RTA 30 Package - Design Documentation Report.pdf

Attachment C Port Monmouth Mitigation Final RTA 30% Design Documentation Report

Prepared for

THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

26 Federal Plaza New York, NY

DESIGN DOCUMENTATION REPORT (DDR)

PORT MONMOUTH HURRICANE AND STORM DAMAGE

REDUCTION PROJECT PHASE II, CONTRACT I – PEWS AND

COMPTON CREEK MITIGATION SITES

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY

Prepared by:

WSP USA

December 2025

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Table of Contents

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Pews and Compton Creek Mitigation Site Locations ............................................................................ 1-7

Figure 2. Compton Creek Mitigation Site Biobenchmarks ................................................................................ 3-15

Figure 3. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Average Groundwater Monitoring Well Salinity Concentrations .... 3-17

Figure 4. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Average Groundwater Monitoring Well Water Elevations .............. 3-17

Figure 5. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Soil Analysis Results ................................................................................ 3-19

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) Manhole Data ....................................... 3-10

Table 2. Compton Creek Tide Gauge Data, 2016 ............................................................................................... 3-11

Table 3. Compton Creek Mitigation Site Existing Habitat Zones based on Biobenchmark Data .............. 3-15

Table 4. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Summary of Monthly Water Budget Values ......................................... 3-16

Table 5. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Soil Sample Analysis Results ................................................................... 3-18

Table 6. Compton Creek Mitigation Site Proposed Habitats ............................................................................ 4-22

Table 7. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Existing Forested Wetlands .................................................................... 4-24

Table 8. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Proposed Habitat Areas ........................................................................... 4-25

Table 9. Mitigation Site Estimated Earthwork Quantities .................................................................................. 4-26

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A. United States Department of Agriculture Soil Maps

Appendix B. Potential Diurnal Tidal Prism (PDTP) Calculations

Appendix C. Proposed Earthwork Volume Computations

Appendix D. New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJHPO) Consultation

Appendix E. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)

Appendix F. National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Map

Appendix G. U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Service Consultation

Appendix H. Agency Coordination

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INTRODUCTION

The Port Monmouth Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project involves the construction of two wetland mitigation sites complimentary and parallel to the levee construction and beach renourishment projects along the north northeastern bounds of Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey near Sandy Hook Bay. Adjacent levee, floodwall, and dune establishment projects aim to provide protection to residential and commercial structures subject to the impacts of coastal storm surges, erosion, and flooding.

The Port Monmouth Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project is divided into two contract phases:

Phase I Shore Protection and Phase II Flood Risk Management. Phase I, completed in 2015 with scheduled periodic renourishment, was comprised of beach nourishment inclusive of beach widening and the construction of a vegetated dune complex, groin nourishment, and a pier extension. Phase II was divided into five contract areas for design and construction:

Contract 1 is comprised of the Port Monmouth Mitigation sites inclusive of the Pews Creek Mitigation Site and Compton Creek Mitigation Site, a large freshwater and tidal wetland, respectively.

Pews-4 is located west of Pews Creek along the Keansburg Levee and Compton-6 is located approximately 1.25-miles south by southwest of the mouth of Compton Creek.

Contract 2 consists of a newly constructed levee, the existing Keansburg levee, a Pews Creek pump station, sheetpile wall, and a storm gate. Contract 2 work is concentrated near the Pews Creek influent point directly south of Port Monmouth Road.

Contract 3 consists of a road closure gate and a floodwall located north of Port Monmouth Road running parallel to the shoreline from the Monmouth Cove Marina to its eastern terminus just west of Egret Way.

Contract 4 construction is comprised of road regrading, floodwall construction, Henry Hudson Trail restoration, road gate closure installation at Broadway and Campbell Avenue, levee construction, and interior drainage improvements. Contract 4 includes a levee extending generally north from State Route 36 to Broadway along the Compton Creek site’s western boundary and a floodwall extending parallel to State Route 36 running west from the levee’s southern terminus to a point where the surface elevation is equivalent to the floodwall height.

Contract 5 work includes floodwall construction along Main Street, road raising along Port Monmouth Road, a levee along Main Street and Port Monmouth Road, a floodwall running parallel to Port Monmouth Road, a Compton Creek pump station, and interior drainage improvements. The floodwall and levee segment extend from the Broadway road closure gate along the Compton Creek mitigation site to the Raritan/Sandy Hook Bay shoreline dune. The dune was constructed to a crest of 15 feet in the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) during Phase I Beach Nourishment.

The Port Monmouth Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project was developed to counteract the tidal surges in the Creeks formerly generating flooding to the eastern and western bounds of the Port Monmouth, Middletown Township community. Tidal surges have historically blocked municipal stormwater systems discharging to Pews and Compton Creek channels. The duality of these water resource complications has resulted in notable damage to residential and commercial properties and public infrastructure including roadways, bridges, utilities, and drainage facilities. Damage has led to substantial financial loss and considerable obstruction to community commerce and economic development. Contracts 2 through 5 are comprised mainly of structural and civil components to combat the risk of extensive storm and induced tidal flood damage.

