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• Aerial Photograph Review Pinnacle reviewed aerial photographs and a wetland inventory of the Site at the City of Orono on July 10, 2003 for the years 1955, 1970, and 1994. The 1955 photo did not have a wetland inventory overlay; however, it appeared that the area of concern was wetland at that time. The majority of the northern portion of the basin appeared to be dominated with emergent vegetation, such as cattail, with minimal open water. The open water/emergent vegetation barely extended south onto the Pidgeon property with the remaining southern portions appearing to be a grassed swale that served as the wetland's natural outlet. Being completely vegetated with emergent vegetation indicates shallower water conditions then what are currently at the Site. The 1970 photo was similar to the 1955 photo and depicted the northern portion of the basin as being dominated by emergent vegetation with a grassed swale to the south. The 1994 photo also depicted a bulb-shaped wetland but revealed higher water conditions than the two earlier photos, as evidenced by the absence of emergent vegetation. A dark colored object was observed in the wetland at the south property line that could possibly be fill material that is blocking the natural outlet, in turn, flooding the Pidgeon property. The city's wetland inventory classified this wetland as a 1.9-acre, Circular 39 Type 4 wetland with peaty muck soils. Background Information In discussions with Ms. Pidgeon, she stated that she purchased the property in 1985. At that time, the northern portion of the wetland barely extended onto her property and there was a small open water area approximately 15 feet across with the remaining area to the south being dry and functional land that she could easily traverse to get to access the western portion of the property. During the fall of 1994, her neighbors, immediately adjacent to the south, reportedly had a large tent and backhoe down in the wetland area near the south property boundary and possibly placed fill material/construction debris there. This appears to be blocking the outlet, flooding the Pidgeon property. In addition, a second neighbor located southwest of the Site built a driveway in 1987 that bi-sects the southern portion of the wetland/swale that may also impede the natural southern surface water flow of the wetland. In the correspondence supplied by Ms. Pidgeon, it was reported that the culverts under this driveway are set at an elevation of 980.0 feet mean sea level (MSL), which is approximately two feet lower than the wetland elevation of 982.1; however, the water seems to be blocked at the south property boundary and does not appear to be reaching these culverts. Conclusions In conclusion, it is Pinnacle's opinion that the majority of the current wetland area at the Site was historically a Circular 39, Type 1 or 2 wetland swale (seasonally flooded & wet meadow wetlands, respectively) that has had its natural outlet blocked at the Sites south property line, and possibly further south at the driveway that bi-sects the wetland, which has, in turn. flooded the Pidgeon property and changed the wetland type to a Circular 3Q Type 4, deep marsh wetland. It is also possible that there was historically a drain tilc line that helped drain this wetland that has since been rendered inoperable. Correspondence