C 23-09 wetland letter September 25 2023

September 25, 2023 
 
Ms. Maureen FitzGerald 
Environmental Planner 
Town of Waterford 
15 Rope Ferry Road,  
Waterford, CT 06385-2886 
 
RE: 
CLA #7401 
             295 & 313 Willetts Avenue 
 
16 & 18 Boston Post Road 
 
Waterford CT 
 
 
Dear Ms. FitzGerald: 
CLA Engineers delineated inland wetlands and watercourses on the referenced parcel 
according to the State of Connecticut statutory definition as described in Section 22a of 
the State Statutes.  CLA conducted fieldwork in January of 2023 and delineated the inland 
wetland boundary with sequentially numbered pink flagging tape. The work was done 
using a hand held Dutch auger. 
 
This letter documents the wetland delineation and the soils encountered on the site. That 
delineation is depicted on a 13 sheet plan set titled “Woodspring Suites, 295 & 313 Willetts 
Avenue Waterford CT” that was provided as part of a permit application to the Waterford 
Conservation Commission. 
 
Site Setting 
 
At the time of the delineation, the 295&313 Willetts Avenue and 16 & 18 Boston Post Road 
site had existing commercial development and the remnants of development including 
buildings and pavement.   As such, a significant portion of the site was covered by 
impervious surfaces. In addition, much of the pervious portion of the site contained rubble 
and debris. The area a mapped as wetland/watercourse comprises and isolated wooded 
swamp located to the northwest that receives local surface water runoff.   
 
The current land use surrounding the site is predominantly dense commercial and 
residential development with recreational use (a baseball field) to the east. The site is 
completely surrounded by developed land with a significant proportion of impervious 
surface as shown in the attached soil map in Appendix A.   
 
Throughout the site slopes vary from gentle on the east and west with steeper slopes  in the 
center. The higher elevations (106 ft NAVD) occur at the eastern border while the lower 
CLA Engineers, Inc. 
Civil 
  Structural 
Survey    
317 MAIN STREET 
NORWICH, CT 06360 
(860) 886-1966 
(860) 886-9165 FAX 

 
 
 
 
elevations (78 ft NAVD) are in the northeast corner. The surface water drains to the west 
either to the wetland or the adjacent property. 
 
Surficial Geology and Soils 
 
Southern New England was overlain by glacial ice as recently as 12,000-15,000 years ago.  
The materials that the glaciers deposited over top the local bedrock determine the surficial 
geology of the region and of the site.  Glacial deposits are generally divided into three 
categories: glacial till (un-stratified sand, silt and rock), glaciofluvial (water sorted, 
stratified sand and gravel), and glaciolacustrine (stratified sand, silt and clay that settled 
out in lakebeds).  The original type of glacial deposit present on the site was glacial till, 
however that material has been substantially re-worked for previous development. This 
finding is based on on-site–observations and the NRCS mapping (attached) and on-site 
investigation, which revealed areas of disturbed soils  
 
As noted above, the soils on the site has been thoroughly re-graded for the previous 
development and much of the site area has impervious surfaces. 
 
Table 1 is a sumary table of the soils found on the site.   
 
Table 1 - Soil Types and Properties at the 295 & 313 Willetts Avenue Site* 
  
Soil Series 
Parent Material 
Drainage Class 
Texture/Characteristics 
306 Udorthents 
Urban land 
comnplex 
Variable – paved 
areas 
variable 
variable 
50B Sutton 
Glacial till 
Well drained 
Fine sandy loam 
66B Narragansett  
Eolian over till 
Well drained 
Silt loam 
* Wetland soil types are not mapped by NRCS on site. 
 
Three upland soils are mapped on the site per the data included in Appendix A.  Udorthents 
and Urban Land have variable characteristics due to extensive alteration.  The Sutton series 
consists of very deep, moderately well drained loamy soils formed in melt-out till. The 

 
 
 
 
Narragansett soil series consists of well drained, loamy soils that formed in friable 
(ablation) glacial till mantled with a silty eolian (loess) cap. These soils are on uplands.  
 
