41-32 3276 ANRAD Supporting text
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation July 7, 2010 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA Page i Project No. 08-3276 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..........................................
............................................................................... 1 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................
.................... 1 3.0 RESOURCE AREAS ...................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.0 SUMMARY .................................................
............................................................................... 5 5.0 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................
....................... 6 FIGURES Figure 1 USGS Locus Figure 2 Orthophoto Figure 3 Flood Zone Map APPENDICES Appendix A Representative Photographs Appendix B Abutter Notification Information
Appendix C Transmittal Form and Copies of Checks Submitted Appendix D DEP BVW Data Forms PLANS “Existing Conditions Plan, Kensington Estates” 2 sheets dated July 1, 2010 by Berkshire
Design Group, Inc.
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation July 7, 2010 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA Page 1 Project No. 08-3276 1.0 INTRODUCTION New England Environmental, Inc. (NEE) has prepared
this Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) on behalf of Steven Willner for determination of wetland resource boundaries on a 56-acre parcel of land with frontage on
Westhampton Road and Glendale Road in Northampton. No work is proposed at this time. Figure 1 illustrates the location of the site on the USGS map. The delineated resource areas are
Bank, Bordering Vegetated Wetlands, and Isolated Wetlands. Copies of this ANRAD are being submitted to the Northampton Conservation Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) Western Regional Office in Springfield. Pursuant to the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (M.G.L. c. 131 § 40) and its regulations (310 CMR 10.00), NEE has notified
all abutters within 100 feet of the parcel in question. A list of the abutters, obtained obtained from the Northampton GIS Office, is presented in Appendix B. Copies of the notification
letter and an Affidavit of Service are also included in Appendix B. The total fee for this filing under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act is $2,000.00. Approximately 6,158 linear
feet of Bordering Vegetated Wetlands has been delineated, with a filing fee of $2.00/linear foot up to a maximum fee of $2,000. The filing fee for the City of Northampton under the Wetlands
Protection Act is $1,012.50. The amount of $987.50 was submitted to DEP. The DEP Wetlands Fee Transmittal Form and copies of checks submitted are found in Appendix C. 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION
The project site is a 56-acre parcel of land with frontage on both Westhampton Road (Route 66) and Glendale Road in Northampton. Figure 1, the USGS Locus, illustrates the location of
the site. The property is bordered by residential home sites on the north and east, an active gravel pit on the south, and forest on the west. A marginally perennial stream flows through
the site from northwest to southeast. The eastern side of the site, extending to Glendale Road in two corridors on either side of a house at #123, is wooded. The dominant species are
White Pine (Pinus strobus) and Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida), with some oaks and maples mixed in. The southwestern part of the site, west of the stream, is also a mature forest. Northern
hardwoods such as Red Oak (Quercus rubra) and Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) are typical, with White Pine also common. The remainder of the property, bordering on Westhampton Road, is abandoned
agricultural land, which is in various stages of revegetation. This includes patches of young second-growth trees, sapling thickets containing such species as Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
and Gray Birch (Betula populifolia), shrub/scrub thickets with an abundance of Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora), and open spaces colonized by tall herbaceous vegetation such as Goldenrods
(Solidago spp.) and grasses. The division of the property into these three general areas is visible in Figure 2, an ortho-photograph of the site.
