A PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
AND REPORT OF FINDINGS FOR THE PROPOSED
NORTH ASHEVILLE DOG PARK PROPERTY
Report Written By:
Dr. Edward J.P. Hauser, Ph.D.
Wetlands Ecologist and Environmental Biologist
Report Submitted To:
George Kroncke, M.D.
President, Hills of Beaverdam Homeowners Association
Subject Property Location:
284 Beaverdam Road
Asheville, NC 28804
Field Studies and Review of Agency Resource Information
Conducted from June 7 - 13, 2013
June 14, 2013
SECTION 1.00 OVER VIEW FOR THIS REPORT AND SUBJECT
PROPERTY
1.01 Nature of this Preliminary Environmental Assessment and
Report of Findings
This report represents the preliminary professional and ecological finding
for the proposed North Asheville Dog Park and the subject property. It is
based on a cursory site visit and review of existing agency resource
information, i.e., USGS 7.5 Minute Topographic Maps, FEMA Flood Plain
Maps, etc.
It can also be considered to be a conceptual Phase I Environmental
Assessment. However, it does not consider any onsite hazardous waste
disposal or deposits, the legal transfer of title of the land from its original
ownership, nor functional building on the subject property, as these are not
issues of concern. This report protocol follows recommendations of
environmental engineering firms and/or professional contacts , i.e.,
Altamont Environmental Engineering.
Furthermore, the one acre uplands which support a four bedroom housing
structure leased by over 10 tenants, driveways, and adjacent lawn are not
a part of this study.The conceptual dog park plan, which is part of the
designated commons and consisting of five acres, is the Area of Concern
(AOC) and the subject of this report. The conceptual plan would allow for
demolition of the existing house and use this part of the property as a
parking lot. This area is not of concern as it is outside of the floodplain and
riparian corridor of Beaverdam Creek , which is part of the subject property.
1.02 Property Ownership and Tax Parcel Information
The following data was obtained via the internet and Web Property Record
Card (ID# 9740-76-9648-00000) for the County of Buncombe, North
Carolina. The Taxing District is the City of Asheville, NC.
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1) Owners:
Gateway Communities of Asheville LLC
2323 NE Marlberry Lane
Jensen Beach, FL 34957
2) Buncombe County Subject Parcel Information:
Account: 8254362
Most Recent Deed Date of Transfer: 03/30/2012
Deed Book/Page: 4969/0145
Plat Book/Page: 0114/0058
3) Acres:
5.00 Acres Designated as Commons
1.00 Acre Designated as Lot
6.00 Total Acres
NOTE: The area designated as commons, which consists of 5.00 acres
represents the subject property of this report.
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2.00 AREAS OF CONCERN
2.01 Beaverdam Creek and Water Quality
The subject site, designated as commons, and consisting of five acres is
located within the riparian zone of Beaverdam Creek. The creek is located
along the northern boundary of the subject property and flows down stream
from east to west. It is Category 4 perennial flow stream and receives
water from the headwaters of Beaver Dam Valley. It feeds into two water
bodies, c.a. one mile from the subject property: a) the golf course irrigation
pond, owned and managed by the Asheville County Club and b) Beaver
Lake, owned and managed by the Lakeview Park Home Owners
Association.
Beaver Dam Creek is a state designated high quality stream by NC
Division of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Biotic evidence
of the stream’s high quality waters is represented by the presence of the
following taxonomic groups: Phylum Arthropoda, Class Crustacea
(crayfish), Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta (Stoneflies and Caddisflies,
and Phylum Mammalia, Class Pices (creek chubs). Such organisms
require high levels of dissolved oxygen (D.O.) In low turbid waters that are
not nutrient enriched. D.O, is the most limiting factor for all aquatic animal
species and typically occurs in a restricted range of 7 - 10 ppm.
Thus, there is a major environmental and ecological concern as to
degradation of water quality due to these probable causes:
1) Increased nutrient enrichment (eutrophication), whereby increased
releases of phosphorous and nitrogen will promoted accelerated groth of
nuisance algae.
2) Lowered dissolved oxygen (D.O.), due to alga blooms which have a high
biological oxygen demand (B.O.D.), which can exceed 14 ppm. This results
in anerobic or anoxic conditions whereby no free D.O. is available to
aquatic animal life, resulting in fish kills.
3) Increased turbidity or loss of water clarity due to increased releases of
suspended solids from increased sheet erosion and surface runoff, and
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increased loss of soil organics due to said accelerated surface runoff of
water and sheet erosion. Cloudy waters absorb more solar energy,
whereby water temperature is increased. Increased turbidy may also come
from alga blooms. It should be noted that as water temperature increases,
it loses its capacity to hold D.O.
