Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Master Management Plan - 2014

TOWN OF MORRISVILLE

can deliver more stormwater pollutants to the system, reduce the stability of stream banks, and cause other channel modifications. Fish communities are discussed in Section 5.12. Forested areas and habitats are discussed in Section 5.11. 5.13.1 Rare, Threatened, or Endangered Species While the ESA protects threatened and endangered species from takings, SCI to a species’ habitat may, over the long term, reduce the number of individuals of a species. Table 5-3 presents a list of potentially present Federally listed species within the Planning Area and possible SCI to these species. This list is based on the presence of habitat and observations of the species at some time in Wake County (USFWS, 2014a). Based on information gathered from NCNHP (2014) no Federally listed endangered or threatened species is known to occur within or near the Planning Area. A bald eagle nesting site is present just north of Lake Crabtree and a population resides nearby at Jordan Lake. It is unlikely that the bald eagle will be impacted by SCI associated growth in the Planning Area. The food source for this bird is primarily the fish from the plentiful amount of open water near the Planning Area. Crabtree Lake should be marginally impacted because of the Town’s stormwater, erosion and sediment control, and riparian buffer ordinances. It is unlikely that another Federally listed species, including the dwarf wedgemussel, will be impacted by SCI within the Planning Area. This mussel is not thought to inhabit streams within the Planning Area. Methods to address and mitigate SCI that may impact water quality and aquatic habitats of this species are presented in Section 6, and include riparian buffer protection, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater runoff control. Based on data received from NCNHP in 2014, no rare mussel species exist upstream of Lake Crabtree. The lake should mitigate any potential impacts to rare mussel species downstream. Again, riparian buffers, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater programs will help minimize any impacts to habitat in Lake Crabtree. The federally listed species Michaux’s sumac is not known to occur within the Planning Area. Therefore, it is unlikely that this plant will be affected by SCI in the Planning Area. However, because the species is located in the County, the potential for direct impacts from all future infrastructure projects will be evaluated. The plant prefers habitat that is disturbed periodically, such as is found along utility lines. Thus, the Town will evaluate the potential for impacts to this species in all future environmental documents.

TABLE 5-3 Likelihood of SCI to Federally Listed Species within Wake County

Federal Status

County Status

Likelihood of SCI within Planning Area*

Scientific Name

Common Name

Animals Aimophila aestivalis Ambloplites cavifrons

Bachman's sparrow

FSC FSC FSC FSC

Historic Current Current

Not likely to be impacted Not likely to be impacted Not likely to be impacted Not likely to be impacted

Roanoke bass American eel Carolina darter

Anguilla rostrata Etheostoma collis lepidinion

Probable/ potential

5-12