material to fill 34,535 linear feet of artificial
drains and return 3,450 linear feet of other waters to natural grade, to restore natural drainage on site. All fill
material will be obtained from spoil banks on site. All proposed work will be done for the purpose of establishing
the South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank. The work would consist of the following types of restoration: reestablishment and rehabilitation for coastal prairie, bottomland hardwoods and fresh/ intermediate marsh habitats;
including 510.6 acres of coastal prairie, 43.4 acres of bottomland hardwoods, and 57.1 acres of fresh/intermediate
marsh below the 5¿ contour within the Louisiana Coastal Zone. Dredgjng of 13.9 acres of non-wet spoil material
and filling of 8.6 acres of drainage canal bottoms in the Louisiana Coastal Zone.
NOTICE the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management (OCM) has
received the above application for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accordance with the State and Local
Coastal Resources Management Act of 1978, as amended, (Louisiana R.S. 49:214.21-214.41), and the rules
and regulations of the Coastal Resources Program. Applications for the proposed work may be inspected at
617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OCM web page at:
http://dnr.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=591. Copies may be obtained upon
payment of cost of copying. Written comments, including suggestions for modifications or objections to the
proposed work and stating the reasons thereof, are being solicited from the public. Comments must be
received within 25 days of the date of publication of this notice. Comments should be uploaded to our
electronic record, but may be mailed, faxed or emailed to the designated OCM Reviewer. All comments
must contain the appropriate application number and the commenter's full name and contact information.
Application also has been made to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of
Environmental Services for a Water Quality Certification in accordance with La. R.S. 30.2074(A)(93), and
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (P.L. 95-217). Additional information is on file with the above office, and
may be inspected at any time between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Copies may be obtained upon
payment of cost of copying. Comments concerning the application can be filed with the Office of
Environmental Services within 20 days of this notice to the following address: Office of Environmental
Services, P. O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313.
The public comment period for Coastal Use Permit and Water Quality Certification applications begins on the
date of publication of notice in the official journal (The Advocate), in accordance with LAC 43:I. 723(C)(5)(c).
OCM will provide this date on request.
-2The comment period for the Department of the Army Permit and the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality WQC will close 30 days from the date of this joint public
notice. Written comments, including suggestions for modifications or objections to the proposed
work, stating reasons thereof, are being solicited from anyone having interest in this permit
and/or this WQC request and must be mailed so as to be received before or by the last day of the
comment period. Letters concerning the Corps of Engineers permit application must reference
the applicant's name and the Permit Application Number, and be mailed to the Corps of
Engineers at the address above, ATTENTION: REGULATORY BRANCH. Similar letters
concerning the Water Quality Certification must reference the applicant's name and the
WQC Application number and be mailed to the Louisiana Department of Environmental
Quality at the address above.
The application for this proposed project is on file with the Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality and may be examined during weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Copies may be obtained upon payment of costs of reproduction.
Corps of Engineers Permit Criteria
The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable
impacts, including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That
decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important
resources. The benefit which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be
balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the
proposal will be considered including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are
conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic
properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation,
shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy
needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership
and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public, federal, state,
and local agencies and officials, Indian Tribes, and other interested parties in order to consider
and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine whether to make, modify, condition, or deny
a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on
endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and other
public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental
Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine
the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
The New Orleans District is unaware of properties listed on the National Register of
Historic Places near the proposed work. The possibility exists that the proposed work may
damage or destroy presently unknown archeological, scientific, prehistorical, historical sites, or
data. Issuance of this public notice solicits input from the State Archeologist and State Historic
Preservation Officer regarding potential impacts to cultural resources.
Our initial finding is that the proposed work would neither affect any species listed as
endangered by the U.S. Departments of Interior or Commerce, nor affect any habitat designated
as critical to the survival and recovery of any endangered species.
-3This notice initiates the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation requirements of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The applicant's proposal would
result in the destruction or alteration of N/A acre of EFH utilized by various life stages of red
drum and penaeid shrimp. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a
substantial adverse impact on EFH or federally managed fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. Our
final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to
review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
If the proposed work involves deposits of dredged or fill material into navigable waters,
the evaluation of the probable impacts will include the application of guidelines established by
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, a certification that the
proposed activity will not violate water quality standards will be required from the Department
of Environmental Quality, before a permit is issued.
Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice,
that a public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests for public hearings shall
state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing.
The applicant has certified that the proposed activity described in the application
complies with and will be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the Louisiana Coastal
Resources Program. The Department of the Army permit will not be issued unless the applicant
received approval or a waiver of the Coastal Use Permit by the Department of Natural
Resources.
You are requested to communicate the information contained in this notice to any other
parties whom you deem likely to have interest in the matter.
South Fork
Coastal Mitigation Bank
Mitigation Bank Prospectus
in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes,
Louisiana
Sponsored by
Delta Land Services, LLC
July 18, 2014
Restore & Revitalize
Prospectus for the Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana
July 18, 2014
Sponsor:
Delta Land Services, LLC
1090 Cinclare Drive
Port Allen, Louisiana 70767
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1
1.1
Site Location .................................................................................................... 1
1.2
Ownership and Sponsorship ............................................................................. 3
1.3
Driving Directions to the Site ........................................................................... 3
2.0
PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .............................................................. 3
3.0
ECOLOGICAL SUITABILITY OF THE SITE .................................................... 5
3.1
Historical Ecological Characteristics of the Site ............................................... 5
3.2
Current Ecological Characteristics of the Site................................................... 5
3.2.1 Soils ........................................................................................................... 5
3.2.2
Vegetation .................................................................................................. 6
3.2.3
Hydrology .................................................................................................. 6
3.2.4
Jurisdictional Wetland Status ..................................................................... 6
3.3
General Need for the Project in this Area ......................................................... 7
3.3.1 Coastal Prairie Ecological Value ................................................................ 8
3.3.2
Tidal Fresh-intermediate Marsh Ecological Value ...................................... 9
3.3.3
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Forest Ecological Value ........................... 10
3.4
Technical Feasibility ...................................................................................... 12
4.0
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MITIGATION BANK ......................................... 12
4.1
Site Restoration Plan ...................................................................................... 12
4.1.1 Hydrology Restoration ............................................................................. 13
4.1.2
Coastal Prairie Restoration ....................................................................... 13
4.1.3
Tidal Fresh-intermediate Marsh Restoration ............................................. 15
4.1.4
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Forest Restoration ................................... 15
4.2
Current Site Risks .......................................................................................... 16
4.3
Mortgages, Easements, and Encumbrances .................................................... 16
4.4
Long-Term Sustainability of the Site and Water Rights .................................. 17
5.0
PROPOSED GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA ................................................. 17
6.0
OPERATION OF THE MITIGATION BANK ................................................... 18
6.1
Project Representatives .................................................................................. 18
6.2
Qualifications of the Sponsor ......................................................................... 18
6.3
Proposed Long-Term Ownership and Management Representatives ............... 19
6.4
Site Protection................................................................................................ 19
6.5
Long-Term Strategy ....................................................................................... 20
7.0
REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 20
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A.
Attachment B.
Attachment C.
Attachment D.
Tables and Figures
Preliminary Jurisdictional Determinations
Hydrology Restoration Drawings
Photographs
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Delta Land Services, LLC (DLS) prepared this prospectus in accordance with 33 CFR
§ 332.8(d)(2)1 to establish and operate the proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation
Bank (SFCMB or Bank). The 1,609.4-acre SFCMB will provide compensatory
mitigation for unavoidable, permitted impacts to "Waters of the United States1."
Additionally, the SFCMB may provide compensatory mitigation for unavoidable
impacts to coastal wetland resources under the Louisiana Coastal Resources Program
(LCRP)2 per the provisions of LAC 43:724 and RS 49:214.22 (8)3. The SFCMB is
located in Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes approximately 18 miles north of the Gulf
of Mexico and partially lies within the Louisiana Coastal Zone Boundary4 and the
Coastal Conservation Plan Boundary5 (Attachment A: Figure 1).
1.1 Site Location
The SFCMB is located in the Gulf Coast Prairies (150A) Major Land Resource
Area (MLRA) within the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Lowland Forest and Crop
Region (LRR T) (NRCS 2006). The Gulf Coast Prairie MLRA is north of the Gulf
Coast Marsh MLRA (151) and south of the Western Gulf Coast Flatwoods MLRA
(152B), which is a major migration corridor for Nearctic-Neotropical birds
(Barrow et al. 2005). With regard to the Ecoregions of Louisiana, the SFCMB is
located in the Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies Level IV Ecoregion (34a)
within the Western Gulf Coastal Plain Level III Ecoregion (34) (Daigle et. al
2006). The SFCMB is located in the Lower Calcasieu watershed as defined by the
US Geological Survey (USGS) 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 08080206.
1
33 CFR § 332.8(d)(2) summarizes the information regarding a proposed mitigation bank at a sufficient
level of detail to support informed public and IRT comment. Information included (but not limited too) in
a prospectus are the objectives, establishment, operation, service area, general need, technical feasibility,
ownership, long-term management, sponsor qualifications, ecological suitability, and water rights.
1
33 CFR § 328 defines waters of the United States as it applies to the jurisdictional limits of the authority
of the Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act. Waters of the United States include those waters
listed in 33 CFR § 328(a). The lateral limits of jurisdiction in those waters may be divided into three
categories (i.e., territorial seas, tidal wasters, and non-tidal waters), which are further described in 33 CFR
§ 328.4 (a), (b), and (c).
2
The Office of Coastal Management (OCM) of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) is
the agency responsible for implementing the LCRP under the authority of the Louisiana State and Local
Coastal Resources Management Act of 1978, as amended (Act 361, La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq).
3
RS 49:214.22 (8) was added by Act 548 of the 2006 Louisiana Legislative Session to "support sustainable
development in the coastal zone that accounts for potential impacts from hurricanes and other natural
disasters and avoids environmental degradation resulting from damage to infrastructure caused by natural
disasters".
4
The Louisiana Coastal Zone Boundary is the regulatory boundary utilized by the Permits/Mitigation
Division of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for implementing the Louisiana Coastal
Resources Program (LCRP) for regulating development activities and managing the resources of the
Coastal Zone through the Coastal Use Permit Program (CUP) (http://dnr.louisiana.gov/).
5
The Coastal Conservation Plan Boundary is the planning boundary for the 2012 Coastal Master Plan for
project development and implementation for sustaining coastal Louisiana's waterways, natural resources,
culture, and wetlands (http://www.coastalmasterplan.louisiana.gov/)
1
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
The majority of the site is located within the Louisiana Coastal Zone Boundary and
partially within the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation Plan (LCWCP)6
Boundary (Attachment A: Figure 1). According to Light Detection and Ranging
Data (LIDAR), the site ranges from above +8 feet to -1 feet with a majority of the
site being below the five-foot contour (Attachment A: Figures 2 and 3)7.
The SFCMB is approximately 15 miles south-southeast of Lake Charles in
Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, Louisiana in Sections 2, 3, 10, and 11 of
Township 12 South, Range 8 West and Sections 26, 27, 34, and 35 of Township 11
South, Range 8 West. The site can be found on the USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle
"Lake Charles SW, Louisiana" (Attachment A: Figure 4). The approximate center
of the project is located at Latitude 30.032569° North and Longitude 93.16296°
West.8
Both Calcasieu and Cameron parishes have a warm, relatively humid, subtropical
climate.
The 30-year average annual precipitation for both parishes is
approximately 52 inches (Soil Conservation Service 1988 and 1995). The 30-year
average annual rainfall collected at the Lake Charles Municipal Airport (Airport) is
approximately 57.2 inches (Southern Regional Climate Center 2014 [Chart 1]),
which is approximately six miles north-northwest of the SFCMB.