Contracts 2 through 5 require compensatory mitigation for impacts to the coastal and freshwater wetlands and

1-6 riparian zone. Contracts 2 through 5 require compensatory mitigation to be achieved through the Contract 1 Pews 4 and Compton Creek 6 Mitigation Sites and through the application of previously purchased freshwater mitigation credits. In 2015, the Evaluation for Planned Wetlands (EPW), a total of 13 sites were investigated within Pews Creek (4) and Compton Creek (9). Of the thirteen investigated sites, eleven of the sites were eliminated as a result of their existing elevated ecological value, insufficient acreage, or previous mitigation commitments. The two sites selected for their geometry, ecological value, and acreage were Pews Creek Site 4 and Compton Creek Site 6, herein referred to as the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites.

Per the July 12, 2023, Port Monmouth Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project Wetland Mitigation Proposal, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project was approved in 2008 along with a Record of Decision (ROD) addressing project components. The July 2023 Wetland Mitigation Proposal, designed by others, was previously approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) on November 29, 2023. A referenced supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) was developed to address engineering design changes to the project’s secondary phase following the EIS finalization. The final supplemental EA was published in June 2016.

As of 2025, United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is proceeding with the onsite mitigation of two parcels:

- Block 121 Lot 1, Pews Creek Mitigation Site 4: 22.87 acres

- Block 276 Lot 48, Compton Creek Mitigation Site 6: 11.74 acres

To the east of Pews Creek Mitigation Site is a levee with a nominal crest elevation of 15-feet (NAVD88) which runs south from the mouth of the creek for a distance of 6,000 feet. The levee is part of the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay Beach Erosion and Hurricane Federal project for Keansburg. The Pews Creek Mitigation Site is bound by Port Monmouth Road to the north, the levee discussed herein to the east, Clinton Street to the south, and jutting residential roads to the west shown in Figure 1. Southeast of the Pews Creek Mitigation Site, Compton Creek Mitigation Site 6 is located approximately 0.75-miles inland of Belford Harbor, shown in Figure 1, fed by the tidal waterway. The Compton Creek Mitigation Site is bound by Campbell Avenue to the south, Compton Creek tributaries to the north, Locust Street and a Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority sewer easement to the east, and a property boundary approximately parallel to Creek Road to the west ranging from 180 to 370-feet from the residential roadway.

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Figure 1. Pews and Compton Creek Mitigation Site Locations

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SITE HISTORY

Raritan Bay has supported twenty-three known types of fisheries, many of which were established in the 1800’s, during a time of thriving economics supported by biodiversity within the natural coastal habitat. Since the 1870’s the Compton Creek Port Monmouth-Belford region was a principal fin-fishing port in the bay. The port was once minimally developed marshland utilized for agricultural produce and fish transport to New York City, however, in the 1870’s four companies constructed and operated factories for canning food, closing after only a few years. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the port expanded, and pound netting was the largest fishery. In response to its popularity, the northern portion of Compton Creek was widened and deepened to hold more and larger boats as fisheries grew (Clyde L. Mackenzie, 1990). In 1950 the mouth of Compton Creek at its intersection with the Raritan Bay was noted at 150-feet, in 2025 it stretches approximately 310-feet allowing for a greater influent of tidal waters, a product attributed to the locals dredging berthing areas and construction of a stone jetty, wharves, and bulkheads (Army, 1951). The Monmouth County Park System notes the channels were deepened to expose mosquito populations to fish predators, and the impacts have increased flow efficiency reducing shallow pooled areas supporting sea lavender and glasswort, species birds previously sought as nourishment. In the 1980’s, only Compton Creek’s Port Monmouth-Belford and Highlands remained as commercial fishing ports in the Raritan Bay, however, a great lack of fish grew apparent in the late 1900’s.

Residential buildings neighboring the creek were historically independently owned by fisherman.

Prior to 1851, a dock called Brays Landing was established east of Pews Creek and functioned as a dominant trade route. In the early 1900’s shorefront land was sold in great quantities to residential buyers for development, during the commercial fishing boom of the Raritan Bay. In 1990 the Monmouth Cove Marina was established with Green Acres funding as part of the county’s Port Monmouth realignment and Pews Creek reconstruction, per the Monmouth County Park System.

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DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING

Topographic Survey

Survey Control Report

In May of 2017, a Survey Control Report was provided to USACE for the Port Monmouth Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project inclusive of the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites (Gayron de Bruin Land Surveying & Engineering, 2017). The report provides aerial control for photogrammetry, static GPS data for aerial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), topographic ground control for future use, and ground elevation checks for aerial LiDAR for the wetland mitigation project for a total of 51-acres in the Port Monmouth, Middletown Township, New Jersey Mitigation Sites.

Once installed, aerial targets and ground control points were located via GPS RTK from two base stations. GPS observations were averaged holding a tolerance of 0.055 feet horizontally and 0.065 feet vertically. Data was collected at one-second intervals for the duration of the helicopter flight and provided to others for post-processing. Ten aerial targets were set in the vicinity of both mitigation sites, all of which were located with a rover and each GPS base station. Five ground control points were set with the GPS base station and rover, direct observations were collected via robotic total station. A total of one-hundred-and-twelve random elevations throughout the mitigation sites, forty of seventy at the Pews Creek Mitigation Site and twenty-two of forty-two at Compton Creek Mitigation Site, with a GPS base station and rover. Elevations were compared to a triangulated irregular network (TIN) surface created by LiDAR data. Provided point data was incorporated into the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites existing New Jersey Geographic Information Network (NJGIN) Monmouth County GIS Division 2-foot contour TIN surfaces for the design development (Monmouth County GIS Division, 2024).

