SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
WETLAND & UPLAND COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS
WETLAND & UPLAND COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS
One area-based jurisdictional wetland and two jurisdictional streams occur within the property (Figure 2). The wetland comprises ~0.39 acres (~16% of property acreage). Four stream sections comprising ~415 linear feet occur onsite. Only “normal” wetland conditions exist onsite and no difficult wetland situations exist.
Wetlands are fores
One area-based jurisdictional wetland and two jurisdictional streams occur within the property (Figure 2). The wetland comprises ~0.39 acres (~16% of property acreage). Four stream sections comprising ~415 linear feet occur onsite. Only “normal” wetland conditions exist onsite and no difficult wetland situations exist.
Wetlands are forested and dominated by native wetland Obligate (OBL) and Facultative Wetland (FACW) plants. The wetland zone is naturally occurring and is dominated by native plants, and hydric soils, and it may be relict and bordering or consisting of historical pond shallows after impoundment.
Streams are described as follows:
1) Primary tributary (~190 linear ft); defines the western park boundary.
2) Springhouse tributary (~40 linear ft); contains a former headwater spring or seepage that was modified into a springhouse historically, and which intersections the primary channel in the northwestern region.
3) Secondary tributary (~164 linear ft); defines the eastern boundary and bounds the eastern wetland edge, with headwaters in the northeastern park corner. It intersects the primary stream channel at the dam and southern boundary.
4) Northeastern tributary (~30 linear feet); intersects the secondary tributary from the northern boundary where its headwaters are covered by fill on the adjacent private lot.
The former lake-bed is filled with sediment from a combination of stream sedimentation and colluvium, flooding, and/or fill material placement following pond abandonment and thus wetland conditions do not exist in this park region.
No federal Threatened and Endangered (T&E) species were observed.
WETLAND & UPLAND COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS
WETLAND & UPLAND COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS
WETLAND & UPLAND COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS
Typical area-based small wetlands comprise the central-eastern region, while impaired streams comprise most of the eastern and western property boundaries as low gradient, small-cobble, small streams draining north to south. Boggy, hydric soil conditions comprise much of the forested wetland along the stream interface. Sphagnum moss, in
Typical area-based small wetlands comprise the central-eastern region, while impaired streams comprise most of the eastern and western property boundaries as low gradient, small-cobble, small streams draining north to south. Boggy, hydric soil conditions comprise much of the forested wetland along the stream interface. Sphagnum moss, indicative of true bog conditions was not observed. Streams onsite are typical of developed, residential areas in the region.
These two wetland cover types are based on Wetland Subcommittee Federal Geographic Data (WSFGD, 2013) classification criteria and USACE (2012).
Wetlands consist only of Forested Wetland and perennial streams. Vegetation Indicator species in all strata are entirely OBL and FACW wetland plant species, with just a few FAC (facultative) species and readily suggestive of wetlands in tandem with wetland soils and hydrology.
Wetland Natural Communities
Forested Wetland (i.e., Swamp Forest)
Hydrological Indicators: Though open water was not observed, the water table was high and saturated, sitting within 5-6 inches of the soil surface at time of assessment. Mucky conditions dominate, particularly adjacent to the stream channel region and less so near the perimeters. Other hydrological indicators included water-stained leaves, true aquatic plants, and drift / sediment deposits.
The morphology of the Fox Creek Park floodplain influences current area-based wetlands, forcing water to accumulate in low-lying toe-slope areas bunkered on the eastern boundary, and it is likely that most of the lowest elevations of the property included this original wetland community prior to lake development.
Vegetation: 23 of 27 plant species detected are OBL and FACW species with most wetland species being common or dominant throughout (11 OBL and 16 FACW species; See Table 1 below). The canopy is tall and mature, comprised of Red Maple (Acer rubrum) and Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). River Birch (Betula nigra), Black Willow (Salix nigra) and Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) are scattered. One large diameter stem of the rare Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria) occurs adjacent to the modified seep. All trees demonstrate characteristic prop roots due to high water tables, shallow topsoil, and hydric soils. Understory trees and shrubs are Black Alder (Alnus serrulatus), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), and Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Arrowwood (Viburnum recognita), Doghobble (Leucothoe fontansiana), and Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).
Herbs are lush and dense with numerous wetland obligate species though Sedge species tend to dominate. Typical plants are Bladder / Shallow / Fringed Sedges (Carex intumescens / lurida / crinita), Arrow Arum (Peltandra virginica), Wood Reed (Cinna arundinaceum), Purple-stem Aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum), Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), Cowbane (Oxypolis rigidior), Tearthumb (Persicaria sagittata), Three-way Grass (Dulichium arundinaceum), Mannagrass (Glyceria melicaria), Marchflower (Packera aureus), and Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum).