The
approximate growing seasons in Calcasieu Parish and Cameron Parish are
approximately 259 days and 275 days9, respectively. The elevation of Calcasieu
Parish ranges from zero to 95 feet mean sea level (MSL), and the elevation of
Cameron Parish ranges from sea level to 20 feet above sea level (MSL).
Rainfall (Inches)
Chart 1. 30-year Average Rainfall, Southern Regional
Climate Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 30.12° North and
93.23° West
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
30-Yr Avg
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
5.52
3.28
3.54
3.64
6.06
6.07
5.13
4.85
5.95
3.94
4.61
4.6
6
The LCWCP program was enacted under the federal Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and
Restoration Act (Public Law 101-646, Title III-CWPPRA) by agreement with the Federal resource
agencies. The goal and requirement of the Plan is to achieve no net loss of wetland value in the coastal
areas of Louisiana as a result of development activities.
7
All elevations are purported using North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD)
8
The aforementioned and all subsequent geographic coordinates are based on the North American Datum
of 1983 (NAD83).
9
The growing season is based on an ambient low temperature of > 28° F for 2 out of every 10 years.
2
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
1.2
Ownership and Sponsorship
South Fork Holdings, LLC (South Fork or Owner) will be the owner the Bank. A
portion of the Bank site is owned by South Fork and the remainder is currently
under contract for acquisition by South Fork. DLS is the managing entity of South
Fork and will serve as the Sponsor. DLS will oversee construction and
establishment of the Bank and will serve as the long-term manager and steward but
may appoint a long-term steward if such appointment is approved by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Orleans District (CEMVN). The anticipated
long-term management will consist of monitoring, invasive species control,
controlled burning, boundary maintenance, and forest management. The site will
be protected by a perpetual conservation servitude, which is described in Section
6.4.
1.3
Driving Directions to the Site
From the intersection of Interstate 210 and Louisiana Highway (LA Hwy) 385 in
Lake Charles, proceed south on LA 385 for 8.8 miles. Turn left onto LA Hwy 384
and travel 4.3 miles. Turn left on LaBove Rd, travel 0.3 miles into the site.
2.0 PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the SFCMB is the restoration10 (i.e., re-establishment 11 and rehabilitation12)
of coastal prairie meadow wetlands (CP), fresh-intermediate marsh (FIM) wetlands and
bottomland hardwood gallery forest (BLH) (Attachment A: Table 1), within the
Government Ditch-South Fork Black Bayou Watershed (HUC 080802060203) of the
Lower Calcasieu Watershed (HUC 08080206). The restoration of CP, FIM, and BLH
wetlands will provide additional wetland functions13 and values not currently realized
under the existing conditions and land use (e.g., flood storage, outdoor experiences,
Nearctic-Neotropical birds and other aquatic fauna habitat). Current land uses are crop
and livestock production which includes improved pastures, range land, cultivated crop
land and man-made drainage (Attachment A: Table 1). Localized and downstream water
quality will improve by removing livestock and increasing surface-water retention time.
10
Restoration is defined in 33 CFR §332.2 as the manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological
characteristics of a site with the goal of returning natural/historic functions to a former or degraded
aquatic resource. For the purpose of tracking net gains in aquatic resource area, restoration is divided
into two categories: re-establishment and rehabilitation.
11
Re-establishment is defined in 33 CFR § 332.2 as the manipulation of the physical, chemical, or
biological characteristics of a site with the goal of returning natural/historic functions to a former aquatic
resource. Re-establishment results in rebuilding a former aquatic resource and results in a gain in aquatic
resource area and functions.
12
Rehabilitate is defined in 33 CFR § 332.2 as the manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological
characteristics of a site with the goal of repairing natural/historic functions to a degraded aquatic
resource. Rehabilitation results in a gain in aquatic resource function, but does not result in a gain in
aquatic resource area.
13
Wetland function is defined in 33 CFR § 332 as the physical (i.e., water storage [USGS 1997]), chemical
(i.e., nutrient transformation [USGS 1997]), and biological processes (i.e., organic matter production
[USGS 1997]) that occur in ecosystems.
3
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Wildlife habitat will improve for resident biota and Nearctic-Neotropical migrating bird
species (e.g., staging, resting, feeding, escape cover, etc.) through afforestation14 with
native wetland trees and shrubs or re-establishment with wet prairie herbaceous species.
Specifically, the project objectives are to restore and protect the physical, chemical, and
biological functions of a BLH, CP and FIM wetland ecosystem as follows:
·
re-establish historic and self-sustaining surface hydrology to restore natural
drainage patterns by backfilling artificial drainages and subsoiling to reduce soil
compaction and increase surface water infiltration;
·
rehabilitate 429.2 acres of CP by removing the existing invasive pasture
community and restore a CP ecosystem dominated by native herbaceous species
to improve plant diversity and wildlife habitat;
·
re-establish 648.6 acres of CP within non-wetland pasture habitat and restore a
prairie ecosystem dominated by native herbaceous species to improve plant
diversity and wildlife habitat;
·
re-establish 30.1 acres of FIM within non-wetland pasture habitat and restore FIM
habitat dominated by native herbaceous species to improve plant diversity and
wildlife habitat
·
rehabilitate 27.0 acres of tidal FIM through hydrology restoration, Chinese tallow
(Triadica sebifera) abatement, and prescribed fire to restore a FIM habitat
dominated by native herbaceous species to improve plant diversity and wildlife
habitat;
·
re-establish 200.7 acres of native BLH within non-wetland pastures through
afforestation of native tree and shrub species to improve plant diversity and
wildlife habitat;
·
rehabilitate 234.9 acres of native BLH within wetland pastures through
afforestation of native tree and shrub species to improve plant diversity and
wildlife habitat;
·
ensure long-term viability and sustainability by implementing specific
management strategies such as:
o active and adaptive management,
o establishment of financial assurances and long-term maintenance funds
(i.e., construction, establishment, and long-term escrow accounts),
o initial, intermediate, and long-term monitoring,
o initial, intermediate, and long-term maintenance,
o initial, intermediate, and long-term invasive species control, and
14
The SAF (2011) defines afforestation (afforest) as "the establishment of a forest or stand in an area
where the preceding vegetation or land use was not forest whereas reforestation is the re-establishment of
forest cover either naturally (by natural seeding, coppice, or root suckers) or artificially (by direct seeding
or planting) --note reforestation usually maintains the same forest type and is done promptly after the
previous stand or forest was removed --synonym regeneration".
4
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
o controlled burning in CP and FIM areas.
·
provide long-term land use protection through the execution of a perpetual-term
conservation servitude and to insure sufficient long-term funds are available to
cover annual expenditures associated with maintenance and management of the
SFCMB.
3.0 ECOLOGICAL SUITABILITY OF THE SITE
3.1
Historical Ecological Characteristics of the Site
The SFCMB lies within the Great Southwest Prairies region. This vast region of
Louisiana was historically dominated by grasses, graminoids (e.g., grasslike,
sedges and rushes), and forbs (e.g., broadleafs, composites, legumes) species.
Gallery forests and marshes were integrated with the prairie, which separated the
prairies into geographically separate units and subunits (coves) with unique names.
Specifically, the SFCMB falls within a unit identified on historic cartographic
works as the "Calcasieu Prairie" (Louisiana Natural Heritage Program [LNHP]
2009; Allen 2006, Newton 1972). Based on a review of historical aerial
photographs, the site was a wetland with mima mound15 topography that was landleveled for rice (Oryza sativa)16 cultivation and production (Attachment A: Figures
5 through 12).
3.2
Current Ecological Characteristics of the Site
3.2.1 Soils
Soils mapped within the project area are listed as Judice silty clay loam (Ju); Ged
mucky clay (GB); Leton silt loam (Lt); Morey loam (Mr); and Mowata-Vidrine silt
loam (Mt) (Natural Resource Conservation Service [NRCS] 20141,2) (Attachment
A: Figure 13). The Judice series consists of very deep, poorly drained, very slowly
permeable soils in broad, slightly depressional areas. The Ged series consists of
very poorly drained lands. Ged series is also a hydric soil typically found in
freshwater marshes that border the Gulf Coast Prairies and are frequently flooded
and ponded most of the time. The Leton series is a hydric soil that consists of
poorly drained, slowly permeable soils formed in loamy alluvium on large flats
and along drainage ways of the Gulf Coast Prairies. The Morey series is a nonhydric soil, poorly drained, and located on broad flats. The Mowata-Vidrine
association is listed as a partially hydric soil, whereas the Mowata soils are intermound soils and Vidrine soils are mound soils of the mima mound complex
common in Southwest Louisiana and Gulf Coastal Plain formations. The Mowata
15
Mima mounds (mounds) are a typical, circular to elliptical landforms observed in southwest Louisiana.
The mounds range from 10 feet to more than 100 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height. The geologic origin
of the mounds is unknown although differential erosion wind and water action from marine influence is a
plausible theory. The colloquial term for the mounds is "pimple mounds".
16
The aforementioned and all scientific plant names in this report are from Lichvar (2013) and USDA
Plants Database (NRCS 2014).
5
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
series consists of very deep, poorly drained and very slowly permeable soils,
which are nearly level and slopes range from 0 to 1%. Vidrine soils consist of very
deep, moderately well-drained to somewhat poorly drained, and slowly permeable,
which are narrow to broad mounds with slopes ranging from 0-3%.
3.2.2 Vegetation
The SFCMB consists of a combination of pastures, agriculture fields, freshwater
marsh, and forested/scrub wetlands (Attachment A: Figure 14). Vegetation in
the pasture areas is managed to support production of livestock. Prior-converted
pastures were comprised of dominant species such as yellow nut sedge (Cyperus
esculentus), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), jointed flat sedge (Cyperus
articulatus), and marsh flatsedge (Cyperus pseudovegetus). The agriculture fields
are currently in crop production with rice being the predominant crop. The
forested/scrub wetlands on site were dominated by Chinese tallow, eastern
baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia), wax myrtle (Morella cerifera), and Macartney
rose (Rosa bracteata). Vegetation found in freshwater marshes consists of
common rush (Juncus effusus), giant cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliacea), marshhay
cordgrass (Spartina patens), and sedges (Carex spp. and Cyperus spp.).
3.2.3 Hydrology
Project hydrology is influenced by localized rainfall, hardpan17 development, and
remnant depressional areas of the historic mima mound topography. MowataVidrine soils have been described as "run-on" soils due to their concave nature,
meaning these soils are a source for hydrological runoff from nearby soils, which
are more convex in nature18. Given this hydrological influence, "marais" (little
marshes) and "platins" (ponds) were associated with the prairie ecosystem on
this soil type and were similar to freshwater marshes. Natural hydrology is
altered by agricultural drainage improvements and soil surface compaction. The
agriculture drainage improvements prevent surface hydrological influences from
the adjacent marshes and drainage canals. The overall drainage pattern is from
the northeast to the southwest into South Fork Black Bayou and subsequently
into Calcasieu Lake.
3.2.4 Jurisdictional Wetland Status
The following Preliminary Jurisdictional Determinations (PJD) are have been
issued for the entire acreage described within this prospectus (Attachment B).
17
Pan as defined by the SCS (1988) is a compact dense layer in a soil that impedes the movement of water
and the growth of roots (i.e., hardpan, fragipan, claypan, plowpan, and traffic pan).
18
Based on notes from Dr. Malcolm Vidrine in personal communication with Mr. Orville Touchet, former
Louisiana State Soil Scientist in January 1999 and described in Vidrine 2010.