Topographic Survey Accuracy

Existing topographic data and surfaces for the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites are comprised of the NJGIN Monmouth County GIS Division 2-foot contours published October 2024, aerial target and ground control data collected by others in the May 2017 Survey Control Report, the Compton Creek Mitigation Site September 2017 biobenchmark survey points, and the Pews Creek Mitigation Site monitoring well ground elevations of December 2015. The topographic data is insufficient for the development of the mitigation site design and quantification of items. A comprehensive topographic survey should be conducted and incorporated into the mitigation design prior to the final submission for approval to ensure an extensive topographic profile of present conditions is taken into consideration. In addition, a metes and bounds description must be provided to define the boundaries of each mitigation site prior to the final design submission, inclusive of precise measurements, directional references, and reference points to existing landmarks to remain or artificial survey markers to track property lines.

Utility Survey

Utility records, provided by USACE, were reviewed for crossings within the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites. Existing utility records included electric, gas, sanitary and sewer, and water records. An electric utility record review, for which documentation was provided to USACE by Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) General Public Utilities (GPU), did not reveal the existence of any overhead wires or electrical features within either mitigation site. To the north of the Pews Creek Mitigation Site, along Port Monmouth Road several telephone poles with primary conductor segments were noted. Along the southern and eastern bounds of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, telephone poles, primary conductor segments, and transformer banks were noted along Campbell Avenue and to the west of Locust Street. Electrical utility conflicts were not identified and are not anticipated for both the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites.

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New Jersey Natural Gas records were provided to USACE, dated December 9, 2013, by an Army Corps 2013 Post Sandy Survey Utility Mark-Up Request. Received records indicate all identified gas distribution mains at the time of the utility mark-up were located within Middletown Township roadways. The boundaries of both the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites do not interfere with any roadways, nor the location of any gas lines identified per the 2013 utility mark-up therefore gas utility conflicts are not anticipated. A gas utility is considered any location for which proposed construction comes within twelve inches horizontally or vertically of any existing gas facility.

New Jersey American Water Company Monmouth Distribution System Maps were provided to USACE, in addition to the geographic location of hydrants, valves, and lateral and main lines. Water facilities remain within the public access roadways and do not interfere with the proposed project areas.

Main lines are located along both Campbell Avenue, the southern terminus of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, and Port Monmouth Road, the northern terminus of the Pews Creek Mitigation Site.

The Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) and T&M Associates provided a May 30, 2002, survey of sanitary sewer locations and data in addition to geographic coordinates of sewerage pipes and structures. Adjacent to the Pews Creek Mitigation Site an access panel and headwall were identified, in connection with a thirty-six-inch storm pipe along the gravel access road’s berm directly following the divergence with Port Monmouth Road. There are no anticipated conflicts with the identified drainage structure, however soil erosion and sediment control facilities should be installed at each drainage structure location to reduce the impacts of sediment transport to existing stormwater facilities. Along Creek Road, approximately two-hundred-and-forty-five feet due west of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, a twenty-four-inch reinforced concrete pipe stormwater outfall was identified.

The introduction of freshwater flows to the proposed tidal wetland mitigation site is discouraged, therefore preliminary designs were altered to accommodate existing sewerage authority utilities discussed further herein. North of Campbell Avenue, the southern terminus of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, a 356-foot long eight-inch sewerage pipe was identified, connecting to a manhole (3-

6) towards the site’s eastern boundary, following which a thirty-six-inch pipe extends parallel to Church Street five-hundred feet to meet another manhole (3-5), and an additional three-hundred-and-forty-five feet to meet a third manhole (3-4) along the Compton Creek Mitigation Site’s eastern edge at its intersection with Cherry Street. Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates were collected by TOMSA April 15, 2010, to confirm the location, invert and rim elevations, and depth of the manholes, see Table 1.

Table 1. Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) Manhole Data

Manhole Number

Rim Elevation

(ft. NAVD88)

Depth (ft.) Coordinate (Y) Coordinate (X)

3-4 7 17.23 580956.059768736 605441.119672913

3-5 7 17.07 580638.911780991 605305.70032433

3-6 6 15.54 580181.543273158 605096.86215933

TOMSA identified a thirty-foot wide sewer easement atop the thirty-six-inch pipe, and a twenty-foot-wide sewer easement atop the southern eight-inch pipe. To ensure the sewerage authority maintains access to its utilities at all times with relative ease, the sewer easements will be avoided and are proposed as a “no work” zone whereby the area may be traversed for access and no permanent measures or mitigation efforts will take place within the identified area. Easement coordinates and boundaries must be obtained prior to the commencement of any construction activities.

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All utility records have been provided by the appropriate New Jersey utility commission at varying dates and will therefore require verification via a pre-construction utility survey and via coordination with designated utility companies who maintain or hold ownership of active and abandoned utility lines in the vicinity of the identified project areas. Prior to the commencement of any construction activities all utility records must be obtained, and locations must be confirmed via pre-construction surveying.

Existing culverts, along the eastern boundary of the Pews Creek Mitigation Site and the western boundary of the Keansburg Levee, shall be surveyed prior to the finalization of the mitigation design to assess the presence and functionality of each drainage structure and their backflow preventors, to ensure the planting selection is informed to the existing salinity and inundation conditions. Any unanticipated utility lines or structures, active or abandoned, identified during the pre-construction survey should be brought to the attention of the Designer of Record, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and USACE.