4) The discharge of dog feces, which are high in phosphorous, can be
mitigated by 100% use of proper fecal collection and disposal. However,
examination of surface conditions at the Azalea Lake and French Broad
River existing Dog Parks, managed by the City of Asheville, indicates that
the ground cover is a mosaic mixture of dirt, grass, fecal remains, and
puddles. Dog owners and park users themselves have complained of the
poor environmental quality of these two parks from the standpoint of visual
and scenic aesthetics and persistent nuisance odors. Furthermore, many
dog owners allow there pets to run free outside of fenced areas, ranging
free, including swimming in local waterbodies.
Such land use is of concern from a public health point of view as they
promote exponential growths of: a) Phylum Cyanophyta (blue green algae),
Phylum Protista (protozoans), and Phylum Schizophyta (bacteria,
especially E. Coli). Thus, it is apparent that based on current practices and
field observations that all fecal remains are not being collected. In addition,
collection bags are not readily available on a regular basis.
The urinary excretions of dogs are high in nitrogen nutrients and there is no
effective way of collection and disposal of these excretions. Nitrogen
enrichment of waters favors the increased growth of nuisance blue green
algae, especially species of the genus Anabaena. Blue green alga blooms
of this genus not only contribute to loss of D.O., but also release
phytotoxins which causes death to mammals that use a contaminated
source for swimming, drinking water, or other recreational primary skin
activities. This includes dogs, livestock, and humans. There are accounts
of such health issues at the Azalea Dog Park and adjoining ponds.
5) The change in vegetative cover from a mixed scrub shrub thicket and
closed canopy woods to grassy open space will exponentially increase
sheet runoff and surface erosion of the proposed DP site. This will occur
because water precipitation will no longer have mechanical interference
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from woody components of trees and shrubs, such as leaves, limbs, and
stems. With normal mechanical interference, the kinetic energy of falling
water droplets is minimized so that root systems of the existing vegetation
can absorb water and translocate it below the upper soil surface. This
important natural erosion control feature will be lost. This aspect alone
results in exponential increase in sheet erosion and surface runoff.
Sheet erosion and surface runoff will be further increased because over
time, it is impossible to maintain a contiguous grassy layer. With norm,al
DP use, islands of grass are destroyed by running and digging dogs which
results in a mosaic ground cover of open patches and grass.
Increased sheet erosion and surface runoff will significantly degrade the
high quality waters of Beaverdam Creek.
6) Negative ecological synergy and interaction between abiotic and biotic
components of all germane aquatic ecosystems represent serious
concerns. Synergy is the interaction of two or more factors which can have
deleterious impacts on ecosystems. For example, a) nutrient enrichment
promotes alga blooms which helps deplete D.O. , b)increased water
turbidity absorbs solar energy, thereby raising water temperature which
promotes lowered D.O, c) increased metabolic rate of aquatic animals as
water temperature increases, and d) release of phyto-toxins or zoo-toxins
from blooms of algae or protozoans, which will have deleterious affects on
aquatic animals.
When the above listed set of conditions are present and interaction occurs,
the end result will be deleterious or lethal to most high quality aquatic
animals. The wildlife biologist who examined the fish kill at the pond
adjoining Azalea Dog Park stated: “ this is a classic case of oxygen
depletion”. He was correct in part. What he did not say is that this is a
classic case of alga blooms which depleted oxygen.
6) Finally, the subject property is in flood prone zone of Beaverdam Creek.
The majority of the property (about four acres) is within a FEMA
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designated 100 year storm event area that is topographically characterized
as a low bottom floodplain terrace. Topographic maps indicate that the
average slope is about 1%. The remaining one acre section is still part of
the stream riparian corridor or has such steep slopes (> 10%), which does
not meet the needs of a dog park. Within the past two tears, this regional
section of North Asheville has experienced three 100+ year flood events.
Thus, there exists a potential for extensive discharge of nutrients into the
creek on am intermittent basis from the subject property, even if mitigation
structures such as an ecofilter wetland are established..
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3.00 OTHER AREAS OF CONCERN FOR THE BEAVERDAM
CREEK VICINITY WATERSHED
3.01 Low Stream Flow and Pools of Beaverdam Creek
The Beaverdam Creek headwaters are part of the precipitation area known
by climatologist as the “Dry Ridge”. It is subject to less rainfall that all other
areas of North Carolina, especially during summer months, which results in
low stream flow, thereby creating small pools. Such areas are extremely
sensitive to eutrophication, lowered D.O., and E. coli bacterial growth.
Thus, they are at risk on a very short term scale for lowered water quality
and potential fish kills, especially during a drought precipitation cycle.
3.02 Irrigation Pond at the Asheville Country Club
This water body receives its holding waters from Beaverdam Creek.
This is a small irrigation pond and therefore is sensitive to eutrophication,
lowered D.O., and E. coli bacterial growth. Thus, it is at risk on a short
term scale for lowered water quality and potential fish kills especially during
a drought precipitation cycle. Because this pond serves as a source for
irrigation water for the golf course, other environmental impacts would be
nominal.
3.03 Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake is a privately owned, is a relatively small lake (about 40 acres
in size),and is a relatively shallow body of water, with its maximum depth
being less than 20'. It was created in 1923 via a dam and controlled
spillway. It is owned and managed by the Lake View Park Association.