6
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
·
·
·
On August 13, 2013, the CEMVN issued a PJD (MVN-2013-01755-SC)
on a 640.8-acre tract of land located in Sections 3, 10 and 11, Township
12 South, Range 8 West, Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
On October 21, 2013, the CEMVN issued a PJD (MVN-2013-02069-SR)
on a 733-acre tract located in Sections 3 and 10, Township 12 South,
Range 8 West, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
On July 14, 2014, the CWMVN issued a PJD (MVN-2014-00766-SR) on
980.6 acres located in Sections 34 and 35, Township 11 South, Range 8
West, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
3.3 General Need for the Project in this Area
The primary factors for the general need of the SFCMB are listed below:
·
·
·
·
the SFCMB will reduce runoff and improve the quality of water flowing
into the Calcasieu River Estuary within the Louisiana Coastal Zone
Boundary;
the SFCMB has documented presence of wetland indicators (i.e., hydric
soils, hydrology, and hydrophytic vegetation);
historic aerial photography indicates the potential of a historic coastal
prairie landscape with mima mound topography prior to agricultural
conversion; and
the restoration of BLH gallery forest, CP wetland, and tidal FIM habitat
within this watershed will benefit native invertebrate and invertebrate biota,
and migrating Nearctic-Neotropical migrants.
The SFCMB is within 18 miles of the Gulf of Mexico coastline, is undeveloped,
and is strategically located in an area important to Nearctic-neotropical migrants.
Within an 18-mile radius of the SFCMB, approximately 58% of the landscape
provides little natural habitat for migrant bird staging or fallout shelter (i.e.,
agricultural [24.9%], open water [13.1%] and developed land [10.5%]). The
remaining 42% is very important to migrant birds and is comprised of 24.7%
emergent herbaceous wetlands (coastal marsh), 13.3% deciduous/woody wetlands,
9.4% evergreen forest, and 4.2% scrub-shrub (Attachment A: Figure 15). In
addition, within one mile surrounding the SFCMB, 88.2% of the land use is either
hay, pasture, cultivated crops or agro-forestry (e.g. eucalyptus plantations for pulp
production). Approximately 7.5% is woody wetlands, emergent wetlands,
herbaceous, open water, barren land, scrub-shrub or mixed forest. The remaining
4.3% is developed (Attachment A: Figure 16).
Below the SFCMB, in the southern half of the 18-mile radius, is the most strategic,
migration zone for Nearctic-Neotropicals. Whether staging to migrate south or
recovering (fallout shelter) from the trans-Gulf migration, only 1.5% of this area
provides forested-shrub habitat for migrating birds. It is estimated that 80,000
birds per mile of migration front arrive on the Louisiana coastline each day during
peak spring migration, which places a tremendous strain on available food sources.
7
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
In terms of species diversity, more than half of the 160 species of North American
Nearctic-Neotropicals migrate through the Louisiana Cheniers (Barrow and
Fontenot 2006). Both the number of migrating birds and species diversity adds
considerable value for the restoration and long-term management of the project
area as BLH-shrub ecosystem (Barrow et al. 2005).
The restored CP, FIM, and BLH communities will reduce surface runoff and
increase soil infiltration (Richardson et al. 2001). Organic matter deposition will
increase, soil bulk density will decrease, hydraulic conductivity will increase, soil
saturation potential will increase, and the formation of redoximorphic features will
be enhanced (Collins and Kuehl 2001). Soil organic carbon is critical to soil
reduction and the formation of low chroma colors will increase as soil organic
material increases from the deposition of leaf litter, coarse woody debris, and
decaying root material (Collins and Kuehl 2001). Borsari and Shirley (1993)
revealed noticeable increase to soil organic matter at the Cajun Prairie Restoration
Project three years after restoration began.
3.3.1 Coastal Prairie Ecological Value
It is estimated that as much as 2.5 million acres of coastal prairie existed in
Louisiana at the time of early European settlement (USGS 2000). Much of this
habitat has been converted to pasture or agriculture. With this conversion and fire
abatement, less than 100 acres of remnant prairie exists and coastal prairie is listed
as critically imperiled (S119) and vulnerable to extirpation within the state of
Louisiana (LNHP 2009). Remnant coastal prairie acreage is limited to narrow
strips of land adjacent to railroad ROWs, which have been undisturbed by
agriculture, but subject to frequent burning by the railroads to keep the tracks clear
of debris (Allain et al. 2000, LNHP 2009, Vidrine 2010). Today, restoration
efforts have primarily been catered toward smaller projects such as the 10-acre
Cajun Prairie Restoration Project in Eunice, Louisiana or to small home gardens.
However, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) implemented the
Duralde Prairie, a 345-acre coastal prairie restoration project located in Evangeline
Parish, Louisiana. Although these efforts are important, Vidrine (2010) noted that
restoration must occur on larger tracts to insure sufficient habitat for beneficial
insects and pollinators.
Restoration at the SFCMB will result in 1,077.8 acres of restored coastal prairie
wetlands that will provide habitat for migrating Nearctic-Neotropical migrants. In
particular, six (6) priority bird species will benefit from establishing the ecotone
between the prairie ROW and BLH wetlands (Vermillion et al. 2008). The list
consists of the Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), loggerhead shrike (Lanius
ludovicianus), Le Conte's sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), seaside sparrow
(Ammodramus maritimus), Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea), golden-winged
warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), and Swainson's warblers (Limnothlypis
19
The LNHP (2009) has designated coastal prairie as S1 given five (5) or fewer extant populations are
known or environmental and anthropogenic factors make this habitat especially vulnerable to extirpation.
8
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
swainsonii). The integration of forested-shrub and coastal prairie habitat will
benefit other migratory species such as gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis),
indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea), ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus
colubris), and hooded warbler (Setophaga citrina) and resident bird species such
as the yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens), painted bunting (Passerina ciris),
orchard oriole (Icterus spurius) and eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)20.
The coastal prairie is the wintering ground for the whooping-crane (Grus
americana), a federally-listed endangered species (Allain et al. 2000).
Coastal prairie restoration will enhance the forage resources for nectar feeding and
pollinating species. Allain (2007) catalogued 650 species of coastal prairie plants
along with their conservation ranking. More than 100 species of skippers and
butterflies are found in the Louisiana Prairies (Allain et al. 2000). One particular
plant species, rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) provides foraging
resources for over 200 invertebrate species (Coastal Prairie Partnership 2009).
Furthermore, nectarivorous, prey species (e.g., Order Diptera [flies]) provide
forage for as many as 100 species of dragonfly (Order Odonata) (Allain et al.
2000). Vidrine (2010) listed over 400 invertebrates and 275 species of vertebrates
known to inhabit the Cajun Prairie. The diversity of insects in these habitats
provides increased pollinating opportunity as well as food sources for various
wildlife species.
3.3.2 Tidal Fresh-intermediate Marsh Ecological Value
Prior to the settlement of south Louisiana, the estimated acreage of fresh marsh
ranged from one (1) million to two (2) million acres and fresh-intermediate marsh
ranged from 100,000 to 500,000 acres (LNHP 2009). Since settlement and
agricultural expansion, the acreage of fresh water marsh has been reduced by 25%
to 50% and fresh-intermediate marsh has been reduced by 50% to 75%. In this
region of Cameron Parish, tidal fresh-intermediate marsh is a transitional habitat
between the coastal prairie and brackish tidal marshes. Due to proximity and
attachment of the tidal FIM to the Calcasieu estuary, it will serve as habitat for
species that often range into tidal freshwater marshes during their life cycle or
utilize detritus originating from upstream freshwater sources. Examples of these
species are brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), blue crab (Callinectes
sapidus), the killifish family [Cyprinodontidae], gulf menhaden (Brevoortia
patronus), striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), southern flounder (Paralichthys
lethostigma), and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) (USFWS 1984, USFWS 1992,
Louisiana State University AgCenter 20131,2). The freshwater marsh combined
with the coastal prairie restoration provides habitat for numerous waterfowl,
wading birds, Nearctic-Neotropical songbirds, and pollinating insects. Allain et
al. (2000) purport that these areas harbor more red-tailed hawks (Buteo
20
Personal communication between Dr. Billy DeLany of Delta Land Services and Mr. Mike Baldwin and
Dr. Wylie Barrow of the USGS National Wetland Research Center, via electronic mail dated October 30,
2012
9
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
jamaicensis), northern harriers (Circus cyaneus) and white-faced ibis (Plegadis
chichi) than any other ecological region in the United States.
Fresh-intermediate marshes are preferred habitat for residential, non-migratory
whooping cranes. The fresh-intermediate marshes of southwest Louisiana were
once home to large numbers of non-migratory whooping cranes. However,
throughout the first half of the 20th century, this species began to decline and by
1947, only one (1) whooping crane remained at White Lake. In 1950, it was
captured and relocated to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. In 2011,
an effort began to re-establish a Non-Essential Experimental (NEP) population of
resident whooping cranes to southwest Louisiana. The goal of this effort is to
establish a flock of 130 individuals and 30 nesting pairs which can survive for 10
years without restocking.
To meet this goal, a cohort of 10 juvenile birds was released on February 16, 2011,
at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Areas (WLWCA) in Vermilion Parish
approximately 40 to 45 miles east of the SFCMB. This was followed by the
reintroduction of a cohort of 16 juveniles on December 27, 2011; a cohort of 14
juveniles on December 19, 2012; and a cohort of 10 juveniles on January 2, 2014.
Of these cohorts released, 30 birds have survived to near maturity with 6 forming 3
bonded pairs with one pair producing a pair of eggs in 2014. The restoration of
freshwater marsh will cumulatively work in conjunction with other restoration
efforts, such as the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act
(CWPPRA) to protect and restore coastal marshes to insure the viability and
sustainability of whooping crane population (LDWF 20131). The mosaic of
habitats restored by the SFCMB will provide a wide variety of habitats that have
been observed being utilized by the released whooping cranes. King and Perkins
(2013) purported that whooping cranes have been observed utilizing forested and
shrub areas which had been previously undocumented. The management of the CP
and FIM sections of the SFCMB as a wet area with controlled burns could
potentially provide foraging habitat as whooping cranes have been known to target
areas that are flooded or burned in search of acorns, snails, insects, rodents and
other items (LDWF 20132, U.S. Department of Interior National Biological
Service [USDOI NBS] 1996).
3.3.3 Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Forest Ecological Value
The restoration of 435.6 acres of BLH gallery forest wetland habitat will benefit
native wildlife, nesting bird species, and migrating Neoarctic-Neotropical birds
(Barrow et al. 2005, NRCS 2005, Vermillion et al. 2008). Gautreaux (1975) and
Barrow et al. (2005) define coastal forests as wooded communities within
approximately 62 miles of the Gulf Coast. In addition, Barrow et al. (2005)
delineated the coastline of Cameron Parish as Consistent Abundant21 habitat in the
Northwest Region of the Gulf of Mexico. In the Northwest Region, several
21
Consistent Abundant as defined by Barrow et al. (2005) is an area used by large numbers of Nearctic-Neotropical migrants each
year and season.
10
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
species of facultative wetland forest and shrub species are forest components
between the Mississippi River and Colorado Rivers (Barrow et al. 2005). These
forest and shrub species provide foraging cover (e.g., twig buds, flowering parts,
hard mast, and soft mast), resting cover (e.g., understory, mid-story and evergreen
canopies), and escape cover from predators (e.g., raptors and mammals).
Furthermore, many of the forest-shrub species listed by Barrow et al. (2005) are
recognized species used for restoring bottomland hardwood wetlands and other
wetland habitats (Allen et al. 2001, LNHP 2009). LNHP (2009) purported that
baygalls likely occurred in the coastal prairie system. Baygalls are typically shrubdominated or mature swamps having evergreen shrubs comprising the midstory
and understory strata (LNHP 2009). Vidrine (2010) noted that the restoration of
gallery forests within the prairie ecosystem may be required in prairie restoration
efforts in order to create sustainable ecosystems. Fearn (1995) concluded that tree
species such as those in the genus Pinus, Quercus, and Taxodium have been
components of the prairie ecosystem based on pollen, phytolith, charcoal and
diatom studies conducted within the coastal prairie region.