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation July 7, 2010 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA Page 2 Project No. 08-3276 Soils on the site are generally sandy glacial outwash around
and east of the stream, and very stony glacial till west of the stream. The sandy outwash soils include the excessively drained Hinckley and Windsor loamy sand, somewhat excessively
drained Merrimac fine sandy loam, moderately well drained Sudbury, and poorly drained Walpole fine sandy loam. The glacial till on this site is all mapped as Gloucester fine sandy loam,
very stony. West of the stream, there is a small area of Hinckley soil near the southern boundary. Likewise, there is a small area of Gloucester soil mapped east of the stream, in the
woods east of the abandoned fields. 3.0WETLAND RESOURCES Wetland Resource Areas present on this property are associated with the stream and some small intermittent tributaries, with
a depression adjacent to Westhampton Road which has no outlet, and with a small isolated depression in the middle of the southwestern woods. These protected resources include Bordering
Vegetated Wetlands (BVW), Isolated Wetlands, Bank, Land Under Water, and Riverfront Area. The following describes each of these resource areas. Bordering Vegetated Wetlands BVW is found
along both sides of the main stream, primarily as swamps dominated by Red Maple (Acer rubrum) trees. Yellow Birch (Betula allegheniensis), Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and American
Elm (Ulmus americana) are also common. Typical shrubs in the understory include Speckled Alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and Multiflora Rose. Skunk
Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetida) is the dominant herbaceous plant in some areas, and Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) in others, with Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) common. This
main corridor of BVW on the property lies between flags in the B series on the east, and the F series on the west side, ending in B62 and F90. One tributary on the southwest side of
the stream runs close to the western property boundary, and is bordered by wooded wetlands dominated by Hemlock. Winterberry and High-bush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) are the dominant
shrubs in this area. This section of BVW is adjacent to flags F01 through F29. Wetland flags E1-E8 mark the west side of this wetland, where it narrows next to the stream channel. Next
to Westhampton Road, and extending past the northern property line, a wet depression in a former cornfield has been colonized by Cottonwood and Gray Birch saplings. Winterberry, Multiflora
Rose, and Willows (Salix spp.) are notable in the shrub layer, and the herbaceous layer includes Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Swamp Aster (Aster puniceus), Late Goldenrod
(Solidago gigantea), Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris), and Sensitive Fern. This depression has no outlet and no stream channel within it, and was formerly isolated. However, recent
construction and relocation of Westhampton Road has included creation of a wet basin on the west side of the road, which has been planted with wetland species, and which had a substantial
amount of standing water
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation July 7, 2010 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA Page 3 Project No. 08-3276 while the subject site was being delineated and assessed. This
new wet area is now connected to the depression on the east side of the road by a culvert. If water flows from the new depression to the old one during some periods of the year, then
this pipe functions as an intermittent stream connecting the two areas, and the formerly isolated depression is now a BVW. Isolated Wetlands Two areas of wetland vegetation which are
surrounded by upland, and have no outlet stream, were delineated on this site. These are areas which are not under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act, but are
protected by the Northampton Wetlands Protection Ordinance (Chapter 337). The first is a small, poorly-defined wetland east of the “A” wetland. This has been delineated by flags C1-C5,
and includes Gray Birch, Red Maple, Winterberry, and Rough Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa). The second isolated wetland is associated with a stony depression in the forested southwestern
section of the site, east of the BVW marked by flags F16-18. The isolated area has been delineated with flags G1-G13. It is predominantly shrub/scrub habitat, characterized by Winterberry
and Highbush Blueberry. Bank Bank on this site is found along the main stream, its tributary streams, and along the new pipe under Westhampton Road. The channel of the main stream is
from two to four feet wide, and the confining embankment is from six to eighteen inches high. Bank of the intermittent tributaries ranges from barely discernible channels to the one
on the west, which is a few inches high, a couple feet wide, and has a substrate ranging from stony to silty. Woody vegetation on and overhanging Bank includes Red Maple, Speckled Alder,
Hemlock, Multiflora Rose, Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum), Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis), Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis), Asian
Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis), and Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia). Bank was delineated on the east side of the main stream, at the first break
in slope, by flags K1-31. Other Bank on this site was not flagged. Land Under Water Land Under Waterway is found where the main stream through this property is perennial. It is the portion
of the channel which remains covered by water throughout the year. This stream has a silty and sandy substrate, stony in some places, that supports little vegetation. Land Under Water
was not delineated.
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation July 7, 2010 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA Page 4 Project No. 08-3276 Riverfront Area The Riverfront Area is a resource which extends
200 feet from the Mean Annual High Water line of any perennial stream. The main stream on this property is depicted as perennial on the USGS topographical map, Easthampton Quad. The
Northampton Conservation Commission has found the stream to be intermittent in the vicinity of Westhampton Road. A StreamStats analysis of the stream taken from a point in the middle
of the property yields a watershed of only 0.15 square mile and a flow rate at the 99th percentile of less than 0.01 ft3/s. These are not characteristic of a perennial stream. However,
under the Wetlands Protection Act Regulations at 310 CMR 10.58(2)(a)1, streams shown as perennial on the USGS map shall be considered perennial unless they are observed and documented
as not flowing for four days within a year. Therefore, until proven otherwise, this stream has an associated Riverfront Area. Riverfront area on this property includes the wetlands along
the main stream as described above, and uplands on either side. West of the stream, these uplands are a mature forest containing White Pine, Red Oak, Red Maple, Sweet Birch, Hemlock,
and other species. East of the stream, the Riverfront Area beyond the BVW is mostly overgrown, somewhat disturbed abandoned farmland, with shrub/scrub and young hardwood trees, except
for a patch of dry pine forest toward the southern end of the property. This Riverfront Area extends 200 feet from flags K1-K31, and continues east of the stream to the property boundary.
