01/19/95 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

F '. Ms. Mary Sarrion • October 6, 1994fi Page 2 jurisdiction over Silver Lake to the Ordinary High Water elevation. The proposed culvert crossing is likely above the elevation of regulatory jurisdiction, but a letter of the intent to do the proposed project should be provided to the MDNR Division of Waters. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Rice Creek Watershed District have regulatory jurisdiction over the wetland habitat of the ditch. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 Nationwide Permit Number 26 allows filling of up to 0.5 acre of wetland. There is technically no need for a permit request, but a letter requesting approval under the Nationwide Permit program should be sent to the Regulatory Branch of the St. Paul District Corps of Engineers. The Rice Creek Watershed District is implementing the Wetland Conservation Act of 1991 (WCA). The WCA includes an exemption from wetland replacement for projects filling less than 400 square feet of wetland habitat. A letter describing the proposed project and a request for Exemption Number 25. There appears to be sufficient capacity in the existing ditch to allow an increase in the elevation of the outlet at the proposed trail crossing. There is also upland available to be excavated to provide additional storage volume if desired. Raising the outlet at the trail crossing will likely , �_ so back water up into the existing wetland basin. It is recommended that the Rice Creek Watershed District be approached with regard to the restoration of the existing Type 3 wetland basin back to the Type 4 basin it was prior to the construction of Silver Lake Road. A wetland restoration project would allow the construction of the trail crossing and an increase in the elevation of the ditch outlet while providing the City with wetland banking credits that could be used as mitigation credit on other City projects having wetland impacts. Improvement of the wetland basin will also be an aesthetic addition to Silver View Park. Additional study will be required to determine the amount of wetland that currently exists, the amount of water that could be expected to back up into the wetland basin, and the type and area of wetland that would likely result from the change in hydrology. If you have any questions with regard to this review or would like to discuss additional work on this project, please contact me at 490-2026. Sincerely, Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc. Kelly A. Bettendorf Scientist 411,tlo " Enclosures