From 1952 to 1974, human development in the Chenier Plain decreased the coastal
forests by 17 percent and these coastal forests occupied only 6 percent of the total
area (Gosselink et al. 1979). Grazing of Chenier Plain forests alters the forest
structure and species composition (Barrow et al. 2000). Overall, Barrow et al.
(2000) found that most en route forest-dwelling migrants tolerated some
degradation of the Chenier Plain forests; however, select groups (e.g., early
migrants, dead-leaf foragers, frugivores, and nectarivores) used grazed forests
significantly less than undisturbed forests. The re-established forest-shrub wetland
of the SFCMB will provide diverse foraging opportunities for NearcticNeotropical migrants during the winter and spring migration. The increase in
forested acreage would play an important role in the strategy of establishing and
protecting corridors from the coast to inland areas. Corridor conservation and
restoration is identified as a strategy to facilitate wildlife and plant migration in
response to transitions anticipated with predicted climate change (National Fish,
Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Management Team [Strategy]
2012).
For the Nearctic-Neotropical spring migration from the Cameron Parish Gulf
Coast to the forests of the Calcasieu Watershed, forest-shrub cover is scattered and
dominated by Chinese tallow. The SFCMB is excellently positioned along this
migratory corridor to provide several cover types (e.g., resting, escape, protective)
and forages (e.g., seasonally available insects, soft mast and hard mast). Barrow et
al. 2005 identified several habitat variables when selecting and planning a location
for creating Nearctic-Neotropical migrant cover which are considered in the
restoration strategy of the SFCMB which are listed below:
·
·
identifying sites within 15.5 miles to 62.1 miles from the Gulf coastline;
staging areas while waiting for favorable migration weather;
11
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
·
·
·
·
·
giving consideration to the existing landscape mosaic when selecting a site to
decrease the distance between forested-shrub cover;
emphasizing habitat structure and complexity of plant community design;
controlling invasive exotic species;
considering diverse dietary needs (e.g., insectivorous [insects], frugivorous
[fruits], nectarivorous [flowers] or omnivorous [generalists]); and
providing drinking water sources.
Chinese tallow is highly invasive and has naturalized from North Carolina to south
Texas (Bruce et al. 1997 in Barrow et al. 2005). In the Chenier Plain and Coastal
Prairie, Chinese tallow has and will continue to invade abandoned farmland,
pastureland, and fencerows. Barrow and Renne (2001) determined that some
migrants were more common in Chinese tallow habitat, but migrant species
diversity was significantly greater in riparian forests dominated by native species.
Furthermore, insect biomass was lower in Chinese tallow habitat and Lepidopteran
larvae, an important food resource, were absent. The authors concluded that
Chinese tallow communities may provide cover for migrants but were lacking in
forage resources. Therefore, the removal and long-term control of Chinese tallow
and other invasive species on the SFCMB will increase habitat quality for
Nearctic-Neotropical migrants.
3.4 Technical Feasibility
The construction work required to develop the SFCMB is routine and feasible.
The construction work will consist of site preparation, afforestation, filling
artificial drains, and re-establishing dredged, historic other waters by filling and
swaling. The large project size, diversity of elevations, abundant rainfall, high
ground water, adjacency to tidal waters, the documented presence of hydric soils
and the diversity of soil types indicate high probability for successful restoration of
a diversity of wetland habitats.
4.0 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MITIGATION BANK
4.1 Site Restoration Plan
Within the 1,609.4-acre project area, 1,077.8 acres of CP, 57.1 acres of FIM, and
435.6 acres of BLH wetland will be re-established or rehabilitated (Attachment A:
Table 1, Figure 17). Areas determined to be non-wetlands per the PJDs will
become re-established wetlands. Areas determined to be existing wetlands per the
PJDs will be rehabilitated and areas determined to be non-wetlands will be reestablished (USACE 2012). CP will be restored on the lower elevations and BLH
(gallery forests) will be restored on higher elevations. FIM will be rehabilitated in
the lowest elevations. LNHP (2009) noted that gallery forests tended to occupy
the higher elevations within a coastal prairie community.
12
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
The SFCMB will be compatible with current land uses within the Lower Calcasieu
River Watershed given that the Bank will provide additional forested, prairie, and
tidal marsh habitats. The proposed mitigation plan involves the cessation of
agricultural production (i.e., agronomic, cattle, and hay), the restoration of surface
hydrology and native plant communities, and the implementation of effective
short-term, intermediate, and long-term management strategies. All interior fences
will be removed prior to site preparation activities in late summer. Drainage
ditches and access roads will be filled or degraded to surface level, respectively.
The drainage ditches (historic natural drainage patterns) will be filled with in situ
soil material and restored to naturally occurring drainage patterns. Site preparation
efforts will include the removal and control of Chinese tallow through herbicide
treatments, mechanized clearing, cutting, shredding, or a combination thereof.
4.1.1 Hydrology Restoration
Hydrology restoration will increase surface water retention and soil saturation,
reduce nonpoint source runoff, and improve water quality through nutrient
immobilization (uptake) by vegetation. DLS anticipates no long-term structural
management requirements will be needed to assure sustained hydrology. To
restore historic sheet flow, approximately 34,535 linear feet of artificial drains will
be returned to natural grade, utilizing approximately 115,116 cubic yards of in situ
earthen fill material from relict drainage ditch spoil and the existing access road
(Attachment C). The access road will continue to be used as a 10-foot wide access
trail for monitoring and invasive species control but will be degraded to natural
level as to not impede sheet flow, and. Approximately 3,450 linear feet of Section
10 Other Waters will be returned to natural grade, utilizing approximately 20,444
cubic yards of in situ earthen fill material from relict drainage ditch spoil. To
facilitate an east-west flow and aquatic organism ingress/egress throughout the
FIM restoration areas, two (2) pipe-arch culverts will be installed within an
existing north-south access road. These types of culverts provide for efficient
hydraulic capacity at low water levels/flow. This hydraulic efficiency minimizes
siltation or debris settlement within the culvert. Each culvert will have a rise of 24
inches with a span of 35 inches for a cross-sectional area of 4.5 square feet.
(Attachment A: Figure 17 and Attachment C: Figure C-11). In addition, the FIM
is openly connected to South Fork Black Bayou at several locations for unimpeded
water flow and aquatic organism ingress and egress.
4.1.2 Coastal Prairie Restoration
CP will be restored by planting marshhay cordgrass plugs and broadcast seeded
with selected/available facultative (FAC) to obligate (OBL) graminoid species and
forbs listed or described in published information (Allain et al. 1999, Allain et al.
2000, USGS 2000, LNHP 2009) (Attachment A: Table 2). Coastal prairie
restoration activities will include site preparation, marshhay cordgrass plug
planting, and seeding of facultative or wetter prairie plant species in the fall of
2015 and winter of 2016.
Site preparation will include herbicide treatment,
13
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
surface tillage, and shallow ripping to remove exotic/noxious pasture grasses such
as bermudagrass and woody species such as Chinese tallow and reduce compaction
attributable to prior livestock usage. Light cultipacking will follow surface tillage
to reduce soil runoff and provide a level platform which allows for more efficient
planting operations. A selection of seeds will be distributed in a patchwork
fashion throughout the site. The seed mix will consist of species discussed in
Allain et al. 2000, Allain et al. 1999, USGS (2000), and LNHP (2009). Seeds
potentially used for planting will be procured from seed producers and harvesters
in the Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and Texas. Marshhay cordgrass plugs will
be planted within the restoration area in the time frame from December through
April. No further soil disturbance or cultivation will be implemented after the
initial planting/seeding.
Fire is an integral part of maintaining coastal prairies. Fire reduces invasive
species, limits woody encroachment, encourages seed germination, encourages
light penetration, promotes desirable prairie species, and maintains a desirable
community (Allain et al. 1999, Allain et al. 2000). Chinese tallow is a persistent
invader of the coastal prairie system and can cause the collapse of such a system if
left unabated. Eastern baccharis is also an aggressive woody shrub. Fire can
prevent and control the spread of these species as well as undesirable native and
exotic species such as Vasey grass, bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), Brazilian
vervain (Verbena brasiliensis), and bull thistle (Cirsium horridulum) (Attachment
A: Table 3). Fire has beneficial effects on soil nutrients as it mobilizes potassium,
which enhances blooming and the movement of nitrogen and phosphorous in the
soil (Grace 1998, Allain and Grace 2001, Vidrine 2010). The establishment of
marshhay cordgrass is important as it adds sufficient fuels in wetter areas in order
to provide a fire of sufficient heat to control Chinese tallow. Vidrine (2010) noted
the lack of sufficient fuels for controlled burns did not effectively control Chinese
tallow in the wetter and lower portions of the Cajun Prairie Restoration Project. In
drier areas of this project, fuels were sufficient for controlled burns to control and
suppress Chinese tallow.
A winter burn will be conducted in the first year and may be conducted on a
frequency of one to three years. Many of the controlled burns are expected to
occur in the dormant season when conditions are typically more favorable to
conduct such activities (i.e., favorable weather conditions, ease of smoke
management, etc.). However, growing season burns will be implemented when
possible as these burns can enhance species diversity (Allain et al. 1999, Allain et
al. 2000). Fire breaks will be established along the perimeter and juxtaposed to the
BLH gallery forest restoration to contain fires to the coastal prairie restoration
area. In the event a controlled burn cannot be conducted as scheduled, the site may
be mowed in the dormant season in-lieu of fire management. DLS anticipates that
weedy annuals will predominate the system over the first few years; however, as
succession progresses, more desirable perennial species will begin to dominate the
system (Allain et al. 1999, Allain et al. 2000).
14
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
4.1.3 Tidal Fresh-intermediate Marsh Restoration
FIM will be rehabilitated by re-establishing the hydrologic connection with South
Fork Black Bayou controlling, the cessation of cattle grazing, control of invasive
species, and prescribed fire.
Within the SFCMB, 57.1 acres of tidal FIM will be rehabilitated by restoring the
hydrologic connection of the SFCMB area to South Fork Black Bayou, removal
and control of Chinese tallow, and the use of prescribed fire to re-establish freshintermediate marsh plant species diversity and stability. Hydrologic barriers will
be removed to reconnect the marsh to South Fork Black Bayou. Chinese tallow
will be removed by herbicide application and prescribed fire. In locations to be
determined (on an as-need-basis and will be reported in the as-built report),
marshhay cordgrass plugs will be planted to colonize disturbed soil surfaces
(hydrology restoration sites) and areas lacking of marsh plant cover.
4.1.4 Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Forest Restoration
BLH gallery restoration activities will include site preparation and coincide with
planting wet prairie plant species in the fall of 2015 and winter of 2016. Site
preparation activities within the restoration area will be accomplished through
herbicide treatments, cultivation, and ripping the soil at equidistant intervals to a
depth of approximately 18 inches which will increase water infiltration (Allen et
al. 2001). Afforestation activities will include the planting of native tree and shrub
species during the first planting season (December 15, 2015 through March 15,
2016) following site preparation. Tree and shrub species selection will be siteappropriate in terms of habitat design and moisture regime, and upwards of 15
species may be represented in the planting assemblage to insure adequate species
richness (Twedt and Best 2004). The distribution of the trees and shrubs will
create a mosaic of hard mast and soft mast species that will provide seasonally
available forages (Barrow et al. 2005).