Tidal Hydrology

In September 2016, a Tide Gauge Analysis Letter Report was provided to USACE for the Compton Creek Mitigation Site for the installation of three tide gauges along Compton Creek. The tide gauges collected data for 62 days, May 26 – July 26 of 2016 (e4sciences Earthworks, LLC., 2016). The tide gauge, levelogger, elevations and coordinates were obtained by a licensed New Jersey surveyor. The details of the datum computations for the short-term series, two months, at the Compton Creek tide gauge (subordinate station) and Sandy Hook station (control station) were used by others to produce mean tidal data and ranges. The tidal datums output from the control and subordinate stations were utilized to develop site-specific tidal datums informing the proposed Compton Creek Mitigation Site wetland conceptual restoration design as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Compton Creek Tide Gauge Data, 2016

Datum (feet NAVD88)

Published for the Control Station Sandy Hook, NJ

Computed by Others for Subordinate Station

Compton Creek, NJ Epoch 1983 - 2001

Mean High Water Spring MHWS 2.340* 3.413

Mean Higher High Water MHHW 2.410 2.739

Mean High Water MHW 2.080 2.396

Mean Tide Level MTL -0.270 -0.085

Mean Low Water MLW -2.620 -2.567

Mean Lower Low Water MLLW -2.820 -2.789

Mean Low Water Spring MLWS -2.880* -2.869

Diurnal Tide Level DTL -0.205 -0.025

Great Diurnal Range GT 5.230 5.528

Mean Range MN 4.700 4.963

Spring Range Sg 5.22 6.282

* As mean high water spring and mean low water spring were not available for the Sandy Hook Station, they were computed using the known mean tide level and half of the mean tidal range, under the assumption of symmetrical distribution of the range around mean tide level. Mean spring tidal range at Sandy Hook Station for Epoch 1983-2001 is 5.22 feet, from Coastal Geomorphology of the Ocean Shoreline, Gateway National Recreation Area, Natural Evolution and Cultural Modifications, a Synthesis, Natural Resource Report NPS/NERO/NRR – 2010/184, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

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Tide gauge 01 (PM-TG-16-01) was installed in a slotted pipe at the center of the main channel of Compton Creek, approximately five-hundred-feet north of the Campbell Avenue bridge, TG-01 often did not capture the lowest water levels as the entirety of the creek bed was often exposed at low tide.

Tide gauge 02 was placed in a patch of Phragmities australis (common reed), in a slotted pipe, fixed at ground level and noted as only capable of capturing the tide data at the highest tides. Tide gauge 03 was attached to a wood piling at the docks at the mouth of Compton Creek, approximately seven hundred-and-fifty-feet southeast of the bay, capable of measuring the entire tide cycle.

A pre-construction bridge inspection is recommended for the Campbell Avenue bridge along the southern reach of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site. The results of the bridge inspection will provide the Designer of Record with measurements of the bank’s wetted perimeter, distance from water to the bridge’s underpass, bank geometry, and provide a summary report of findings, inspection photographs, and any information regarding obstacles for unrestricted tidal flow.

Wetland Delineation and Survey

Wetland delineation reports were prepared for the USACE NYD and the NJDEP Bureau of Coastal Engineering for Contracts 2, 4, and 5 of the Port Monmouth Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project, provided July 2016 (e4sciences, LLC. & AECOM, 2016). The wetland delineation report utilized a three-pronged method, defined by others, to evaluate the existence of wetlands based on the presence of hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology. Hydrophytic vegetation was defined as the sum of macrophytic plant life occurring in areas where the frequency and duration of inundation or soil saturation produces permanently or periodically saturated soils of sufficient duration to exert a controlling influence on the plant species present. In the wetland delineation study, an area was considered to contain hydrophytic vegetation when, under typical conditions, over fifty percent of the dominant species were defined as obligate wetland plants (OBL), facultative wetland plants (FACW), or facultative plants (FAC). Hydric soils are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a duration during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions favorable for the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation. Hydric soils were classified by two categories including soil series and phrases on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (NTCHS) hydric soils lists and field indicators of hydric soils (NTCHS, 1991). Field identifiable indicators of hydric soils include the presence of organic soils, histic epipedon, sulfidic materials, aquic or peraquic moisture regimes, reducing silt conditions, gleyed, low chroma or low chroma motted soils, iron and/or manganese concretions, and coarse textured soils with high organic matter content in the surface interface, dark vertical streaking of subsurface horizons by organic matter, or wet spodosols (Vasilas, Hurt, & Noble, 2010). Direct evidence of hydric soils was taken into consideration, including the observation of ponding, flooding and saturation, accounting for seasonal and wetted duration factors. Wetland hydrology encompasses all hydrologic characteristics of areas periodically inundated or containing soils saturated to the surface for a duration during the growth season. Areas exhibiting evidence of wetland hydrology are those with a presence of water containing an overriding influence on characteristics of vegetation and soil due to anaerobic and reducing conditions.

