June 4, 2025, Planning Board Regular Meeting Transcript - WEHI

06/20/2025 06:55:03 AM Page 21 to 24 of 101 6 of 41 sheets 21 out of the soil and the water table drops. The wettest1 time in the growing season right here. This represents2 that point. And then anything more upland of that3 wetland the water table is deeper than one-foot.4 Now, one of the other key elements on any site5 investigation is understanding of soils and this is a6 soil map taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture7 Web Soil Survey. And I believe it's the same one the8 applicant used in their submission. And on this site9 there's three main soils. The ones with a B are Boonton10 soils, and there's a Haledon series, and a Hasbrouck11 series. There are three main soil types.12 The Boonton soils are well drained. The Haledon13 soils are somewhat poorly drained and the Hasbrouck14 soils are poorly drained. The Hasbrouck soils typically15 would occur associated with wetlands.16 This just at section of their site plan showing17 Basin 7. You can see this is Haledon soil. The area18 with BOGBC, that's Boonton soil. And this doesn't show19 any Hasbrouck.20 Here's a general description. These soils,21 Boonton soil is on the steeper slopes, well drained and22 what they call a fragipan at 29-50 inches and this23 information is taken out of the web soil survey. And24 that fragipan is a very dense impermeable layer of soil,25 22 actually very brittle and any water that's percolating1 or infiltrating through the surface soil tends to get2 hung up or sits on top of that fragipan and that's a3 very important part of the soil.4 The Haledon series somewhat poorly drains and the5 fragipan is a little shallower, 24-36 inches. So on6 this site the Boonton soils tend to be in the higher7 landscape position, the Haledon soils are more on the8 mid slopes towards the bottom and the last one, that9 Hasbrouck soil, that's another poorly drained soil or10 ones associated with the wetlands.11 So Hasbrouck soils are poorly drained and that12 fragipan is down near the slope. Again, that fragipan13 is a restrictive horizon that water tends not to move14 down through. Percs on top.15 Another description of Haledon soils. That depth16 of the water table is about 7-18 inches. And that is17 because the water is sitting above that restrictive or18 fragipan perch. And perched water is 12 inches off the19 surface in late winter and early spring. And I know I20 listened to Sean's

d that is17 because the water is sitting above that restrictive or18 fragipan perch. And perched water is 12 inches off the19 surface in late winter and early spring. And I know I20 listened to Sean's testimony he talked about mottling21 but another term which means the same is redoximorphic22 features that change the colors of the soil indicates23 seasonal high water table. And Haledon series it could24 be as high as 18 inches from the surface.25 23 Hasbrouck silt loam poorly draining water table1 is at the surface. Restrictive horizon, again, that2 fragipan is 6-34 inches.3 This is just a general depiction of what that4 fragipan means to the site. Just so happens that this5 site the soils had developed on a glacial hill.6 So how does this site functional in general.7 During a rainfall event water either runs off and8 percolates through the soil, but when it goes through9 the soil and reaches the fragipan that's where it percs10 and tends to move down slope and these fragipan's, as I11 showed you with the depth of the fragipan based on the12 different soil series, all go down towards the streams13 that drain the site. And this is what it shows. It14 comes down and right about this point is where the15 fragipan get's close enough to the surface that the16 waters is perched above it and dries that well17 hydrology. And ultimately it's discharged through the18 stream channel that tends to be somewhere in the middle19 of the low point of the ground.20 This is just a picture of the stream just as it21 leaves the site. One of the things that's important,22 streams tend to be rock lines. So that fragipan, that23 water moves along the fragipan and discharges to the24 stream which means the streams are considered to have25 24 intermittent flow, so it is likely that July and August1 these streams are probably dry, but the early spring and2 winter they're full.3 MR. AFRAN: I want to see if this mic is4 working Mr. Fagan gave me.5 It is. All right.6 THE WITNESS: Yes.7 MR. AFRAN: I wouldn't have interrupted if I8 needed to speak. Thank you.9 This is a plan in the applicant's plan set that10 A. shows where all the wetlands are. You can see the11 wetlands are in this pattern. The darker gray12 delineates the state open water or the headwater streams13 that drain them. And this might help show better.14 These are the main drainage areas on the site. If you15 look at the

rn. The darker gray12 delineates the state open water or the headwater streams13 that drain them. And this might help show better.14 These are the main drainage areas on the site. If you15 look at the topography you can see that it kind of16 creates a bowel on this side. Everything's forced to17 the wetlands, the stream in the western watershed.18 The eastern watershed of the site is a little19 different up here, you can see the way the contour wraps20 around the wetlands. The stream that creates that21 bowel, so all the water, either surface water or ground22 water, flows towards that wetland and the two streams.23 MR. AFRAN: For the record, you're depicting24 the western drainage area, the darker green and the25