The potential planting list consists of species based on experience and scientific
knowledge (LNH 2009, Lester et al. 2005, Burns and Honkala 1990, Barrow et al.
2005) (Attachment A: Table 4). The proposed species are OBL, FACW, and FAC
per the 2012 National Wetland Plant List (Lichvar 2013). However, to increase
habitat diversity for Nearctic-Neotropicals, upland species, primarily live oak
(Quercus virginiana) and red mulberry (Morus rubra), may be included in the
planting assemblage. Although these species are designated as FACU, they are
known to exist in elevated areas within wetland habitats dominated by FAC to
FACW species. Selected species will be locally produced native ecotypes that are
appropriate for the restored site conditions and will provide considerable wildlife
and Nearctic-Neotropical migrant habitat value. The exact species and quantities
for planting will be determined by the availability of such species from
commercial nurseries providing localized ecotype seedlings. Initial planting
densities will be approximately 538 stems per acre. Seedlings will be mixed prior
15
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
to planting so that areas are not comprised of a single species (Twedt and Best
2004).
Other species recommended for planting that are beneficial for migratory birds are
sweet acacia (Acacia farnesiana), Hercules' club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis),
honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), roughleaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii),
stiff dogwood (Cornus foemina), and buckthorn (Frangula caroliniana). These
species were not included in the planting list as the commercial availability of such
species is currently unknown; however, DLS will investigate this availability
further and will encourage any natural regeneration of such species should it occur.
4.2 Current Site Risks
DLS does not foresee any adverse impacts to the Bank resulting from the
continued existence and operation of the neighboring land uses. Land use and
cover type west of the SFCMB are existing riverine and palustrine forested
wetlands along the South Fork Black Bayou riparian corridor. There are no
existing hydrological disturbances on the SFCMB over which DLS or Owner does
not control. Adjacent landownership and management will not affect the
establishment and long-term success of the SFCMB. The canal along the east
boundary is not connected to the SFCMB, appears abandoned, and is not
maintained for irrigation or drainage purposes. The irrigation canal is colonized
primarily by Chinese tallow and giant cutgrass. The adjacent spoil of the canal is
not maintained and inhabited by large diameter trees and shrubs (e.g., Chinese
tallow, sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), winter willow, wax myrtle).
DLS did consider the possibility of encroachment of non-native eucalyptus into the
SFCMB from agro-forestry plantation within the surrounding land use. However,
eucalyptus is not an opportunistic invader of disturbed site as many other invasive
species such as Chinese tallow and is not very tolerable of plant competition.
Eucalyptus requires intensive site cultivation, herbicide application, and
fertilization in order to establish and maintain it (Louisiana State University
Agricultural Center [LSU Ag Center] 2010). Therefore, the threat of potential
encroachment is extremely minimal. However, DLS will monitor the site for this
species as part of its invasive species monitoring of the SFCMB.
4.3 Mortgages, Easements, and Encumbrances
The SFCMB is in the land survey process. Upon completion of the title report and
signed survey plat will be included in the draft mitigation banking instrument.
DLS knows of the existence of two pipeline rights-of-ways (ROWs) and these
ROWs have been identified. These ROW are not included as mitigation credit
acres but will be maintained as herbaceous plant communities. DLS intend on
encumbering these ROWs with the conservation servitude so they remain part of
the 1,609.4-acre SFCMB project area. Although the ROWs will not be the
dominant servitude, it would become dominant should the ROW agreements
16
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
become terminated in the future. This would provide for long-term protection as it
insures the ROW would never be converted to another use which may be
incompatible with the SFCMB.
4.4 Long-Term Sustainability of the Site and Water Rights
Long-term viability and sustainability of the SFCMB will be ensured through
active and adaptive management including, but not limited to, prescribed fire,
invasive species control, appropriate monitoring and long-term maintenance. No
long-term structural management will be required because there are no water
control structures or forced drainage ways to maintain. A long-term management
plan will be included with the mitigation banking instrument (MBI), which will
detail long-term management needs and costs, and identify a funding mechanism
in accordance with 33 CFR § 332.7 (d).
With regard to water rights, Article 490 of the Louisiana Civil Code treats water
resources under the theory of absolute ownership and rule of capture provided that
such capture does not result in harm to neighboring properties. The SFCMB will
depend primarily on precipitation and backwater, tidal flooding. As such, longterm hydrology maintenance will not depend on the utilization of water captured
from irrigation wells; therefore, sufficient water rights are ensured for such
purposes. DLS does not foresee any adverse impacts on neighboring properties as
a result of this project.
5.0 PROPOSED GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA
Due to the unique wetland types restored within the project area, the SFCMB will
provide mitigation for two service areas based on the habitat type. The primary
service area for bottomland hardwood credits is the Lower Calcasieu Watershed
(HUC 08080206) (Attachment A: Figure 18). The secondary service area will
include the Upper Calcasieu (HUC 08080203), Whiskey Chitto [Ouiska Chitto]
(HUC 08080204), and West Fork Calcasieu (HUC 08080205) watersheds. These
watersheds collectively comprise the Calcasieu River Basin as defined by the
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ 1999).
The service area for coastal prairie will use an ecoregion approach consisting of the
geographical area encompassing the historic range of the coastal prairie of Louisiana
also known as the "Tall Grass Prairie, Cajun Prairie, Great Southwest Prairie, Eastern
Coastal Prairie, or Gulf Cordgrass Prairie" (Allain et al. 2000, Allain et al. 1999,
USGS 2000, LNHP 2009). The primary service area for coastal prairie is the Lower
Calcasieu Subregion (HUC 08080206) (Attachment A: Figure 19). The secondary
service area consists of the watersheds contained within the Western Gulf Coastal
Plain Level III (WGCP3) Ecoregion. Watersheds comprising the secondary service
consists of portions of the West Fork Calcasieu (08080205), Upper Calcasieu
(08080203), Mermentau Headwaters (08080201), Bayou Teche (08080102) and
17
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Vermilion (08080103) Subregions and the entirety of the Mermentau (08080202)
Subregion.
6.0 OPERATION OF THE MITIGATION BANK
6.1 Project Representatives
Sponsor:
Delta Land Services, LLC
1090 Cinclare Drive
Port Allen, LA 70767
Attn: Daniel Bollich\ Lee Walters
Phone: 225.388.5146\ 225.388.5198
Electronic Mail: daniel@deltaland-services.com\
lee@deltaland-services.com
Landowner:
South Fork Holdings, LLC
c/o Delta Land Services, LLC
1090 Cinclare Drive
Port Allen, LA 70767
Attn: Winship Songy
Phone: 225.388.5187
Electronic Mail: winship@deltaland-services.com
6.2 Qualifications of the Sponsor
DLS will serve as the Sponsor. DLS is a land management and restoration
company whose technical staff includes Certified Wildlife Biologists,
Professional Wetland Scientists, and Certified Foresters. In addition, DLS has
construction specialists on staff experienced in wetland construction activities
such as heavy equipment operation, vegetation establishment, herbicide
application, and contractor management. Mr. Daniel Bollich is the lead project
manager for DLS. Mr. Bollich is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist
(PWS) through the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS); a Certified Wildlife
Biologist (CWB) through the Wildlife Society (TWS); and a Certified Forester
through the Society of American Foresters (SAF). He has over 15 years of
experience in wetlands, wildlife and forest management. This experience
includes the development of over fourteen approved banks within the CEMVN,
CEMVK, CESWG, CESWF, and the Little Rock District (CESWL). Dr. Bill
DeLany and Mr. Lee Walters will serve as assistant managers to the project. Dr.
Bill DeLany is a senior restoration ecologist for DLS and serves as an assistant
manager to the project. Dr. DeLany is also a PWS with over 25 years of
experience with federal resource agencies, private land holdings, academia, and
environmental consulting. His experience includes employment with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Miami Corporation, and McNeese State
University as well as service in the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Mr.
18
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Walters has over 11 years of experience in natural resource management and
environmental consulting including wetlands, wildlife and forest management and
has been involved with the development of over 10 approved mitigation banks
with the CEMVN and CEMVK. The biographies of DLS personnel are available
at www.deltaland-services.com.
DLS currently operates eight approved wetland mitigation banks within the
CEMVN, Galveston District (CESWG) and CEMVK totaling 3,918.9 acres.
These are the Bayou Conway Mitigation Bank (MVN-2010-01111), Roseland
Refuge Mitigation Bank (MVK-2010-01423), Oak Land Mitigation Bank (MVK2011-00308), Bayou Choupique Mitigation Bank (MVN-2011-00824), Ponderosa
Ranch of Pointe Coupee Mitigation Bank (MVN-2011-03213), Moss Lake
Mitigation Bank (MVN-2012-02652), Bayou Fisher Mitigation Bank (MVN2013-02342), and the Danza del Rio Mitigation Bank (SWG-2011-00566). DLS
currently has 5 pending mitigation banks that are under review with the CEMVN,
CEMVK, CESWG and Fort Worth District (CESWF), which total 3,026.4 acres
and include approximately 47,694.0 linear feet of proposed stream restoration.
These include the proposed Graham Creek Mitigation Bank (SWF-2011-00309),
Little Bayou Pierre Mitigation Bank (MVK-2012-00555), Phillips Creek
Mitigation Bank (SWF-2012-00417), Laurel Valley Coastal Mitigation Bank
(MVN-2013-02798), and Long Island Cove Mitigation Bank (SWG-2014-00210).
In addition to mitigation banking, DLS serves as the responsible party for the
establishment and maintenance of 848.0 acres of approved Permittee-Responsible
Mitigation (PRM) projects with another 2,392.4 acres pending review within the
CEMVN.
6.3 Proposed Long-Term Ownership and Management Representatives
South Fork will serve as the long-term owner and DLS will serve as the Sponsor,
long-term manager, and steward of the Bank. However, DLS may appoint a longterm steward if such appointment is approved by the CEMVN. The anticipated
long-term management will consist of monitoring, invasive species control,
controlled burning, forest management, boundary maintenance, and site
protection.
6.4 Site Protection
DLS (or Long-term Steward) / Owner, or its heirs, assigns or purchasers shall be
responsible for protecting lands contained within the mitigation area in perpetuity.
In order to provide for such protection, the Owner shall execute a perpetual
conservation servitude (pursuant to the Louisiana Conservation Servitude Act,
R.S. 9:1271 et seq.) on all acreage identified as the SFCMB and record it in the
Mortgage and Conveyances Records Office of Cameron and Calcasieu Parish.
The conservation servitude will be held by a qualified, non-profit organization
whose mission is to retain or protect the land's natural habitat, open space, scenic,
educational, recreational, historical, or cultural values.
19
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
6.5 Long-Term Strategy
Long-term management will consist of monitoring, vegetation management,
invasive species control, prescribed/controlled burns, boundary maintenance, site
protection, and the funding of such activities. The BLH gallery forest wetland
habitat will be managed to increase and maintain the biological, chemical, and
physical wetland functions of the SFCMB, which will provide forested habitat
capable of supporting populations for priority wildlife species (e.g., native
wildlife and Nearctic-Neotropical migrants). Invasive species control will
include control of nuisance invasive species such as Chinese tallow, Macartney
rose, and feral hogs (Sus scrofa). A long-term management plan will be included
with the mitigation banking instrument which will detail long-term management
needs, costs and identify a funding mechanism in accordance with 33 CFR §
332.7 (d). DLS (or Long-term Steward) and the Owner (or its heirs, assigns or
purchasers) shall be responsible protecting lands contained within the SFCMB in
perpetuity.
7.0 REFERENCES
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coastal prairie of Louisiana and Texas. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S.
Geological Survey (Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Arthur, LA). 40 pp.
