The proposed work consists of restoring a historical tidal Ricefield for habitat management capability. The renovation will allow 60.5 acres of the tidal rice field to be managed for waterfowl and other wildlife habitat. This tidal field system brings water in from the Black River. Specifically, the applicant proposes to renovate three (3) breaks in the existing perimeter dike, install a flashboard riser, and install a Georgetown style rice trunk. The impacts are detailed below:
Impact 1: Repair a break in the dike on the southeast corner of the perimeter dike. 65 cubic yards (350 square feet) of fill material will be placed in waters of the United States (WOUS). A 32 linear foot bulkhead made of wooden timber will be installed on either side of the repair to provide structural support.
Impact 2: Repair a break in the dike on the northeast corner of the perimeter dike. 95 cubic yards (525 square feet) of fill material will be placed in WOUS. A 48 linear foot bulkhead made of wooden timber will be installed on either side of the repair to provide structural support.
Impact 3: Repair a break in the dike on the east side of the perimeter dike where an old riser water control structure (WCS) is located. The old WCS will be removed. 38 cubic yards (205 square feet) of fill material will be placed in WOUS.
Impact 4: Install a spillway with riser at the southeast corner of the perimeter dike. This structure will allow dewatering of the 60.5-acre field into a canal that flows into the Black River. The riser will be 20’ long x 4’ wide x 2’ high. A 48 linear foot bulkhead made of wooden timber will be installed on either side to provide structural support. 82 cubic yards of material will be excavated and placed on top of the dike. Approximately 0.019-acre of fill material will be placed in wetlands located outside the rice field for the construction of a 70’ x 12’ x 6’ temporary coffer dam.
Impact 5: A Georgetown-style rice field trunk will be installed in the southeast corner of the perimeter dike. The trunk will allow dewatering of the 60.5-acre field into a canal that flows into the Black River. The trunk will be of standard dimensions 32’ x 5’. A 48 linear foot bulkhead and standard 5’ x 12’ splashpad will be installed. 75 cubic yards of material will be excavated and placed on top of the dike where the bulkhead will be installed.
All work will be performed by long-arm and short-arm track hoes located on the existing dike footprint and on wooden mats. All fill material will be sourced from an upland location. The fill material will be a high clay and sand content to provide structural support to the dike.