South of flag K31, the edge of BVW is very close to the stream, and the BVW line was used to determine the approximate location of Riverfront Area on the ANRAD plan until the vicinity
of flag B54. South of B54, the 4-5 foot wide channel hugs the western BVW line, and the Riverfront Area was estimated to extend 210 feet from the western BVW line. On the western side
of the perennial stream, the limit of Riverfront Area was estimated on the plan, and the applicant is not asking for confirmation of its exact location. Other Resources Areas subject
to the 100-year flood are by definition Bordering Land Subject to Flooding (BLSF). The Flood Insurance Rate Map which covers the vicinity of the site (Community-panel number 250167-0001
A) shows no portion of the site within the extent of the 100-year flood. Isolated Land Subject to Flooding (ILSF) is a resource area where flooding occurs which is not connected to flowing
water. This resource was not identified on this site. The two isolated wetlands are too small to contain ¼ acre-foot of water at an average depth of six inches, which is the threshold
for ILSF. NEE also reviewed the Massachusetts Geographic Information System (MassGIS) to determine if the site was located within Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) or an Area of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACEC). ORWs are watershed areas that have been classified as such under the Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards. These watersheds constitute an outstanding
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation July 7, 2010 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA Page 5 Project No. 08-3276 resource as determined by their important socioeconomic, recreational,
ecological and/or aesthetic values. These areas have been identified so that they may be protected and maintained. There are no ORWs located in the immediate vicinity of the site. An
ACEC is also an area designated in Massachusetts that receives special recognition because of the quality, uniqueness and significance of its natural and cultural resources. There is
no ACEC located within the vicinity of this property. Wetland Delineation Methodology The wetlands on this property were delineated by NEE with consecutively numbered orange and black-striped
flagging tape or orange stick flags. The edge of the Bordering Vegetated Wetlands was delineated by using a multiple parameter methodology to identify the upland/wetland boundary. This
approach emphasizes the use of hydrophytic vegetation according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands (1988), and the 50% wetland
vegetation criterion as outlined in 310 CMR 10.55(2)(c). In addition, the soils were examined. Using a procedure adapted from the DEP handbook entitled Delineating Bordering Vegetated
Wetlands (1995), the flagged boundary was located to include all areas which contained a majority of wetland plants and hydric soils, with consideration given to other indicators of
wetland hydrology when present. 4.0 SUMMARY This ANRAD requests the Northampton Conservation Commission review the wetland boundaries on this property as depicted on the enclosed plan,
to establish their location in order to enable future planning for use of this land. No work is proposed with this ANRAD. Delineated wetland resource areas include Bordering Vegetated
Wetlands, Isolated Wetlands, and Bank, with the Bank location defining the location of Riverfront Area, as shown on the enclosed plan. Another resource area which is present is Land
Under Waterway, but this has not been delineated.
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation July 7, 2010 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA Page 6 Project No. 08-3276 5.0 REFERENCES Federal Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), Federal Insurance
Administration, National Flood Insurance Program. 1978. Flood Insurance Rate Map, City of Northampton, Massachusetts, Hampshire County, Community Panel Number 250167 0001 A. Jackson,
Scott. 1995. “Delineating Bordering Vegetated Wetlands Under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act.” Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Magee, Dennis W. and Harry
E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst. Massachusetts Natural Heritage Atlas 2008 Edition. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program,
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Massachusetts Geographic Information System. March 2002. Outstanding Resource Waters. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Massachusetts Geographic Information System. December 2003. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Newcomb, Lawrence. 1977. Newcomb's
Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company. New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Wetlands Work Group. 2004. Field Indicators for Identifying Hydric Soils in the
Field, Version 3. Reed, Porter B., Jr., Compiler. 1997. 1996 National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sorrie, Bruce and Paul Somers.
1999. The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Westborough, MA. Swenson,
Eric I. 1981. Soil Survey of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Central Part. United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, in cooperation with Massachusetts Agricultural
Experiment Station USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.