Allain, L., M. Vidrine, V.Grafe, C. Allen, and S. Johnson (2000) Paradise Lost? The
coastal prairie of Louisiana and Texas (2nd edition). U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and U.S. Geological Survey (with Coastal Conservation Initiative, Texas).
40 pp.
Allain, L. and J. B. Grace (2001) Changes in density and height of the shrub
Baccharis halimifolia following burning in coastal tallgrass prairie. Proceedings
of the 17th North American Prairie Conference, 17: 66-72.
Allain, L. (2007) Coastal Prairie Restoration Information System: Version 1
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Survey. CDrom.
Allen, J.A., Keeland, B.D., Stanturf, J.A., Clewell, A.F., and H.E. Kennedy (2001
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USGS/BRD/ITR-2000-0011. USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Research
Station, General Technical Report SRS-40, 132 pp.
Allen, C.M, D.A. Newman, and H.H. Winters (2002) Trees, shrubs and woody vines
of Louisiana. Allen's Native Ventures (Pitkin, LA). 333 pp.
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South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Allen, C.M. (2006) Creating or recreating a prairie. Cajun Prairie Habitat
Preservation Society Newsletter 25: 4 page insert.
Barrow, W.C. Jr., C. Chen, R.B. Hamilton, K. Ouchley, and T.J. Spengler (2000)
Disruption and restoration of en route habitat, a case study: The Chenier Plain.
In: F.R. Moore, editor. Stopover Ecology of Nearctic-neotropical Land bird
Migrants: Habitat relations and conversion implications. Studies in Avian Biology
20: 71-87.
Barrow, W.C., Jr. and I. Renne (2001) Interactions between migrant land birds and
an invasive exotic plant: The Chinese Tallowtree Tree. Flyway 8:11.
Barrow, W.C. Jr., L.A. Johnson Randall, M.S. Woodrey, J. Cox, E. Ruelas, I.C.M.
Riley, R.B. Hamilton, and C. Eberly (2005) Coastal Forests of the Gulf of
Mexico: A Description and Some Thoughts on Their Conservation. USDA Forest
Service General Technical Report PSW-GTR-191.
Barrow, Jr., W.C. and B. Fontenot (2006) Vanishing before our eyes: Louisiana
Cheniere
Woods and the birds that depend on them. The BaratariaTerrebonne National Estuary Program. Thibodeaux, Louisiana.
Borsari, B. and V. Shirley (1993) Preservation of natural habitats: biodiversity and
farming. IN Annual Proceedings of the American Society of Environmental
Science. pp. 181-187.
Bruce, K.A., G.N. Cameron, P.A. Harcombe, and G. Jubinsky (1997) Introduction,
Impact on Native Habitats, and Management of a Woody Invader, the Chinese
Tallow tree, Sapium Sebiferum (L.) Roxb. Natural Areas Journal. 17(3): 255-260.
Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala (1990) Silvics of North America: 1.
Conifers; 2. Hardwoods. Agricultural Handbook 654. U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. Vol. 2, 877 pages.
Coastal Prairie Partnership (2009) Coastal Prairie Plant Growers' Handbook. A
Coastal Prairie Partnership Publication Volume 1.
www.coastalprairiepartnership.org.
Collins, M.E. and R.J. Kuehl (2001) Organic Matter Accumulation and Organic Soils
In Richardson, J.L., and M.J. Vepraskas (eds.) Chapter 6, Wetland Soils. Genesis,
Hydrology, Landscapes and Classification. pp. 137-162. Boca Raton, London,
New York: CRC Press.
Daigle, J.J., G.E. Griffith, J.M. Omernik, P.L. Falkner, R.P. McCulloh, I.R. Handley,
L.M. Smith, and S.S. Chapman (2006) Ecoregions of Louisiana. Reston,
Virginia. U.S. Geological Survey Map [website]. Accessed October 8, 2012.
21
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Available URL http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/la_eco.htm#Please
note:
Fearn, M.L. (1995) Louisiana's Cajun Prairie: Holocene History of a Southern
Grassland. Ph.D. dissertation. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. ]
Gautreaux, S.A. (1975) Coastal Hiatus of Spring Trans-Gulf bird migration. In:
W.G. McIntire, M.J. Hershman, R.D. Adams, K.D. Midboe, and B.B. Barrett,
editors. A Rationale for Determining Louisiana's Coastal Zone. Report No. 1,
Coastal Zone Management Series. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Center for Wetland
Resources, Louisiana State University. Pages 85-91.
Gosselink, J.G., C.L. Cordes, and J.W. Parsons (1979) An Ecological
Characterization Study of the Chenier Plain Ecosystem of Texas and Louisiana.
FWS/OBS-78/9 through 78/11. Washington, D.C. Office of Biological Services,
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior.
Grace, J.B. (1998) Can prescribed fire save the endangered coastal prairie ecosystem
from Chinese tallow invasion? Endangered Species Update 15: 70-76.
Lester G., S. Sorenson, P. Faulkner, C. Reid, and I. Maxit (2005) Louisiana
Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy (Wildlife Action Plan). Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Lichvar, R.W. (2013) The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings.
Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241.
Louisiana Natural Heritage Program (2009) The Natural Communities of Louisiana.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Accessed October 10, 2012.
Available URL: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wildlife/louisiana-naturalheritage-program
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (1999) Watershed Protection
Programs: Calcasieu River Basin. Accessed June 24, 2014. Available URL:
http://nonpoint.deq.state.la.us/99manplan/99calcasieu.pdf
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (20131) Biological Info: Southern
Flounder. Accessed August 6, 2013. Available URL:
http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/biological/misc/southernflounder.htm.
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (20132) Biological Info: Red Drum.
Accessed August 6, 2013. Available URL:
http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/biological/drum/reddrum.htm.
22
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (2010) Eucalyptus tree offers moneymaking opportunity for La. Landowners. LSU Ag Center Headline News Release
March 31, 2010.
National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Management Team
(2012) National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. Public
Review Draft, January 2012.
Natural Resources Conservation Service [NRCS] (2005) Bird Use of Restoration
Sites: Influences of Location and Vertical Structure. USDA NRCS Technical
Notes 190-34, December 2005.
Natural Resources Conservation Service [NRCS] (2006) Land Resource Regions and
Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific
Basin. United States Department of Agriculture Handbook 296.
1
Natural Resources Conservation Service [NRCS] (2014) Web Soil Survey [website].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil
Survey Staff. Accessed May 1, 2014. Available URL:
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/
2
Natural Resources Conservation Service [NRCS] (2014) National Hydric Soils List
by State [website]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Soil Survey Staff. Accessed May 1, 2014. Available URL:
http:// http://soils.usda.gov/use/hydric/
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (2014) The PLANTS Database.
Available URL http://plants.usda.gov . Accessed May 28, 2014.
Newton, M.B., Jr, (1972) Atlas of Louisiana: A guide for students. The School of
Geoscience, Louisiana State University, Misc. Publ. 72-1. 196 pp.
Richardson, J.L., J.L. Arndt, and J.A. Montgomery (2001) Hydrology of Wetland and
Related Soils In Richardson, J.L. and M.J. Vespraskas (eds.) Chapter 3, Wetland
Soils. Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes and Classification. pp. 35-84. Boca Raton,
London, New York: CRC Press.
Society of American Foresters (SAF) (2011) The Dictionary of Forestry [website].
Copyright 1988 by the Society of American Foresters. Accessed December 1,
2011. Available URL: http://dictionaryofforestry.org
Soil Conservation Service [SCS] (1988) Soil Survey of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
USDA Soil Conservation Service and Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station.
Soil Conservation Service [SCS] (1995) Soil Survey of Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
USDA Soil Conservation Service and Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station.
23
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Southern Regional Climate Center (2014) CLIMOD. Accessed July 8, 2014.
Available URL: http://www.srcc.lsu.edu/climod.html
Twedt, D.J. and C. Best (2004) Restoration of floodplain forests for conservation of
migratory land birds. Ecological Restoration 22 (3): 194-203.
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Service [USDOI NBS] (1996)
Cranes: their biology, husbandry and conservation. Ellis, D.H., G.F. Gee, and
C.M. Mirande (editors). 308 p.
U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] (1997) Restoration, Creation, and Recovery of
Wetlands: Wetland Functions, Values, and Assessment. USGS Water Supply
Paper 2425. Accessed 9 October 2012. Available URL:
http://water.usgs.gov/nwsum/WSP2425/functions.html.
U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] (2000) Coastal Prairie. National Wetlands Research
Center. Lafayette, LA. Accessed May 1, 2013. Available URL:
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov.
U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] (2013) The Coastal Prairie Region. NWRC Coastal
Prairie Research Program. National Wetlands Research Center. Accessed June 26,
2013. http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/prairie/tcpr.htm.
Vermillion, W., J.W. Eley, B. Wilson, S. Heath, and M. Parr (2008) Gulf Coastal
Prairie: Bird Conservation Region 37. Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan.
Accessed October 11, 2012. Available URL:
http://www.gcbo.org/html/CoastalPrairiesFinalCompressed.pdf.
Vidrine, M.F. (2010) The Cajun Prairie: A Natural History. 314 pp.
24
ATTACHMENTS
ATTACHMENT A
TABLES AND FIGURES
List of Tables
Table 1. Pre-Restoration Conditions and Post-Restoration Mitigation Habitat Types at the South
Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank, Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, Louisiana.
Table 2. Potential Coastal Prairie Planting List for South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank,
Cameron and Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
Table 3. Negative Indicator Species for Coastal Prairie Restoration Areas, Calcasieu and
Cameron Parishes, Louisiana.
Table 4. Potential Seedling Planting List for South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank, Cameron and
Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana.
Table 1. Pre-Restoration Conditions and Post-Restoration Mitigation Habitat Types at the South Fork
Coastal Mitigation Bank, Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, Louisiana.
Baseline Condition
Mitigation Habitat and Type
Acres
Non-wetland Crop/Pasture
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment
648.6
Wetland Rangeland/Pasture
Coastal Prairie Rehabilitation
429.2
Wetland Rangeland/Pasture
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Forest Rehabilitation
234.9
Non-wetland Crop/Pasture
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Forest Re-establishment
200.7
Non-wetland Crop/Pasture
Fresh/Intermediate Marsh Re-establishment
30.1
Rangeland
Fresh/Intermediate Marsh Rehabilitation
27.0
Total Restoration and Enhancement Credit Acreage
1,570.5
Canals
Water
17.9
Access Roads/Trails
Access Roads
17.8
Crop/Rangeland/Pasture Pipeline
Rights-of-way
Pipeline Rights-of-way
3.2
Total Non-mitigation Acreage
38.9
Total Conservation Servitude Acreage
1,609.4
Table 2. Potential Coastal Prairie Planting List for South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank, Cameron and
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana1.
