Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Impacts: Given the scattered location of the site wetlands and the absence of a mass grading plan, <br />the specific extent of wetland impacts cannot be estimated. Therefore, for purposes of this <br />evaluation it was assumed that all 14.4 acres of wetland identified on the site would be considered <br />waters of the US and under US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) jurisdiction, and under the <br />jurisdiction of the Rice Creek Watershed District as the local government unit under the Wetland <br />Conservation Act. It was assumed for this analysis that all wetlands would be impacted by site <br />development. However, some wetland may be preserved within the proposed site green space. <br />Mitigation Requirements: Based on compatible needs (wetlands need a water source, stormwater <br />management needs a receiving area), the stormwater management areas and wetland <br />replacement would be combined to the extent possible under current regulations. There are a <br />number of constraints (topography, site grading) and challenges (staging of development) that will <br />need to be addressed in order for these functions to work on-site and work together. The County <br />and City are currently in the planning stage to design the regional stormwater/wetland mitigation <br />plan. <br />The USACE and Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) mitigation requirements are similar. The <br />USACE oversees Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Rice Creek Watershed District <br />implements the WCA or MN Rule 8420. <br />Wetland impacts are assumed to be replaced at a 2:1 ratio, meaning for every 1 acre of wetland <br />impacted by the project, 2 acres will either be created or wetland credits will be purchased from a <br />state wetland bank. Given the site constraints, it is anticipated that approximately half (1:1 ratio) of <br />wetland impacts would be replaced on site with the other half being replaced off-site by purchasing <br />credits from the state wetland bank. The current WCA requirements for on-site project specific <br />replacement is any new wetland created onsite would receive 75% credit. This means that to reach <br />14.4 acres of onsite replacement, 19.2 acres of wetland would be required along with upland <br />buffers. This amount could be decreased if not all the wetland is impacted, or not all the wetland is <br />jurisdictional, or if RCWD allows more replacement within the adjacent Rice Creek parklands or <br />other off-site locations. <br />The purchase of off-site wetland credits would include 14.4 acres. The wetland bank sites where <br />these credits will be withdrawn from would be required to be located in the same Bank Service <br />Area (BSA 7) and major watershed 20 (Mississippi River (Metro)). <br />b) O-D <br />THER SURFACE WATERS ESCRIBE ANY ANTICIPATED PHYSICAL EFFECTS OR ALTERATIONS TO <br />(,,,, <br />SURFACE WATER FEATURES LAKES STREAMS PONDS INTERMITTENT CHANNELS <br />/),,,, <br />COUNTYJUDICIAL DITCHES SUCH AS DRAINING FILLING PERMANENT INUNDATION DREDGING <br />,,,. <br />DIKING STREAM DIVERSION IMPOUNDMENT AQUATIC PLANT REMOVAL AND RIPARIAN ALTERATION <br />D <br />ISCUSS DIRECT AND INDIRECT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS FROM PHYSICAL MODIFICATION OF <br />.I,, <br />WATER FEATURES DENTIFY MEASURES TO AVOID MINIMIZE OR MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL <br />,-BMP <br />EFFECTS TO SURFACE WATER FEATURES INCLUDING INWATER EST ANAGEMENT RACTICES <br />/ <br />THAT ARE PROPOSED TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE TURBIDITYSEDIMENTATION WHILE PHYSICALLY <br />.D <br />ALTERING THE WATER FEATURES ISCUSS HOW THE PROJECT WILL CHANGE THE NUMBER OR TYPE <br />, <br />OF WATERCRAFT ON ANY WATER BODY INCLUDING CURRENT AND PROJECTED WATERCRAFT <br />. <br />USAGE <br />A new crossing of Rice Creek is needed at CR H for a site access road. The crossing is assumed <br />to be via a bridge that spans the creek, wetlands and floodplain, and would allow wildlife to cross <br />underneath. A trail crossing at this location may also be considered (under the creek bridge). It is <br /> <br /> <br />July 2014 Final AUAR 14 <br />