All freshwater lakes undergo hydroseric ecological succession over time.
Early stages are called oligotrohic in which nutrient levels are very low (i.e.,
Pat < .05 ppm) and D.O. ranges between 7-10 ppm. Such lakes usually
support a cold water salmonid fishery.
Because of its warm waters and shallow depth as well as nutrient and
organic enrichment over more than 80 years, it now supports a high quality
warm water fishery dominated by many species of bass (i.e., largemouth,
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small mouth, spotted, and stripped). Nutrient levels are at a mid level, i.e.,
P is about .5 ppm or less. Usually such lakes may reach summer
temperatures of 70 degree F and have D.O. levels of 4-7 ppm.
The final stage of hydroseric lake succession is termed eutrophic. Such
lakes are very shallow (< 10' in depth), have high nutrient levels (i.e., P =
1.5 ppm or more. Such lakes have a D.O. range of 3 - 5 ppm. Such lakes
support an abundance of aquatic beds, submerged aquatics, and fringe
marshes. Rough fish such as carp and bullheads may dominate, but warm
water fisheries will still be present.
My estimation is that Beaver Lake is in the mesotrophic > eutrophic state of
succession. Thus, it becomes increasingly ecologically sensitive to nutrient
enrichment (called eutrophication), especially if new non-point or point
sources occur on an ongoing basis. The proposed dog park site
represents a potential nonpoint source.
3.04 Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary
This 10 acre bird sanctuary adjoins Beaver Lake and Beaverdam Creek. It
mainly consists of wetlands such as marsh, wet meadows, and swamp
shrub thicket. During flood stages of the creek, water enters the sanctuary
via a geologically old oxbow. Such floodwaters, even if they are nutrient
enriched will have little or no ecological impact because of the ecofiltering
nature of the wetlands.
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4.00 CONCLUSIONS
4.01 Ecological, Environmental, and Stream Aquatic Considerations
The fact that Beaverdam Creek is a NCDENR designated high quality
stream dictates that a prudent and complete environmental assessment be
made of the subject property in order to determine potential negative
impacts on water quality. Thus, there is a need to determine the current
biotic and abiotic constituency of Beaverdam Creek on a preconstruction
basis at locations above and below the subject property.
4.02 FEMA Flood Plain Zone Designation
The fact that the subject dog pond site is located with a FEMA designated
flood zone dictates that a prudent and complete environmental assessment
be made of this area of the subject property in order to determine potential
negative impacts on water quality and erosion potential with the changes in
vegetation cover. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the erosion potential of
the proposed dog pond site with changes in vegetation structure.
4.03 Eutrophication of Waterbodies Downstream
There is clearly a potential for nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) down
stream. Thus, water quality studies from the standpoint of existing water
chemistry need to be conducted on a preconstruction basis. Beaver Lake,
over time, will be most drastically impacted because of its various
recreational uses, including boating and fishing.
4.04 Public Health Issues
Because there are potential health issues associated with fecal deposition
(E. Coli) and possible buildup of nitrogenous wastes that will stimulate
growths of nuisance blue green algae and protozoan, both of which release
toxins, there is a need to evaluate this source of pollution and recommend
appropriate mitigation.
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4.05 Agency Resource Information and Site Specificity
Any agency information gathered as a first step in any environmental
assessment can not always be construed as being site specific. When
data indicates that the subject property is in a sensitive ecological area, this
alone dictates a followup detailed environmental assessment.
4.06 Wetlands
Section 404 of the Federal Clean Water Act and administrated by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) dictates that a delineation of wetlands
must occur if there is a proposed land use change that involves any
deposition or excavation of the ground cover. Three criteria must be met:
a) hydric soil, b) wetlands hydrology, and c) hydrophytic vegetation, the
species being ecologically known as hydrophytes. The vegetation is always
an expression of a and b. A cursory site observation of the subject
property indicates that there are two dominant trees that are considered to
be hydrophytes by USACER, the EPA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. These are Acer negundo (box elder) and Acer rubrum (red maple).
Thus, there is a need to determine on a site specific basis if any USACE
jurisdictional wetlands occur on the site. If they do, a complete wetlands
delineation must be done.
4.07 Recommendations
Based on the data presented in this preliminary report and the concluding
statements listed above, it is clear that a follow up and detailed
environmental assessment be conducted on the subject property.
Ordinarily, this is a prudent first step taken by environmentally conscious
developers, or county or city polital entities, or germane groups supporting
the project such as the “Friends or Supporters of the North Asheville Dog
Park”.
Such a study should be done before engineering architectural drawings are
completed so as to not waste tax payers monies or other funding. To do
other wise is to put the “cart before the horse”.
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This study must address and evaluate all the environmental considerations
listed above. It does not need to be a Level II Environmental Assessment
for the same reasons as given in Section 1.00 for this preliminary report.
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