For inaccessible parcels, the Offsite Determination Method, described in the Federal Interagency Manual (Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation (FICWD), 1989), the Corps Wetland Delineation Manual of 1987 (Environmental Laboratory, 1987), and the Corps Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual of 2012 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2012) were utilized for determining wetland boundaries via United States Geological Survey (USGS) mapping for locating proximal waterbodies, USDA soil survey maps for the presence of hydric soils, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (U.S. FWS) National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) previously identified wetland boundaries, aerial photo

3-13 interpretation to identify surface water, saturated soil, and vegetative pattern presence, and a review of collected field data within neighboring parcels.

Wetland delineation report results are summarized in four categories: vegetation – identified species, soils, hydrology, and delineated wetlands.

Contract 2:

- The Contract 2 Wetland Delineation Report documents the wetland delineation performed in and immediately adjacent to the build footprint of Contract 2, including the construction of a vertical lift gate structure with two tide gates, a levee tying into the existing Keansburg Levee adjacent to the Contract 1 Pews Creek Mitigation Site, a pump station, and a floodwall along the east side of Pews Creek tying into the adjacent highway embankment. Soils within the Contract 2 build footprint were identified as Appoquinimink-Transquaking-Mispillion complex, a hydric soil, and Udorthents-Urban complex. The soil ranged from highly disturbed and altered urban soils to frequently flooded soils with inlets and flooded areas. Sand was noted as a significant component of the Contract 2 area soil matrix, in wetland areas silty sand was the predominant soil type. Wetlands within the Contract 2 area are tidally influenced by saltmarsh wetlands receiving daily tidal influence to varying degrees dependent upon the microtopographic relief and distance to Pews Creek. Within the Contract 1 Pews Creek Mitigation Site, Wetland line C2-A was identified, a palustrine emergent wetland dominated by Phragmites australis along the western edge of the Keansburg Levee (e4sciences, LLC. & AECOM, 2016).

Contract 4:

- Within the ground-truthed area of Contract 4 project area, extending from Broadway to State Route 36, the wetlands generally consisted of dense stands of common reed with isolated areas dominated by low-lying grasses such as Spartina patens (saltmeadow cordgrass) and Distichlis spicata.(spike grass) The wetland description of the western portion of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site in congruent with the biobenchmark reported results of 2017. Iva frutescens (high-tide bush) was subdominant, fifteen-percent coverage, within one area east of the Contract 4 area.

Per a review of the U.S. Department of Interior U.S. FWS NWI wetlands of 2012, estuarine and marine wetlands and estuarine and marine deepwater wetlands were identified within the Compton Creek Mitigation Site boundary. Adjacent to the Compton Creek Mitigation Site boundary is Wetland Delineation section C4-A. Wetland line C4-A was an Estuarine Emergent Wetland (EEM) delineated from north of the Woodstock Avenue and Broad Street intersection, south to the Campbell Avenue crossing of Compton Creek. Contract 4 was identified to contain freshwater wetlands (FWW) along the delineated wetland line, C4-A. The soil profile for wetland line C4-A was predominantly composed of organic muck (10YR2/1, black, and 10YR3/1, very dark gray). Observed wetland indicators within the western Compton Creek wetland line included high water table, soil saturation, and hydrogen sulfide odor. The wetlands within the Compton Creek Mitigation Site were classified as a tidally influenced saltmarsh wetland receiving a daily tidal influence. Vegetative species within the delineated wetlands are defined by vegetative strata and wetland indicator status within the referenced Contract 4 Wetland Delineation Report (e4sciences, LLC. & AECOM, 2016). A letter of intent was submitted for Contracts 4 and 5.

Contract 5:

- Delineated wetlands within Contract 5 generally consisted of dense stands of common reed, Baccharis halimifolia (sea-myrtle) and grasses. The soils were generally composed of organic muck, accumulated under anaerobic conditions, within the tidal marsh complex. The wetlands within the Compton Creek Mitigation Site were classified as a tidally influenced saltmarsh wetland receiving a daily tidal influence. Vegetative species within the delineated wetlands are defined by vegetative strata and wetland indicator status within the referenced Contract 5 Wetland Delineation Report (e4sciences, LLC. & AECOM, 2016).

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An updated wetland delineation study shall be conducted for the Compton Creek and Pews Creek Mitigation Sites resulting in a discrete wetland delineation report for each proposed mitigation site prior to the acceptance of the final mitigation design documents to verify existing conditions and ensure the proposed mitigation design considers existing wetland conditions. The wetland delineation survey and report shall consist of vegetation identification, growth elevations, and their health status as well as soil conditions, hydrology, and the delineated wetlands. The wetland delineation study shall be conducted per the USACE Wetlands Delineation Manual (USACE Waterways Experiment Station Environmental Laboratory, 1987). For additional information refer to the Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Northcentral and Northeast Region (USACE, 2012).

Survey results shall be provided to the Corps in a report format and contain raw collections such as shapefiles or a summary table of georeferenced points and delineated wetlands.

Biobenchmark Survey

Given the freshwater classification of the Pews Creek Mitigation Site following the installation of the tide gate along Port Monmouth Road, no biobenchmark surveys were completed for the project area.

A Compton Biobenchmarking Report was prepared for USACE by others November 13, 2017, to summarize the September 29, 2017, Compton Creek Mitigation Site biobenchmarking transects and findings. A total of six transects and fifty-two points were surveyed, of which Transects E and F consisting of 21 collective points intersect with the Compton Creek Mitigation Site boundary. The vegetation in transects E and F were dominated by a dense monoculture of common reed. Within the wetland, small, isolated areas containing high-tide bush, spike grass, Solidago sempervirens (seaside goldernrod), Symphyotrichum sp. (salt marsh aster), and Pluchea sp. (saltmarsh flea bane) were observed.