Habit
Scientific Name2
Common Name
Wetland
Indicator3
Graminoid
Graminoid
Agrostis hyemalis
Andropogon gerardii
Winter Bent Grass
Big Bluestem
FAC
FAC
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Andropogon glomeratus
Andropogon gyrans
Andropogon virginicus
Aristida purpurascens
Ctenium aromaticum
Dichanthelium commutatum
Bushy Bluestem
Elliot's Bluestem
Broomsedge
Three Awn Grass
Toothache Grass
Variable Panic Grass
FACW
FAC
FAC
FACW
FACW
FAC
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Dichanthelium scabriusculum
Dichanthelium scoparium
Eragrostis elliottii
Eragrostis refracta
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Panicum anceps
Panic Grass
Velvet Panic Grass
Elliot Lovegrass
Coastal Love Grass
Coastal Muhly Grass
Beaked Switchgrass
OBL
FACW
FACW
FACW
FAC
FAC
Graminoid
Dichanthelium dichotomum
Cypress Panic Grass
FAC
Graminoid
Dichanthelium scoparium
Velvet Panic Grass
FACW
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Graminoid
Panicum virgatum
Paspalum floridanum
Paspalum plicatulum
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Sisyrinchium rosulatum
Tradescantia ohiensis
Tridens ambiguus
Tridens strictus
Tripsacum dactyloides
Switchgrass
Florida Paspalum
Brownseed Paspalum
Narrowleafed Blue-eyed Grass
Spreading Blue-eyed grass
Common Spiderwort
Pine Barren Tridens
Long-spike Tridens
Eastern Gamma
FAC
FACW
FAC
FACW
FAC
FAC
FACW
FACW
FAC
Forb/Herb
Symphyotrichum dumusom
Rice Button Aster
FAC
Forb/Herb
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Calico Aster
FAC
Forb/Herb
Aster puniceus
Roughstem Aster
OBL
Forb/Herb
Aster praealtus
Tall Blue Aster
FACW
1
Exact species and quantities to be determined by seedling availability from commercial sources providing seedlings grown from
localized ecotypes.
2
Scientific names are from USDA, NRCS. 2013. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 1 July 2013). National Plant
Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
3
Wetland plant indicator status for the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain per the 2012 National Wetland Plant List (Lichvar 2013).
Table 2. Potential Coastal Prairie Planting List for South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank, Cameron and
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana1.
Habit
Scientific Name2
Common Name
Wetland
Indicator3
Forb/Herb
Bidens aristosa
Beaded Beggar's Ticks
FACW
Forb/Herb
Arnoglossum ovatum
Egg-leaf Indian Plantain
FACW
Forb/Herb
Coreopsis tripteris
Tall Tickseed
FAC
Forb/Herb
Coreopsis pubescens
Star Tickseed
FAC
Forb/Herb
Coreopsis tinctoria
Plains Tickseed
FAC
Forb/Herb
Erigeron philadelphicus
Showy Daisy Fleabane
FAC
Forb/Herb
Eupatorium rotundifolium
Roundleaf Boneset
FAC2
Forb/Herb
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Boneset
FACW
Forb/Herb
Euthamia leptocephala
Flat-topped Goldenrod
FACW
Forb/Herb
Helianthus angustifolius
Narrow Leaf Sunflower
FACW
Forb/Herb
Helenium vernale
Vernal Sneezeweed
FACW
Forb/Herb
Liatris spicata
Blazing Star
FAC
Forb/Herb
Solidago rugosa
Roughleaf Goldenrod
FAC
Forb/Herb
Solidago sempervirens
Seaside Goldenrod
FACW
Forb/Herb
Vernonia gigantea
Giant Ironweed
FAC
Forb/Herb
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Eastern Bluestar
FACW
Forb/Herb
Agalinis fasciculata
Beach Purple False Foxglove
FAC
Forb/Herb
Agalinis purpurea
Purple False Foxglove
FACW
Forb/Herb
Buchnera Americana
American Blue Hearts
FAC
Forb/Herb
Chaerophyllum tainturieri
Wild Chervil
FAC
Forb/Herb
Erigeron strigosus
Fleabane
FAC
Forb/Herb
Eryngium yuccifolium
Button Snakeroot
FAC
Forb/Herb
Hibiscus moscheutos
Crimsoneyed Mallow
OBL
Forb/Herb
Lobelia puberula
Purple Dew Drop
FACW
Forb/Herb
Forb/Herb
Penstemon digitalis
Smooth Beardtongue
FAC
Penstemon laxiflorus
Beardtongue
FAC
Forb/Herb
Prunella vulgaris
Common Self-heal
FAC
Forb/Herb
Psoralea simplex
Single Stem Snakeroot
FAC
Forb/Herb
Pycnanthemum albescens
Whiteleaf Mountain Mint
FAC
Forb/Herb
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Thin Leaf Mt. Mint
FACW
Forb/Herb
Pycnanthemum muticum
Lowland Mt. Mint
FAC
Table 3. Negative Indicator Species for Coastal Prairie Restoration Areas, Calcasieu and Cameron
Parishes, Louisiana1.
1
Scientific Name2
Common Name
Cirsium horridulum
Bull Thistle
Cynodon dactylon
Bermuda Grass
Eupatorium capillifolium
Yankee Weed
Imperata cylindrical
Cogon Grass
Ligustrum sinense
Chinese Privet
Lonicera japonica
Japanese Honeysuckle
Lygodium japonicum
Japanese Climbing Fern
Panicum verrucosum
Warty Panicum
Paspalum notatum
Bahiagrass
Paspalum urvellei
Vasey's Grass
Rhyncospora inexpansa
Beakrush
Rottbellia cochinchinensis
Itch Grass
Rubus spp.
Blackberry
Solidago canadensis
Goldenrod
Sorghum halapense
Johnson Grass
Triadica sebiferum
Chinese Tallow
Verbena spp.
Vervain
List of species obtained from Lacassane Coastal Prairie Wetland Mitigation Bank Instrument signed by CEMVN on June 30,
2003.
2
Scientific names are from USDA, NRCS. 2013. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 1 July 2013). National Plant
Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Table 4. Potential Seedling Planting List for South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank, Cameron and Calcasieu
Parishes, Louisiana.
Common Name
AGCP
Wetland
Indicator1
Planting
Percentage2
Mast Availability
Quercus laurifolia
FACW
<20%
fall, winter
Quercus michauxii
FAC
<20%
fall, winter
Quercus nigra
Quercus phellos
Quercus texana
Quercus virginiana
FAC
FACW
FACW
FACU3
<20%
<20%
<20%
<10%
fall, winter
fall, winter
fall, winter
fall, winter
FAC
<10%
<10%
<10%
spring
Scientific Name
Hard Mast (approximately 40-60%)
Laurel oak
Swamp chestnut
oak
Water oak
Willow oak
Texas red oak
Live oak
Soft Mast (approximately 40-60%)
red maple
Acer rubrum
Sugarberry
Celtis laevigata
Cephalanthus
occidentalis
Crataegus opaca
Crataegus viridus
Buttonbush
Mayhaw
Green hawthorn
Common
persimmon
Green ash
Deciduous holly
Yaupon
Diospyros virginiana
FACW
OBL
OBL
FACW
FAC
fall, winter
spring, summer
<10%
<10%
<10%
spring, summer
spring, summer
fall, winter
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Ilex decidua
Ilex vomitoria
FACW
FACW
FAC
<10%
<10%
<10%
spring, summer
fall, winter
fall, winter
Sweetgum
Southern
bayberry
Swamp tupelo
Liquidambar styraciflua
FAC
fall, winter
Morella cerifera
FAC
<10%
<10%
Nyssa biflora
OBL
fall, winter
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
OBL
<10%
<10%
American elm
Red mulberry
Ulmus americana
Morus rubra
<10%
spring, summer
spring, summer
1
FAC
FACU
<10%
fall, winter
fall, winter
Indicator status from 2013 National Wetland Plant List (Lichvar 2013)
Exact species and quantities to be determined by seedling availability from commercial sources providing seedlings grown from
localized ecotypes.
3
Quercus virginiana and Morus rubra are designated as UPL on the 2013 National Wetland Plant List but were FAC species on
the 1988 National Wetland Plant List for Region 2. These species were previously listed as FAC on the 1988 National Wetland
Plants List for Region 2. Although potentially upland species, these are native to the site and will provide increased habitat value
given the goals of the project. The occurrence of the species at the specified composition will not affect the targeted plant
community from being classified as a hydrophytic plant community in accordance with the methodology prescribed in the
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Regional Supplement (USACE 2010).
2
List of Figures
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Figure 8.
Figure 9.
Figure 10.
Figure 11.
Figure 12.
Figure 13.
Figure 14.
Figure 15.
Figure 16.
Figure 17.
Figure 18.
Figure 19.
Vicinity, Coastal Zone, and Coastal Conservation Plan Map
LIDAR Elevations
LIDAR Elevations Below 5-Foot Contour
USGS 7.5-Minute Quadrangle
1940 Aerial Photograph
1953 Aerial Photograph
1957 Aerial Photograph
1963 Aerial Photograph
1968 Aerial Photograph
1998 Aerial Photograph
2004 Aerial Photograph
2010 Aerial Photograph
Soils
Existing Conditions
Surrounding Land Use within 25-Mile Radius
Surrounding Land Use within One Mile Radius
Mitigation Features Map
Bottomland Hardwood Service Area
Coastal Prairie Service Area
Sources: Esri, DeLorme, USGS, NPS, Sources: Esri, USGS, NOAA
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank (1,609.4 Acres)
Coastal Conservation Plan Boundary
Coastal Zone Boundary
4
VICINITY, COASTAL ZONE, AND
COASTAL CONSERVATION PLAN MAP
I
Western Gulf Coastal Plains Ecoregion (Level III)
2
0
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
4
Created : TSC/ArcView10
Approved : BWD
Date :7/18/2014
Map # : F01_VicinityandCoastalMap.mxd
Miles
FIGURE 1
Elevation (NAVD)
FEET
-2.0- -0.5
-0.5 - 0
0-1
1-2
2- 3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
LIDAR ELEVATIONS
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved : BWD
Date :7/18/2014
Map # : F02_Lidar.mxd
FIGURE 2
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
LIDAR ELEVATIONS
BELOW 5-FOOT CONTOUR
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
<5 Feet NAVD
>5 Feet NAVD
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved : BWD
Date :7/18/2014
Map # : F03_Lidar_5ft.mxd
FIGURE 3
Copyright: © 2013 National Geographic Society
I
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
5,000
2,500
0
Feet
5,000
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
USGS 7.5-MINUTE
QUADRANGLE
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Created : TSC/ArcView10
Approved : BWD
Date :6/18/2014
Map # : F04_QuadMap.mxd
FIGURE 4
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
1940 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F05_1940Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 5
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
1953 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F06_1953Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 6
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
1957 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F07_1957Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 7
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
1963 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F08_1963Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 8
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
1968 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F09_1968Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 9
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
1998 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F10_1998Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 10
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
I
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
2004 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F11_2004Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 11
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
2010 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
ApprovedBWD
:
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F12_2010Aerial.mxd
FIGURE 12
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
GB: Ged mucky clay
Ju: Judice silty clay
Lt: Leton silt loam
Mr: Morey loam
Mt: Mowata-Vidrine silt loams
W: Water
I
2,000 1,000
0
Feet
SOILS MAP
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
2,000
Created : TSC/ArcView10
Approved : BWD
Date :6/19/2014
Map # : F13_Soils.mxd
FIGURE 13
I
2,000 1,000
0
2,000
Feet
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
PC Nonwetlands (713.5 Acres)
Nonwetland Spoil/Roads (21.7 Acres)
PC Wetlands (20.5 Acres)
Nonwetland Pasture (139.7 Acres)
Wetland (669.0 Acres)
Mima Mound Complex Nonwetland (8.8 Acres)
Pipeline (3.2 Acres)
Other Waters (33.0 Acres)
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved : BWD
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F14_ExistingConditionsl.mxd
