2002-wetland classification, ident., delin., & staking services

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Wetland boundaries were marked at the site by blaze-orange "wetland boundary" flagging attached to 4-foot wooden lath. The "wetland boundary" is considered to be the topographically highest extent of the wetland basin; areas below the staked boundary met the three required wetland criteria while areas above were lacking in one or more of these criteria. Wetland classification followed methods described by Cowardin et al. (1979) and used in the NWI completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Circular 39 classification (Shaw and Fredine 1956) is also given. The indicator status of plants, as described in Appendix B, was • determined using the National List of Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands - Minnesota (Reed 1988). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION • The NWI map (Excelsior Quadrangle) indicates two wetlands on the subject property, Figure 2. One of these NWI indicated wetlands is located immediately northeast of the house located in the southwestern portion of the site. This wetland is described as a palustrine (P-) type wetland, exhibiting emergent (-EM-) vegetation and a seasonally flooded(-C) moisture regime or a Type . 3 (PEMC) wetland,The other wetland'identified by the NWI is located immediately southeast of the same house and is described as a palustrine (P-)type wetland, exhibiting an unconsolidated bottom(-UB-) and a intermittently exposed (-G)moisture regime or a Type 5 (PUBG) wetland. The Soil Survey of Hennepin County, Figure 3, indicates three soil series, the Dundas silt loam, the Hayden loam and the Nessel loam, at the site. The Dundas silt loam is classified as a hydric soil (SCS Hydric Soils of the United States). The DNR Protected Waters map of Hennepin County, Figure 4, does not indicate any protected wetlands on the subject property. • SER personnel examined the subject property for areas meeting jurisdictional wetland criteria during the site visit and delineated one area as being jurisdictional wetland. Detailed soils, -vegetation and hydrology data for this wetland is provided in the data sheets of Appendix A. SER obtained-climatological data from the Midwestern Regional Climate Centerwebsite for the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport(MSP)weather station located approximately 17 miles , southeast of the site.Precipitation for the month of June,prior to the site visit(June 13th), was 2.76 inches, or 1.04 inches above average (1.72 inches)for the 13-day period. Total precipitation amount for the year was 10.43 inches at the time of the site visit, 0.53 inches below the average , (10.96 inches) for the same time period. The uppermost graph on Figure 5 illustrates the monthly precipitation for the 12-month period prior to the site visit(June 2001 —May 2002) compared to average monthly precipitation and the WETS 30%upper and lower limits. WETS is a method of determining the normal range for monthly precipitation required to assess the • climatic characteristics for a geographic area over a representative time period. According to this graph the MSP weather station recorded 25% of the months(June, September and November, 2001) above the WETS Upper 30% Limit, 58% exhibited average precipitation amounts (July, October and December 2001 and February, March, April and May 2002) and 17% of the months (August 2001 and January 2002>exhibited precipitation amounts below the WETS Lower 30% Limit. The lower graph on Figure 5 illustrates the precipitation deviations from a thirty-year average (1971 —2000) of 29.41 inches per year over the past forty-two years. This graph shows