HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRB150023_Town of Vail Library Path Wetland Delineation Report_1423091220.pdfWetland Delineation Report
Gore valley trail improvements - library
Town of Vail public Works
eagle county, Colorado
january, 2015
Prepared for
Town of Vail
Prepared by
MONTANE ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, Ltd.
Post Office Box 281
Silverthorne, Colorado 80498
(970) 468-0450
Wetland Delineation Report
Gore Valley trail improvements - library
Town of vail public works
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE NUMBER
I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 1
ii. applicant GENERAL SITE DESCRIPTION .............................................................. 1
iii. methods ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
IV. review area and wetland description
Riverine wetland complex ...................................................................... 6
V. conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 9
VI. Resources ................................................................................................................................................. 9
Figures
Figure 1 – site vicinity, u.s. fish and wildlife –National wetlands
inventory map, 2015
Figure 2 - site vicinity , google maps, 2015)
photographs
data forms
PROJECT DRAWINGS: Gore Range Engineering, Inc., topographic map,
Lionshead stream path , Town of Vail, Eagle County 10/802013 (2)
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.1
Wetland Delineation Report
Gore valley trail improvements - library
Town of vail
I. INTRODUCTION
Montane Environmental Solutions, Ltd. (Montane) was retained by the Town of Vail Public
Works Department (Town) to identify jurisdictional wetlands that may occur in the vicinity of a
1,110 foot section of the Gore Valley Trail near the Town Library located in the Lionshead Village
of Vail. The Town is proposing the following trail improvements:
- replacement of two culverts with a new clear-span bridge;
- realignment;
- repaving;
- upland bank stabilization, and;
- upland tree removal.
None of the wetland areas identified and described in this report will be temporarily or
permanently impacted by the upgrades.
II. APPLICANT and general site description
Applicant: Town of Vail Public Works
Mr. Gregg Barrie
1309 Elkhorn Drive
Vail, Colorado 81657
970-479-2158
The 1,100-foot section of trail is located within the SW ¼ of the SE ¼ Section 6, Township 5
South, Range 80 West (FIGURE 1), 39o 38’ 34” North 106o 23’ 05” West. The best access to the
trail is via the Vail Public Library located at 292 West Meadow Drive, with parking available at the
Lionshead parking structure.
The trail is located within the Gore Creek drainage, which is a third-order stream, at
approximately 8,100 msl. The native habitat of the valley bottom in this section is dominated by
dense spruce-fir stands (Picea engelmannii - Abies lasiocarpa) that create shade tolerant plant
understories. On the valley slopes, mesic aspen (Populus tremuloides) communities dominate the
habitat. Wetlands within the floodplain of the Gore are predominantly mixed willow shrub
communities with open meadow areas comprised of species such as shrubby cinquefoil
(Pentaphylloides floribunda), Canada reedgrass (Calamagrostis canadensis), and valerian (Valerian edulis).
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.2
The trail itself is located within a densely developed commercial and high-density residential area.
As such, much of the native vegetation, soils, and hydrology have been negatively affected. Gore
Creek also exhibits the disturbance in its highly eroded south bank which is comprised of
approximately 2:1 slopes in places and 12 feet above ordinary high water, as shown in the photos
below.
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.3
Project Section
FIGURE 2. TRAIL VICINITY
Vail Public
Library
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.4
Photograph 1. East of library, looking west. Near flag 112A.
PHOTOGRAPH 2. HEAVILY TRAMPLED AREA on top of gore creek banks. NEAR FLAGS 101C
& 102C Looking south.
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.5
PHOTOGRAPH 3. TAKEN ON TOP OF HIGHLY ERODED BANK OF GORE CREEK.
NEAR FLAGS 11G & 12G Looking east.
As shown in the photographs, the herbaceous vegetation has been limited to hardy and weedy
species such as smooth brome (Bromus inermis), Wood’s rose (Rosa woodsii), Canada thistle (Cirsium
arvense), and field horsetail (Equisetum arvense). In addition, individual trees have exhibited stress
from compaction and may need to be removed in the future.
III. methods
The wetland delineation was conducted in August, 2013 in accordance with the Corps of
Engineers 1987 Wetland Delineation Manual (Environmental Laboratory 1987), using the
Western Mountains, Valleys and Coast Supplement v.2. All wetlands meeting the 1987 manual
within the review area were identified and delineated. Wetland boundaries were flagged with
consecutively numbered flags with an alphanumeric labeling system.
