12-12-2005 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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? ', extends off site to die noctheast, and consists of a manh, and other natural areas. uc of u|dand forests, black ash swamps, cattail On November 17,2005, an AES ecologist walked the site, viewing the majority of the property under li^ snow cover. The site's uplands generally consist of loam and clay loam a^ contain old fields and deciduous forest A flow-through wetland traverses the southern and eastern portions of the site. These wetland areas consist of silty clay loam and loam soils. Surftce wsler enters the site via a ditch in the southwest comer, and then traverses the southern portion of the site and exits into a nursh located in the northeast portion of the site. Plant communities observed on the site include; Old Field • The site's old field contains a mixture of agronomic grasses and weeds, including smooth bnune, Kentucky bluegrass, Canada goldenrod, orchard grass, and reed canary grass. Scattered trees (e.g., green ash, sugar maple, silver maple, catalpa, and American elm) exist in the northwest and other portions of the old fields. This is not considered a native plant community. Deciduous Forest - Hie majority of the site's forests consist of relatively young volunteer trees (green ash, American elm, boxelder) with scattered mature trees (mostly green ash). One majestic bur oak (approximately 36" diameter at breast height, or dbh) was observ^ in the northeast portion of the site, and some younger bur oaks were observed in a forest patch nearby to the west The forest ahruL Iqrer, which was generally sparse but occasionally dense, was dominated by invasive common buckthoriL The forest groundlayer appeared quite sparse as well, and young buckthorn seedlings and invasive garlic mustard were observed. These forests are coiuidered altered luMive forests, and would receive a natural community ranking of poor. Two patches of Maple-Basswood Forest were observed in the northeast portion of the site. These areas contained some moderate f .«d (e.g., 20" dbh) basswood trees, and the sapling-shrub layer contained young basswood trees, ironwood trees, common buckthorn, and gooseberry. The groundlayer appeared generally sparse. This native plant community would receive a natural community nmking of poor, but it does represent the highest quality native plant community on the site. UnmiiiMted WatUnH. xhe flow-tfarough wetland receives water via an off-site ditch. This draiiuigeway flows through what armeared to be a dug chatuiei along the southern edge of a stand ofdeciduoua fimst, just north of the large reed canary grass wetland located in the southern portfamofthesHe. A patch ofdogbane and scattered sandbar willow shrubs were observed in this southern portioa of the wettand. The wetland and its associated drainageway continue downslope to the no itheaet where the drainageway flows into a reed canary grass opening containing scattered Mack willow trees and one weeping willow tree. In this area, the wetland edge was observed to contain aome native wetland planU (e.g., bugleweed, green buhuali, and asters). Further downstream, the wetland flows through a degraded lowl^ forest, and then disch^es into a cattail marsh in die northeast portkm of the site. Due to the dominance of reed canary grass inthesoutheropoitionofthe wetland, this area is not considered a native plant community. The wetland in the northeast portion of the site has a reed canary grass edge, but then becomes a cattail irumrii. Baaed on a visual assessment from a distance, this northmt wetland would likely receive a natural community ranking of poor. PreHnsInary C athw Deelin RecommcndatiMis On November 15,2005, ABS met with BohLand Development and reviewed the proposed development plan for the MacKinnon HiO site (dated 10-1005). We understand there is little flexibility in the genoal layout ofthe new road and residential lots;thaef^,ourrecomnienctatioasaienadeintec(mlextoftlat OSOWillliOS 2ofS MKKioMmltUI m 1