No source was identified as the foundation of the common reed domination in the Compton Creek Mitigation Site vegetative community. It was previously speculated that the common reed culture within the wetlands may have been a result of precursory disturbance or ditch cleaning, the banks of the ditches and tidal creeks were noted as slightly higher in elevation than the surrounding wetland (e4sciences, LLC. & AECOM, 2017). Along the eastern portion of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, a berm ranging from elevation 4 and 9-feet (NAVD88) vegetated with upland species was observed, within the identified sewerage easement. Biobenchmark locations in the Compton Creek Mitigation Site are shown in Figure 2. Biobenchmark elevations derived from the 2017 biobenchmarking event were used to inform the existing contours for the Compton Creek Mitigation Site.

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Figure 2. Compton Creek Mitigation Site Biobenchmarks

The existing habitat zones based on biobenchmark data are listed in Table 3. The lowest elevation of strong and vigorous Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) growth varies from 0.46 to 1.78-feet (NAVD88), the lower portion of the thriving growth range occurs upstream at Transect A, increasing in elevation as biobenchmarks shift downstream. The lowest elevation for strong communities of smooth cordgrass were not collected following Transect C at which the elevation was 1.78-feet (NAVD88). The highest elevation of smooth cordgrass growth was not observed following Transect D, upstream of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, for which the highest elevation was 2.16 feet, a prospective result of a lower volume of tidal waters and less inundation than its upstream counterpart.

Spike grass growth within Transects E and F was observed from 2.89 to 3.20-feet in patches up to approximately one-thousand square feet accompanied by high-tide bush, salt marsh aster, and seaside goldenrod in areas. High-tide bush growth was observed at higher elevations in Transects E and F in comparison to its upstream biobenchmark collection. Common reed within the transects was observed as low as elevation 0.01-feet (NAVD88), at the waterline without other species present.

Table 3. Compton Creek Mitigation Site Existing Habitat Zones based on Biobenchmark Data

Plant Community / Occurrence (ft-NAVD88)

Lowest elevation of Spartina alterniflora -0.17

Lowest elevation of strong and vigorous growth of Spartina alterniflora 0.46, 1.32, 1.78

Vigorous Spartina sp. growth 1.9 to 2.45

Highest elevation of Spartina alterniflora growth 2.86

Spartina patens low/ high elevations 2.6; 2.96

Spartina sp. / Distichlis interface 2.9

Distichlis sp. low elevation 2.4 to 2.8

Robust Iva frutescens growth 2.86

Lowest elevation of common reed 1.09

Wetland / Upland Interface 3.21

Mudflats* < -0.2ft

* - Large mudflats are uncommon in the project area and are subject to tidal forces.

Note: All biobenchmarking data was reported in the NGVD88, an assumption was made based on a review and comparison with existing LiDAR data derived from the NJGIN Monmouth County GIS Division 2024 2-foot contour data, that the coordinate system previously utilized was NAVD88.

Tree Survey

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A tree survey has not been completed for the Compton Creek or Pews Creek Mitigation Sites. Aerial and ground-level imagery for the mitigation sites displays a robust tree line along the eastern boundary of the Compton Creek Mitigation Site and a comparatively less dense tree line along the eastern and western edges of the Pews Creek Mitigation Site. Should any tree removal activities be proposed for site access, a tree survey should be completed in parallel scheduling with the pre-construction survey.

The tree survey shall provide an inventory of existing on-site trees and inform the tree restitution plan should tree removal be required. The tree survey shall contain tree identification numbers, species of the tree, diameter at breast height in inches (DBH), tree height, crown height, crown radius, age classification, and a health assessment based on root system, trunk, scaffold, branch, twig, bud, and leaf condition. Tree assessments shall be conducted by an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist. The tree survey should produce a GPS-survey in a format accessible to the USACE NYD. Invasive tree species, such as Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven), should be brought to the attention of the Designer of Record and the COR and treated appropriately for in the invasive species management plan.

Hydrologic Data Collection

As part of the Port Monmouth Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project Phase II, Contract 2 a vertical lift gate across Pews Creek approximately 150-feet south of the Port Monmouth Road crossing. Per the 2017 Port Monmouth Water Budget Report, the sluice gate was assumed to be open two-thirds of the time with respect to the daily tidal cycle in Pews Creek. The construction of the flood control levee and tide gates have converted the previously coastal wetland site to a freshwater site. The Pews Creek Mitigation Site is plagued by a monoculture of common reed dominating the wetland, resulting in a low value ecosystem.

In April of 2017 a Pews Creek Mitigation Site Initial Existing Condition Water Budget and Summary Report was prepared for USACE to verify and model existing hydrologic conditions and predict the site’s response to design changes. The water budget was computed based upon the calculation and flux of water stores and sinks for the Pews Creek Mitigation Site such as precipitation, surface water inflow and discharge, groundwater inflow and discharge, and evapotranspiration, results are presented in Table 4 for January 1st through August 31st, 2016 (e4sciences, LLC. & AECOM, 2017).