WETLAND & UPLAND COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS
Soils: Wetland soils occur throughout the entire soil column including 10YR 2/1 and 4/1 color soils from 0-12 inches and 12-20+ inches, respectively. Throughout, coated sand grains (10YR 7/4, very pale brown), with 50% 10YR 3/2 very dark brown grayish mottles. Iron concretions present throughout. Sandy mucky mineral (S1) and dark surface
Soils: Wetland soils occur throughout the entire soil column including 10YR 2/1 and 4/1 color soils from 0-12 inches and 12-20+ inches, respectively. Throughout, coated sand grains (10YR 7/4, very pale brown), with 50% 10YR 3/2 very dark brown grayish mottles. Iron concretions present throughout. Sandy mucky mineral (S1) and dark surface (S7) seen throughout. Duff was not present and organic soils comprise the surface. Oxidized rhizospheres are seen throughout.
According to NRCS (2018) data for the Fox Creek Park floodplain only one soil series occurs onsite: Tate loam, basin, 2 to 8 percent slopes. This soil series is common in small-stream alluvial floodplains and terraces in western NC. While it is not a hydric soil series, the 0.39-acre wetland onsite is likely too small or was previous considered part of pond to have been included in previous NRCS soil mapping. However, the wetland soil profile is natural rather than anthropogenic or altered, comprising soil structure, color, reduced oxygen, and other hydric soil requirements as required by USCOE.
Perennial Streams
Approximately 415 linear feet of perennial streams occur in four sections onsite.
Stream conditions are a mixture of fair to poor conditions, and all are low gradient, gently flowing channels. Embankment and substrate structure and integrity, sinuosity, hydrology, sedimentation, and vegetation cover are poor to absent on the main channel and fair to good on the tributaries. Steep eroding embankments need stabilization along the primary channel though most wetland herbs onsite can be found in and along stream edges in patches.
Stream substrates consist of mud, sediment, small-cobbles and rock, and extensive sedimentation dominate the primary stream channel, reducing its quality. Streambanks, which have been (and appear to be continuously) incised downward via stream-flow cutting through pond fill provide ongoing sediment to the primary stream channel, though secondary stream tributaries are mostly vegetated and intact. The springhouse tributary, headed by a modified seep, is in fair condition having been historically converted from a floodplain seepage to a springhouse. Its confluence at the primary stream channel is damaged and partly buried from having been smothered with flood-deposited or historic fill material.
Upland Natural Communities
The adjacent uplands include both full sun open “meadow” / early successional habitat and mature Montane Oak-Hickory Forest. Kudzu, in process of removal, dominates meadow habitat while a variety of Oak and Hickory species and invasive and native shrubs dominate upland forests. Comprehensive inventories of each upland community will take place in 2023, however, the sites were observed, and basic information was collected to determine these are not wetland communities.
Meadow / Early Successional Habitat – this area includes most of the former lake-bed region and it is currently dominated by Kudzu (Pueraria montana) and miscellaneous full sun plants such as Kudzu, Elderberry, Tearthumb, Crabgrass (Digitaria glomerata), New York Fern (Athyrium thelyptris), Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.), Flat-sedge (Cyperus strigosus), Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum) and many other species. Because moderate density of the wetland obligate Tearthumb occur west of and bordering Swamp Forest, soils and hydrology were reviewed in this area to determine if wetland conditions remain, but these occur lower than twenty inches at present.
Montane Oak-Hickory Forest – Oak-Hickory Forests are typical of the Blue Ridge, and these can often extend down into small stream ecotones. No plots were performed here due to lack of wetlands and comprehensive inventory was not performed for the wetland delineation Here, Oaks and Hickories co-dominate along with other hardwoods such as White Oak (Quercus alba), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Tulip Poplar (Lireodendron tulipifera), Black Oak (Quercus velutina), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), and Sourwood (Oxydendron arborea).
The shrub zone is dominated by the invasive Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata) and Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) but also contains native shrubs like Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), and Strawberry-Bush (Euonymus americanus). Typical herbs where English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Periwinkle do not dominate are Galax (G. urceolata), Toadshade Trillium (T. cuneatum), New York Fern (Amauropeltum noveboracensis), Wood Violet (Viola sororia), Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum).
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES REVIEW
NCNHP statewide and county EO data (2022) for Buncombe County and a 3-mile radius of the property were reviewed to determine potential T&E wetland species that might occur in wetlands onsite. Among 18 federal T&E species known in the county, two Endangered wildlife species – Rusty Patch Bumblebee (Bombas affinis) and Gray Bat (Myotis grisescens) – have historical records (>20 years) within 3 miles of the park. Neither have suitable habitat breeding habitat in wetlands onsite.
Three wetland plants – Bunched Arrowhead (Sagittaria fasciculata), Mountain Sweet Pitcherplant (Sarracenia jonesii), and Virginia Spiraea (Spiraea virginiana) – are known from Buncombe County. These species do not occur onsite. While the Arrowhead has marginal habitat onsite and could thrive if introduced, the Pitcherplant and Spiraea do not have suitable habitat to colonize or persist of introduced.