Report - Environmental Study_JD_Sch A_Hwy-385.pdf

Jurisdictional Delimitation of Waters of the US

LANDSLIDE AND ROAD DAMAGE

EVALUATION AND REPAIR RECOMMENDATIONS

PROJECT – PR-5568 - KM 0.8

Corozal, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Highway Authority # ER-HWY-385

Submitted to:

Eng. Rafael Rosa Castro

Torres – Rosa Consulting Engineers

PO Box 9023763

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902-3763

Submitted by:

Héctor E. Quintero Vilella Ph.D., Ecology

PO Box 5100 - 61

San Germán, Puerto Rico 00683

Tel.(787) 487-5204

E-mail: hequintero@yahoo.com

December, 2018

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

Table of Contents

Page

1.0 Introduction 3

1.1 Location 3

1.2 Waters of the U.S. Sections 10 and 404 4

of the Clean Water Act (CWA)

1.3 Rio Cibuco 5

2.0 Methods 6

3.0 Result - OHWM Indicators 6

4.0 Conclusions 8

5.0 References 9

Exhibit 1 Map showing OHWM at study site. 10

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

1.0 Introduction

The purpose of this study was to identify the waters of the United States present within a 4,600 Sq. M.

site of a proposed project to restore highway PR-5568 at KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico. This is project number ER-HWY-385 of the Puerto Rico Highway Authority.

1.1 Location

The study area is located on highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 in the municipality of Corozal, Puerto

Rico, See Figure 1A. Figure 2A presents an aerial view of the study site.

Figure 1A. Topographic map of the study area, from USGS Corozal Quadrangle.

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

Figure 2A. Aerial photo of study site.

1.2 Waters of the U.S. Sections 10 and 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA)

The objective of the CWA is to maintain and restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Waters of the U.S. (33 CFR Part 328 Section 328.4). Waters of the U.S. are those areas regulated by

Sections 10 and 404 of the CWA, which gives the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the

USACE regulatory and permitting authority regarding discharge of dredged or fill material into navigable waters of the United States. Waters of the U.S. include: (1) waters used for commerce and subject to tides;

(2) interstate waters and wetlands; (3) “other waters” such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands;

(4) impoundments of waters; (5) tributaries of waters; (6) territorial seas; and (7) wetlands adjacent to waters. In the study area there is a river and a creek that are protected by Section 10 of the CWA.

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

1.3 Rio Cibuco

The Rio Cibuco watershed covers an area 0f 91.6 sq. MI. in the municipalities of Naranjito, Morovis, Corozal, Vega Baja and Vega Alta. The river originates on the northern slopes of the Cordillera Central at elevations of 1,800 ft. The river origins are over igneous rocks and goes though the Karst region at lower elevations. Some important tributaries are Rio Mavilla and Rio Indio. The mean annual flow is

88,620 acres/ft.

The river can be classified as non-navigable tributary of traditional navigable waters that have relatively permanent flow year round. The depth at the study site is relatively shallow with the deeper portions with depths of 3 to 4 ft. The width of the river varied from 15ft at the wider portions to 10ft at the narrower locations. The water is clear and some fish and decapods were observed. Figure 3 and 4 shows two portions of the river.

Figure 3. Rio Cibuco. Figure 4. Rio Cibuco

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

2.0 Methods

Since the study consisted of determining the OHWM various US Army Corps of Engineers publications were used as reference, like the Jurisdictional Determination Form Instructional Handbook.

(https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Portals/39/docs/regulatory/jd/jd_guidebook_051207final.pdf)

First, the project area was located on the United States Geological Survey Corozal, Puerto Rico

Topographic Quadrangle, 7.5 Minutes Series.

The field inspection was conducted on November 23, 24 and 26, 2018. Since the topographical maps and the USFWS Wetland Mapper site did not showed a herbaceous or forested wetlands it was assumed that they were not present at the site. To confirm this hypothesis the river margins were inspected to determine if there were wetlands at the site.