Table 4. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Summary of Monthly Water Budget Values

Month Precipitation

(in.)

Surface Water In

(in.)

Ground Water In

(in.)

Surface Water Out

Scenario 1 (in.)

Ground Water Out (in.)

Evapo-transpiration

(in.)

Change in

Storage (in.)

January 3.1 23.0 0.004 -15.4 -0.117 -0.8 9.8 February 4.5 14.7 0.002 -9.8 -0.113 -1.4 7.8 March 1.4 2.5 0.006 -1.7 -0.113 -2.6 -0.5 April 1.6 1.6 0.017 -1.1 -0.086 -3.5 -1.4 May 5.8 25.7 0.024 -17.2 -0.075 -4.5 9.7 June 2.4 5.4 0.017 -3.6 -0.086 -6.9 -2.8 July 6.5 20.2 0.031 -13.5 -0.060 -5.7 7.4 August 1.1 1.1 0.040 -0.7 -0.042 -6.3 -4.9

Informing the water budget was a Final Soil Analysis Letter Report, discussed herein, and Groundwater Monitoring Data Submission each produced in 2016 (e4sciences, Earthworks, LLC., 2016). The Pews Creek Mitigation Site consisted of six as-built groundwater monitoring wells, leveloggers, for which results of soil samples analysis, infiltration rate, rising head, hydraulic conductivity, salinity, and various other water quality parameters were collected from 12/01/2015 – 08/31/2016. Calculated salinity values ranged from 0.42 to 23.99 parts per trillion, with the greatest salinity values in MW-02 and MW- 03, two locations adjacent to the first well-defined Pews Creek tributary where surface water backflow

3-17 or groundwater exfiltration from the sea may be causes of elevated salinity levels. The lowest salinity levels were most consistently found in MW-06, the southern-most monitoring well experiencing the lowest level of subsurface salt-water intrusion. Average groundwater monitoring well salinity concentrations from December 12th, 2015, to August 31st, 2016, are displayed in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Average Groundwater Monitoring Well Salinity Concentrations

The average groundwater monitoring well water elevations trend similarly to the seasonal changes of New Jersey, as anticipated, with the greatest elevations occurring in the spring during the wetter months and a downward trend towards the end of summer as the autumn dry season approaches. The greatest groundwater monitoring well elevations occur in wells five and six, furthest south in the Pews Creek Mitigation Site, with the lowest levels further north within wells one, two, and three. The groundwater monitoring well water elevation trends exhibit the potential for seepage or loss at the northern portion of the site, where Pews Creek tributaries extending west are strongly defined and surface water flows east towards the restored marsh. Average groundwater monitoring well water elevations in feet (NAVD88) from December 12th, 2015, to August 31st, 2016, are displayed in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Average Groundwater Monitoring Well Water Elevations

Prior to the acceptance of the final Pews Creek Mitigation Site Design, a proposed condition water budget should be developed to model the hydrologic characteristics of the proposed wetland mitigation site and predict the site’s future hydrologic response to the design changes. The results of the proposed condition water budget should be used to inform the Pews Creek Mitigation Site freshwater wetland

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

12/12/2015 2/15/2016 4/20/2016 6/24/2016 8/28/2016S al in it y C o n ce n tr at io n p p t)

Date of Collection

Average Groundwater Monitoring Well Salinity (ppt) 01/01-08/31/2016

MW-01 MW-02 MW-03 MW-04 MW-05 MW-06

-1.50

-1.00

-0.50

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

12/12/2015 2/15/2016 4/20/2016 6/24/2016 8/28/2016

W at er E le va ti o n ft . N

A V

D

Date of Collection

Average Groundwater Monitoring Well Water Elevation

(NAVD88) 01/01 - 08/31/2016

MW-01 MW-02 MW-03 MW-04 MW-05 MW-06

3-18 design and improve the potential for a successful post-mitigation self-sustaining wetland and restoration of the wetland functions.

Geotechnical Investigations

Incorporated into the Pews Creek Mitigation Site Existing Water Budget was a March 2016 Final Soil Analysis Letter Report. The report presents the United Soil Classification System (USCS) classification of soil samples in each monitoring well at a depth of four to five feet, diameter at which sixty-percent of particles are finer (D60), and average hydraulic conductivity per the Van Bavel & Kirkham method, performed by TerraSense, LLC are shown in Table 5 (Spangler & Handy, 1982). Pews Creek Mitigation Site soils were classified, along six monitoring well locations, as silty sand, poorly graded sand-silty sand, and organic silt/organic clay with a majority of borings containing silty sand (e4sciences, Earthworks, LLC., 2016).

Table 5. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Soil Sample Analysis Results Sample

ID

USCS

Symbol D60 (mm) Average hydraulic conductivity (cm/sec)

MW-01 SM 0.705 4.15E-04

MW-02 OL 0.005 1.93E-04

MW-03 SM 2.510 4.17E-04

MW-04 SM 0.29 4.50E-04

MW-05 SP-SM 2.89 3.35E-04

MW-06 SP-SM 0.27 7.04E-04

SM

SP-SM

OL

Silty Sand Poorly Graded Sand-Silty Sand Organic Silt, Organic Clay

Note: Average hydraulic conductivity was derived from the average of three successive test runs.