Because this area is highly impacted by human traffic, sampling point locations were chosen where
the vegetation was a mosaic of upland and wetland plants, and where it was appropriate to
document the riverine plant community (Sampling Point 1). Digging soil samples was unsuccessful
due to the river cobble and compacted soils. Therefore in some locations, the wetland boundary
was determined by the visual appearance of the surface water influence (e.g. saturation, water
marks, debris flows, etc.) and obvious topographical changes.
Gore Range Surveying from Avon Colorado located each flag with standard surveying techniques
and recorded each flag number (reduced 24x36 drawings attached).
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.6
IV. Review area and wetlands description
The review area is a section of an existing recreational trail along Gore Creek. It was identified by
the Town of Vail Public Works and begins at the Town public library and ends at the ski lift
located in the Lionshead Village. It includes a short segment of Middle Creek where it daylights
from a culvert near the south side of the library and joins Gore Creek. The total review area is
1,100 linear feet and approximately 1.8 acres. The delineation was conducted in August 2013
under average climatic conditions.
The wetlands identified in the review area are the riverine wetlands associated with Gore Creek
and its tributaries. The first tributary is Middle Creek which is a second-order stream originating
from the north and eventually, through a series of culverts and diversions, discharges into Gore
Creek. The remaining two tributaries are unnamed and whose origination is unknown, however
they are conveyed into the review area by culverts daylighting from beneath the developed areas
north of the path.
PHOTOGRAPH 4. MIDDLE CREEK. LOOKING SOUTH toward gore creek.
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.7
PHOTOGRAPH 5. MIDDLE CREEK DISCHARGE INTO GORE CREEK. LOOKING NORTH.
Photograph 6. Discharge from Unnamed tributary culvert. Water flowing
south toward gore creek. FLAGS 1B & 100b
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.8
PHOTOGRAPH 7. DRAINAGE FROM UNNAMED TRIBUTARY. LOOKING NORTH.
FLAGS 1c & 100c
As shown in the photographs, the riverine wetlands are narrow-fringe with limited vegetation due
to the heavy human traffic in the area. As such, no soil sampling was possible and where no
vegetation existed, the wetland boundary was determined by the visual appearance of the surface
water influence (e.g. saturation, water marks, debris flows, etc.) and obvious topographical changes.
1. VEGETATION
Vegetation within the riverine wetland is disturbed and sparse; much of the composition is
non-native and weedy species, however some native species thrive where access is
challenging (i.e. large boulders, thick willow communities). In addition, the dark canopy of
the spruce-fir trees contributes to the limited potential of their understory growth. The
table below lists the species identified within the wetlands and immediate upland.
Wetland Delineation – Lionshead Stream Path, January, 2015 p.9
Wetland Vegetation Upland Vegetation
Picea engemannii Abies lasiocarpa
Alnus tenufolia Pinus contorta
Salix planifolia Juniperus communis
Cornus sericea Rosa woodsii
Distigea involucrata Prunus virginiana
Aconitum columbiannum Bromus inermis
Heracleum lanatum Cirsium arvense
Mertensia ciliata
Equisetum arvense
Equisetum laevigatum
Streptopus amplexifolius
2. SOILS
The review area is not covered under the Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil
Survey. In addition, it was not possible to dig in the compacted soil and cobbly streambed.
Therefore, field observations of vegetation, riverine hydrology, and local landforms were
utilized to establish the wetland boundary.
3. HYDROLOGY
The riverine wetlands are supported by the hydrology of the drainages and overbank
flows. Clear demarcations on adjacent trees, drift lines, and sediment deposits were
observed and used to determine the wetland hydrology criteria.
V. CONCLUSION
The wetlands within the review area were delineated with consecutively numbered flags, and Gore
Range Surveying accurately surveyed the boundary. It is the intent of the Town of Vail Public
Works Department to avoid any permanent or temporary wetland impacts during the trail
improvement project.
VI. Resources
1. Environmental Laboratory. 1987. Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. Technical
Report Y-87-1. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station.
2. Lichvar, R.W. 2012. The National Wetland Plant List. ERDC/CRREL TR-12-11. Hanover,
NH: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
3. Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Web Soil
Survey. Available online at http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/. Accessed [1/19/2015].
5. Weber, W.A. (1996), Colorado Flora:(Western Slope), Colorado Associated University
Press.
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