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I Wetland Delineation Report—Orono Substation Expansion Project June 24, 2010 1.0 PURPOSE This delineation report,the attached exhibits, and data forms constitute the wetland delineation report for the existing Xcel Energy, Inc. Orono substation site located at 3960 Sixth Avenue North, Orono, Hennepin County, Minnesota 55356(heretofore referred to as the Site). The ' wetland delineation was conducted to assist Xcel Energy, Inc. with planning expansion of the existing Orono substation facility. Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) is the Local Governmental Unit (LGU)that administers the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA). This delineation report provides the required documentation for wetland boundary determinations in conformance with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Wetlands Delineation Manual(Environmental Laboratory, Waterways Experiment Station, 1987) and the Interim Regional Supplement to the USACE Wetland Delineation Manual: Midwest Region(US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 2008). On behalf of Xcel Energy, Inc., Westwood respectfully requests that the MCWD, as the LGU, ' provide written confirmation that the delineated wetland boundary shown on the attached Delineated Wetland Boundary map (Exhibit 5) is acceptable for local administration of the WCA. Please consider this report a formal Wetland Boundary and Type Determination request pursuant to Minn. Rules 8420.0405. Westwood also requests that the USACE provide written confirmation that the delineated wetland boundary(Exhibit 5) is acceptable for Clean Water Act permitting purposes. 2.0 SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION The Site is located in the SW 1/4 of the SW '/4 of Section 29 and the NW '/4 of the NW '/4 of Section 32, Township 118 North, Range 23 West,City of Orono, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Exhibit 1). The property is bounded by State Highway 12 (Wayzata Boulevard) and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad to the north, County Road 6 (6th Avenue North)to the south and east, with a residential property boundary to the west. The approximately 16-acre Site consists of an existing substation in the southwest corner of the property that is surrounded by ' open meadow with scattered trees. The remainder of the Site is comprised of wetland. Adjacent land use consists of large-lot, single-family homes to the west and south, wetland to the north, and a highway interchange to the east. ' 3.0 WETLAND DELINEATION METHODOLOGY Prior to delineating wetland boundaries in the field, Westwood reviewed National Wetland ' Inventory(NWI) mapping (Exhibit 2),the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Soil Survey Geographic database (SSURGO) for Hennepin County(2007) (Exhibit 3),the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources(MnDNR) Public Waters and Wetlands Inventory(PWI) for Hennepin County(Exhibit 4), and aerial photography for the site location. On June 10, 2010, Westwood delineated the wetland using the level two routine determination , method set forth in the USACE Wetlands Delineation Manual(Environmental Laboratory, Waterways Experiment Station, 1987) and the supplemental methods set forth in the Interim Regional Supplement to the USACE Wetland Delineation Manual: Midwest Region(US Army 1