The Pews Creek Mitigation Site soil sample content and USCS classification results are presented in Figure 5, divided by the percentage of gravel, sand, and fines. Sediment composition results support the USCS symbol characterization by monitoring well location and display a trend of high sand content among a majority of the wells with the exception of MW-02. Gravel content ranges from 0 – 27.5% amongst monitoring wells, with the highest occurrence in MW-05, the second southernmost, downstream location.

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Figure 5. Pews Creek Mitigation Site Soil Analysis Results

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey data was collected for both the Compton Creek and Pews Creek Mitigation Sites, provided in Appendix A. The Compton Creek Mitigation Site contains 92.1% of very frequently flooded Appoquinimink-Transquaking-Mispillion complex, 2.9% Urban land-Klej complex, and 5.0% open water. The Pews Creek Mitigation Site contains 97.6% very frequently flooded Appoquinimink- Transquaking-Mispillion complex and 2.4% of occasionally flooded Urban land-Brockatonorton complex.

Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste (HTRW)

In 2015, filed sampling of the wetland mitigation parcels was conducted by the USACE New York District and the NJDEP to determine and identify any potential contamination (Accutest Laboratories, 2015). The USACE Physical Scientist allotted six soil sample locations from the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites, producing seven and six soil samples respectively. Sampling was conducted using a hand auger to a depth of three feet below the ground surface (bgs). Samples were delivered to a laboratory to conduct an analysis of volatile organic analytes (VOA), semi-volatile organic analytes (SVOA), pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) metals. Laboratory results were compared to the New Jersey Administration Code (N.J.A.C.) 7:26 D Table 1B, Non-Residential Direct Soil Contact Remediation Standards.

Laboratory results concluded acetone and carbon disulfide were the only VOAs detected. These compounds were attributed to laboratory contamination of the soil samples given their frequent use as a cleaning solvent and the absence of additional VOAs. Seven semi-volatile organic compounds were detected: benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)fluoranthene, benzaldehyde, chrysene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, all SVOAs were classified as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Levels of detected PAHs were below those utilized as a guideline in N.J.A.C. 7:26 D Table 1B by several orders of magnitude (NJDEP, 2012). Samples testing positive for SVOAs were located within the Pews Creek Mitigation Site in an area of a moist sand deciduous tree grove. Three pesticides were detected: 4-4’-DDD, 4,4’-DDE, and 4,4’DDT, observed in both the Pews Creek and Compton Creek Mitigation Sites at a level one magnitude below guideline values. There was an absence of PCBs in all collected soil samples. Of the eight RCRA metals cadmium and selenium were not detected, the following were observed (detected samples/total samples): silver (1/13), mercury (3/13), lead (3/13), chromium (3/13), barium (4/13), and arsenic (6/13). All detectable RCRA metals were below their

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

MW-01 MW-02 MW-03 MW-04 MW-05 MW-06

% Fines 28.9 94.2 20.9 15.2 7 8.6

% Sand 69.8 5.8 65.9 83.1 65.5 91.4

% Gravel 1.3 0 13.2 1.7 27.5 0

U S C

S C la ss if ic at io n

Monitoring Well ID

Pews Creek Soil Analysis Results

% Gravel % Sand % Fines

3-20 respective thresholds with the exception of arsenic which contained elevated concentrations in Compton 3 East and Pews West Charlie. It was noted by the Physical Scientist that the locations these samples were taken contain geologic formations containing naturally occurring elevated levels of arsenic, in exceedance of the N.J.A.C. 7:26 D Table 1B threshold (USACE NYD, 2015).

Laboratory results should be taken into consideration during excavation and earthwork within the vicinity of the 2015 HTRW analysis soil samples previously detecting positive for VOAs, SVOAs, pesticides, or RCRA metals. Additional laboratory sampling prior to handling and disposal may be required. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Hazardous Waste Compliance and Enforcement standards must be adhered to at all times during the handling, packaging, delivery, and disposal of waste materials.

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ANALYSIS, EVALUATION, AND DESIGN

Sea Level Change Analysis

An Impact of Sea Level Rise on Compton Creek Mitigation Site Analysis and on the Pews Creek Mitigation Site was performed in March 2025. The Compton Creek Mitigation Site analysis objective was to assess how sea level rise will impact tidal datums and the long-term resiliency of the marsh design. Previously discussed tide gage data were utilized in the development of the sea level change analysis, particularly Compton Creek’s Tide Gauge 3 (TG-3), located at the mouth of Compton Creek approximately one mile north of the project site. Tide gauge 3 captured the entire range of the tidal datums, as a result of its proximity to the mouth of the creek and its relative elevation.

The two inland tide gauges (TG-1, TG-2) located within the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, were fully draining during low portions of the tide cycle and therefore did not capture the entirety of the cycle.

Given the distance between TG-3 and the Compton Creek Mitigation Site, a correction factor was calculated and applied to the tidal datums to assess sea level rise impacts within the project area. Sea level rise estimates were calculated for four discrete time horizons: 2030, 2050, 2075, and 2100. The tide gauge data is dated 2016, therefore a baseline assessment was performed for the anticipated start of construction year of 2030 to capture the rise in sea levels from 2016 to 2030. The additional three scenarios capture the 20-year, 45-year, and 70-year sea level rise and marsh habitat changes. For each time horizon, the low, intermediate, and high mean sea level rise was projected and analyzed relative to USACE Sandy Hook, NJ Station (#8531680).