FIGURE 14
5
2.5
0
5
Miles
Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping,
Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
18 Mile Radius
Emergent Herbaceuous Wetlands (29.3%)
Open Water (19.0%)
Cultivated Crops (18.4%)
Developed (11.9%)
Hay/Pasture (11.5%)
Woody Wetlands (6.8%)
Evergreen Forest (1.3%)
Shrub/Scrub (0.8%)
Herbaceuous (0.6%)
Barren Land (0.2%)
Mixed Forest (0.2%)
Deciduous Forest (0.1%)
LANDCOVER / LANDUSE
WITHIN 18 MILES
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
I
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved :BWD
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F15_Landuse25.mxd
FIGURE 15
I
Legend
Project Area (1,609.4 ac)
Developed (4.3% )
Open Water (0.3%)
Hay/Pasture (44.7%)
Woody Wetlands (3.5%)
Barren Land (0.1%)
Cultivated Crops (36.6%)
Emergent Herbaceuous Wetlands (3.2%)
Shrub/Scrub (0.1%)
Agroforestry (6.9%)
Herbaceuous (0.3%)
Mixed Forest (>0.1% )
4,000
2,000
0
Feet
4,000
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
LANDCOVER / LANDUSE
WITHIN ONE MILE
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved :BWD
7/18/2014
Date :
Map # : F16_Landuse.mxd
FIGURE 16
Calcasieu Parish
Cameron Parish
Mitigation Acres Below Five-Foot Contour Within Louisiana
Coastal Zone Boundary
Habitat
Acres
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment
487.5
23.1
Coastal Prairie Rehabilitation
0.1
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Rehabilitation
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Re-establishment
43.3
Fresh/Intermediate Marsh Re-establishment
30.1
27.0
Fresh/Intermediate Marsh Rehabilitatio
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank (1,609.4 Acres)
Mitigation Acres Below 5 Feet within Coastal Zone (611.1 acres)
Pipe Arch Culverts to be Installed
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment (648.6 Acres)
Coastal Prairie Rehabilitation (429.2 Acres)
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Rehabilitation (234.9 Acres)
Bottomland Hardwood Gallery Re-establishment (200.7 Acres)
Fresh/Intermediate Marsh Re-establishment (30.1 Acres)
Fresh/Intermediate Marsh Rehabilitation (27.0 Acres)
Other Waters (17.9 Acres)
Access Road (17.8 Acres)
ROW (3.2 Acres)
2,000 1,000
MITIGATION FEATURES MAP
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
0
Feet
2,000
Created :LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved :DEB
Date :7/31/2014
Map # :F17_MitigationFeatures.mxd
FIGURE 17
Project Area
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Primary Service Area
BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD
SERVICE AREA
I
Secondary Service Area
15
7.5
0
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved : DEB
15
Date : 7/18/2014
Map # : F18_MitigationFeatures.mxd
Miles
FIGURE 18
Project Area
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Legend
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
I
Primary Service Area
Secondary Service Area
20
10
0
COASTAL PRAIRIE AND
MARSH SERVICE AREA
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
20
Approved : DEB
Date : 7/18/2014
Map # : F19_CPSA.mxd
Miles
FIGURE 19
ATTACHMENT B
PRELIMINARY JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATIONS
ATTACHMENT C
HYDROLOGY RESTORATION DRAWINGS
I
2,000 1,000
0
2,000
A
Feet
A'
B
See Figure C-2
for more details
B'
See Figure C-3
for more details
C
D
C'
D'
G
H
H'G'
F
E
E'
F'
Legend
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank (1,609.4 Acres)
Nonwetland Spoil Bank to Remain (7.6 Acres)
Nonwetland Spoil Bank to be Degraded (44.5 Acres)
Other Waters (Section 10) to Be Filled (3.1 Acres)
Other Waters (Section 404) to Be Filled (14.9 Acres)
Other Waters to be Avoided (15.0 Acres)
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
OVERALL PLAN VIEW
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved :
7/11/2014
Date :
Map # : FC-1_OverallPlanView.mxd
Figure C-1
Other Waters to be Avoided (15.0 Acres)
Other Waters (Section 404) to Be Filled (14.9 Acres)
Nonwetland Spoil Bank to be Degraded (44.5 Acres)
Other Waters (Section 10) to Be Filled (3.1 Acres)
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank (1,609.4 Acres)
Nonwetland Spoil Bank to Remain (7.6 Acres)
Legend
1,000
500
B'
B
Feet
0
I
1,000
A
DETAIL PLAN VIEW
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
Figure C-2
Map # : FC-2_DetailPlanView.mxd
Approved :
7/11/2014
Date :
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
A'
Other Waters to be Avoided
I
2,000
1,000
0
2,000
Feet
C
D
Other Waters to be Filled
C'
D'
Other Waters to be Avoided
Other Waters to be Filled
G
H
H'
G'
F
E
E'
F'
Legend
South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank (1,609.4 Acres)
Nonwetland Spoil Bank to Remain (7.6 Acres)
Nonwetland Spoil Bank to be Degraded (44.5 Acres)
Other Waters (Section 10) to Be Filled (3.1 Acres)
Other Waters (Section 404) to Be Filled (14.9 Acres)
Other Waters to be Avoided (15.0 Acres)
Proposed South Fork Coastal
Mitigation Bank
DETAIL PLAN VIEW
Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, La
Created : LJW/ArcView10.2
Approved :
7/11/2014
Date :
Map # : FC-3_DetailPlanView.mxd
Figure C-3
A
A
20
60
80
20
40
FEET
60
80
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880) from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
Proposed Earthen Fill
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section A
A'
A'
SouthForkBank.dwg
Dwg. No.:
Attachment C-4
LJW
7/7/14
Date:
TSC/AutoCAD
Approved:
Created:
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
-2
-2
0
2
2
8
6
Existing Grade
Final Grade
Coastal
Prairie
Rehabilitation
6
8
Coastal
Prairie
Rehabilitation
Proposed Cross-Section A
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment
40
FEET
-2
-2
8
2
Wet
Pasture
Non-wetland/
Spoil Bank
2
Existing Grade
Canal
6
0
Non-wetland / Spoil Bank
Existing Cross-Section A
6
8
Wet
Pasture
Existing Cross-Section A
FEET
FEET
NAVD
NAVD
40
FEET
60
Existing Grade
80
80
0
20
60
Proposed Earthen Fill
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section B
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
B'
B'
Dwg. No.:
Attachment C-5
7/3/14
SouthForkBank.dwg
Date:
TSC/AutoCAD
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Approved:
Created:
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
-2
-2
40
FEET
2
2
6
6
Final Grade
8
8
Coastal Prairie
Rehabilitation
Proposed Cross-Section B
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880) from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
B
20
-2
-2
0
2
2
8
6
Existing Grade
Canal
6
Existing Cross-Section B
FEET
8
Wetland Pasture
Existing Cross-Section B
Non-wetland / Spoil Bank
NAVD
B
FEET
NAVD
0
Proposed Earthen Fill
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section C
-2
2
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
20
FEET
Final Grade
Proposed Cross-Section C
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880) from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
C
20
FEET
Existing Grade
40
C'
C'
7/7/14
SouthForkBank.dwg
Approved:
Date:
Dwg. No.:
Attachment C-6
TSC/AutoCAD
LJW
Created:
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
40
-2
2
-2
-2
0
2
Existing Grade
Existing Cross-Section C
Non-wetland pasture
2
Existing Cross-Section C
FEET
FEET
C
NAVD
NAVD
D
-5
5
15
0
-5
5
15
0
Final Grade
60
FEET
Proposed Cross-Section D
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment
60
FEET
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
40
40
Existing Grade
Non-wetland / Spoil Bank
Existing Cross-Section D
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880) from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
Proposed Earthen Fill
20
20
Non-wetland Pasture
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section D
D
Existing Cross-Section D
FEET
FEET
Canal
80
80
120
120
-5
5
15
D'
-5
5
15
SouthForkBank.dwg
Dwg. No.:
Attachment C-7
LJW
7/7/14
Date:
TSC/AutoCAD
Approved:
Created:
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
100
Existing Grade
100
Non-wetland / Spoil Bank
D'
NAVD
NAVD
FEET
80
100
100
40
FEET
60
80
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880) from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
Proposed Earthen Fill
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section E
E'
E'
7/7/14
SouthForkBank.dwg
Approved:
Date:
Dwg. No.:
Attachment C-8
TSC/AutoCAD
LJW
Created:
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
-5
-5
20
Existing Grade
15
5
0
Final Grade
Bottomland Hardwood Re-establishment
Proposed Cross-Section E
5
15
Existing Cross-Section E
E
FEET
60
15
-5
40
Non-wetland Pasture
/ Spoil Bank
-5
20
Existing Grade
Canal
5
0
Non-wetland / Spoil Bank
5
15
Non-wetland Pasture
Existing Cross-Section E
NAVD
E
FEET
NAVD
100
120
140
40
60
FEET
80
100
120
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880) from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
Proposed Earthen Fill
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section F
SouthForkBank.dwg
Dwg. No.:
Attachment C-9
LJW
7/7/14
Date:
TSC/AutoCAD
Approved:
Created:
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
-6
-6
140
-2
6
-2
20
Existing Grade
F'
2
0
Final Grade
Marsh Re-establishment
Proposed Cross-Section F
2
6
Existing Cross-Section F
F
FEET
80
6
-6
60
Non-wetland Pasture
-6
40
Non-wetland Pasture
/ Spoil Bank
-2
Canal
-2
20
Existing Grade
Non-wetland / Spoil Bank
F'
2
0
Non-wetland Pasture
Existing Cross-Section F
2
6
F
FEET
FEET
NAVD
NAVD
0
20
40
FEET
60
80
15
-5
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section G
G'
G'
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
SouthForkBank.dwg
Dwg. No.:
Attachment C-10
LJW
7/7/14
Date:
TSC/AutoCAD
Approved:
Created:
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
Note: Earthen fill from excavation will be evenly distributed in surrounding non-wetland area.
-5
100
100
-5
Final Grade
80
5
5
0
Proposed Cross-Section G
FEET
60
Coastal Prairie Re-establishment
40
Existing Grade
15
5
15
20
Prior Converted Non-wetland
Existing Cross-Section G
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880) from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
G
-5
5
15
Existing Cross-Section G
FEET
FEET
G
NAVD
NAVD
40
FEET
60
0
20
30'
40
FEET
80
80
35"
Bottom of Culvert
(0.0' NAVD)
24"
Top of Levee (3.2' NAVD)
Inset : Culvert Cross Section
60
Final Grade
MHWL = MEAN HIGH WATER LEVEL IS 2.9 FEET
MWL = MEAN WATER LEVEL IS 2.2 FEET
MLWL = MEAN LOW WATER LEVEL IS 1.7 FEET
See Inset
Access Road with Culvert
Proposed Pipe Arch Culvert
Proposed Earthen Fill
Proposed Excavation
Proposed Cross-Section H
-5
5
15
Proposed Cross-Section H
Marsh Re-establishment
Note: Water level data from Calcasieu Lock-East on Intracoastal Waterway (Gage ID 76880)
from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2013
H
20
100
Non-wet / Spoil Bank
Non-Wet Pasture
120
15
120
-5
5
15
NAVD
H'
H'
Attachment C-11
SouthForkBank.dwg
Dwg. No.:
LJW
7/7/14
Approved:
Date:
TSC/AutoCAD
Created:
CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES, LA
Existing Condition
with Proposed Swale
Proposed South Fork Coastal Mitigation Bank
100
Existing Grade
-5
0
Canal
-5
Existing Grade
Non-wetland / Spoil Bank
5
Wetland
Pasture
Existing Cross-Section H
5
15
Existing Cross-Section H
FEET
FEET
H
NAVD
ATTACHMENT D
PHOTOGRAPHS
Typical view of agriculture field
(October 22, 2012)
Typical view of herbaceous field (May 13, 2013)
Typical view of agriculture drain
(September 24, 2013)
Typical view of herbaceous field (May 13, 2013)
Typical view of agriculture field
(March 10, 2014)
Cattle grazing in herbaceous field (December 4, 2013)
Typical view of herbaceous field in north portion of project area
(March 10, 2014)
Typical view of herbaceous field in north portion of project area
(March 10, 2014)