The extent of Water of the US within the Project site was determined based on the location of the ordinary high water mark (OHWM). The channel banks were examined for signs of flow, terraces, drift deposits, changes in vegetation, and other indicators that would determine the location of the OHWM. The extent of the river and creeks banks, based on the OHWM, were marked with flagging, the GPS location was obtained, at the same time a certified surveyor determined the exact location of the marks that represent the extent of Waters of the United States as defined in 33 CFR328.3.

3.0 Result - OHWM Indicators

Herbaceous or forested wetlands were not found along the river margins. The most important physical field indicators used to determine the OHWM are:

Scour Sediment sorting

Deposition Water staining

Shelving Changes in the character of soil

Destruction of terrestrial vegetation Multiple observed flow events

Presence of litter and debris Bed and banks

Wracking Leaf litter disturbed or washed away

Vegetation matted down, bent or absent Bank erosion

Change in plant community

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

The parameter that were found at the site to determine the OHWM are:

A. Leaf litter disturbed or washed away

B. Destruction of terrestrial vegetation

C. Change in plant community

D. Bank erosion

Figures 3, 4, and 5 show some of these indicators.

Figures 3. Leaf litter disturbed or washed away, Rio Cibuco.

Figure 4. Change in plant community, Rio Cibuco.

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

Figure 5. Bank erosion, Rio Cibuco.

4.0 Conclusions

It is our professional opinion that waters of the United States, a river, subject to Section 10 of the Clean

Water Act are present within the study area. Appendix 1, displays our professional opinion of the extent of the OHWM covered by Section 10 jurisdiction within the study area. This project, as proposed, will have a temporary negative affect to waters of the United States at Rio Cibuco. The project will prevent erosion at the site by stabilizing the banks of the river. A separate map prepared by a certified surveyor details the extent of Waters of the United States within the study area. Herbaceous or forested wetlands subject to Section 404 of the CWA were not found at the site.

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

5.0 References

Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and E.T. LaRoe. 1979. “Classification of Wetlands and Waters of the United States.” Performed for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northern

Prairie Wildlife Research Center. December 1979.

Hutchinson, A.S. 1936. Manual of Grasses of the West Indies. US Department of Agriculture, Misc. Pub.

No. 243, Washington D.C. 439pp

Little, E. L., F. H. Wadsworth y J. Marrero. 2001. Árboles Comunes de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes.

Segunda Edición, Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, P.R. 731pg.

Logier, H.A., 1985 - 1995. Descriptive Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands. Editorial de la

Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR. Vols. I - V.

Logier, H.A y L.F. Martorell, 2000. Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: A Systematic Synopsis.

Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan. 382pg

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). 2010b, revised 2013. National Hydric Soils

List for Puerto Rico accessed online at http://soils.usda.gov/use/hydric/lists/state.html

Schubert, T.H. 1979. Tress for Urban Use in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Institute of Tropical

Forestry Publication. General Technical Report # SO-27. 91pg.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2007. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jurisdictional

Determination Form Instructional Guidebook. May 30, 2007.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2011. Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland

Delineation Manual: Caribbean Islands Region (Version 2.0). ed. J. S. Wakeley, R. W. Lichvar, C. V. Noble, and J. F. Berkowitz. ERDC/EL TR-11-4. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Engineer

Research and Development Center.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2010 revisited 2013. National Wetland Inventory

Online Wetland Mapper. Online at: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/Mapper.html

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2010. National List of Vascular Plant Species that Occur in

Wetlands: 1996 National Summary web site.

http://www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Documents/cecwo/reg/plants/list96.pdf

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual. 1987. Environmental Laboratory, Department of the Army, Waterways Experimental Station. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C. Technical Report Y-87-1. 100pp

Jurisdictional Delineation of Waters of the US Landslide and Road Damage Evaluation and Repair Recommendation

Highway PR-5568 KM 0.8 Corozal, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Highway Authority Project # ER-HWY-385

Exhibit 1 Map showing OHWM at study site.

Extracted from the map certified by a surveyor that is included with this report.