Wetland Delineation report - 2015

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Wetland Delineation Report Stonegate Farm,Orono&Medina, MN BES Project No. 2015-021 September 18,2015 Jurisdiction Table 2 indicates whether the wetlands are isolated or not for purposes of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE)jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. This determination is made by BES in the field at the time of the delineation and is essentially our best professional opinion based on the portion of the particular wetland we observed. In some cases, only a small portion of the wetland edge that is present on the property being delineated is evaluated. If no inlets or outlets are observed in the evaluated area, and none are evident on topographic maps or aerial photos, we are inclined to determine the wetland is isolated. However, since the entire wetland is sometimes not assessed, it is possible that inlets and/or outlets do exist and that the wetland has a surface connection to a federal "navigable"water and, thus, falls within the jurisdiction of Section 404. Therefore, a determination by BES of whether a particular wetland is isolated or not should not be considered a final determination with regard to COE jurisdiction until the COE concurs with the determination. Wetland A has a surface connection to the wetlands to the west which are part of a regional wetland/lake/stream complex that drains to Lake Minnetonka and eventually to the Mississippi River. The COE will likely take jurisdiction over this wetland. Wetland B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, and L are isolated basin and the COE should not have jurisdiction over this group of wetlands. Depending on development plans and whether or not any wetland impacts are proposed will determine if a Preliminary or Approved Jurisdiction Determination should be requested from the COE. None of the wetlands are identified on the protected waters inventory so the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)will not have jurisdiction these wetlands. The wetlands are regulated under the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act(WCA)which is administered by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and City of Medina as the Local Government Units (LGU). A copy of this report should be submitted to the Corps of Engineers and the LGU responsible for administering the WCA. Supplying these agencies with reports will serve the dual purpose of determining which agencies have jurisdiction and beginning the process of obtaining concurrence with the delineated wetland boundaries. If the on-site wetlands may be affected during site construction, all necessary permits should be obtained prior to construction. The site survey with the wetland boundaries is included in Appendix A. Representative historical photos are included in Appendix B. The full set of historical photos can be provided upon request. Additional information regarding the wetlands' vegetation, soils and hydrology is included in Appendix C. Ground level photos of the wetlands are included in Figures 7 through 22. 9