REV89149 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

herbaceous understory which includes sedges, baltic rush, horsetail, redtop, and cow parsnip. 0.14 acres of wetland will be impacted by the new access road in the SW 1/4 of Section 15. Two other smaller wetlands totaling 0. I S acres will also be impacted. These include a Baltic rush dominated wetland in the NW I/4 of Section 21 and a smaller seep wetland near the center of the west boundary line of Section 22. CHANNEL DESCRIPTIONS The Sylvester Gulch basin drains approximately five square miles which Bow into the North Fork Gunnison River to the north. The main channel of Sylvester Gulch contains water most of the year, with typical high water flows averaging 10 cfs, and average summer flows consistently less thar. 5 cfs. MCC has installed a weir at the lower end of Sylvester Gulch, in the NW 1/4 of Section I5, at which they obtain continuous flow readings. The channel can be described as incised, with bank height averaging 3 feet. The channel substrate is composed of cobbles and silt. WWE performed an aquatic life survey of four stations along the main channel of Sylvester Gulch in the summer of 1995. The results of this study indicate the presence of the following aquatic insect: mayflies, caddisflies, and black flies (midges). PROPOSED MTI'IGATION PLAN MCC proposes to mitigate for the proposed wetland impacts at a ratio of 1.5: I. The proposed mitigation site is located along IvLnnesota Creek in section 2, Township 14 South, Range 91 West, N.M.P.M. on land owned by MCC. This location is ideally suited for creation of riparian wetlands. Minnesota Creek winds through the MCC property as shown on Figure 10, and is also tributary to the North Fork of the Gunnison River. Wetlands exist along the creek for most of the reach owned by MCC. A wetland delineation has not yet been performed. WWE will conduct a wetland delineation after snowmelt in the spring of 1997 and will have the wetland boundary verified by the USACE prior to commencing construction of the mitigation site. Figure 11 shows the topography of the proposed mitigation site and a schematic of the mitigation areas, which will be~ constructed adjacent to existing wetlands. Figure 12 shows a typical cross-section of the proposed mitigation site. The general concept of the mitigation area is to excavate upland islands adjacent to these wetlands and create wetlands with similar elevation and vegetative characteristics. Wetlands along Minnesota Creek are typically dominated by sandbar willow and sedges. Plantings of various species of sedges, Baltic rush, sandbar and peachleaf willow, and alder are proposed for 831 -0321340abb1404app.doc j I