The wetland soil delineated on site is of the Ridgebury soil series, a poorly drained soil 
formed in glacial till. It has a sandy loam texture. 
 
Wetland Description 
 
This site has one  wetland system that system that is not hydrologically connected to offsite 
wetlands.  Under the USFWS system, the wetland system is classified as PFO1E. The 
USFWS description is as follows: 
(Source:https://fwsprimary.wim.usgs.gov/wetlands/apps/wetlands-mapper/.) 
Classification code: PFO1 E 
System Palustrine (P) : The Palustrine System includes all nontidal wetlands dominated 
by trees, shrubs, persistent emergents, emergent mosses or lichens, and all such wetlands 
that occur in tidal areas where salinity due to ocean-derived salts is below 0.5 ppt. It also 
includes wetlands lacking such vegetation, but with all of the following four 
characteristics: (1) area less than 8 ha (20 acres); (2) active wave-formed or bedrock 
shoreline features lacking; (3) water depth in the deepest part of basin less than 2.5 m 
(8.2 ft) at low water; and (4) salinity due to ocean-derived salts less than 0.5 ppt.  
Class Forested (FO) : Characterized by woody vegetation that is 6 m tall or taller.  
Subclass Broad-Leaved Deciduous (1) : Woody angiosperms (trees or shrubs) with 
relatively wide, flat leaves that are shed during the cold or dry season; e.g., black ash 
(Fraxinus nigra).  
Water Regime Seasonally Flooded/Saturated (E) : Surface water is present for 
extended periods (generally for more than a month) during the growing season, but is 
absent by the end of the season in most years. When surface water is absent, the substrate 
typically remains saturated at or near the surface.  
 
The dominant tree in this wetland is red maple (Acer rubrum) typically of 12-24 inches 
DBH. The shrub/sapling layer also has red maple as well as clammy azalea (Rhodensron 
viscosum) sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) and spicebush (Lindera benzoin). 
Invasives such as Japanese barberry (berberis thumbergii) and multiflora rose (Rosa 
multiflora) occur as well. The herbaceous layer has a stand of invasive common reed 
(Phragmites communis) as well as cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnmomea) and skunk 
cabbage (Symplocarups foetidus). 
 
Per the June 23, 2023 CTDEEP NDDB maps, there are no known protected species 
present. 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Assessment/Potential for Impacts 
 
The wetland is surrounded by development, much of which has extensive areas of 
impervious surface. It is not connected to other wetland or upland habitats. The wetland 
receives storm water runoff and has significant stands of invasive species such as 
common reed. Based on its setting and hydrogeology this wetland serves to cleanse and 
retain storm water and provides minor wildlife habitat for tolerant species.  The 
development proposal will not result in any filling of the wetland and the storm water 
design meets the CTDEEP storm water guidelines. CLA believes that if the development 
is constructed with the Best Management Practices (BMPs) specified on the plans, no 
adverse wetland impacts will result. 
 
 
Please contact me if you have any questions. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Very truly yours, 
 
                                                                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                          Robert C. Russo 
 
 
 
 
 
Soil Scientist 
 

 
 
 
 
Appendix A  
Soils Data 
 

Soil Map—State of Connecticut
(295 & 313 Willetts Avenue)
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Web Soil Survey
National Cooperative Soil Survey
8/8/2023
Page 1 of 3
4580620
4580670
4580720
4580770
4580820
4580870
4580920
4580670
4580720
4580770
4580820
4580870
4580920
741230
741280
741330
741380
741430
741480
741530
741580
741630
741680
741230
741280
741330
741380
741430
741480
741530
741580
741630
741680
41°  20' 37'' N
72°  7' 1'' W
41°  20' 37'' N
72°  6' 40'' W
41°  20' 27'' N
72°  7' 1'' W
41°  20' 27'' N
72°  6' 40'' W
N
Map projection: Web Mercator   Corner coordinates: WGS84   Edge tics: UTM Zone 18N WGS84
0
100
200
400
600
Feet
0
30
60
120
180
Meters
Map Scale: 1:2,180 if printed on A landscape (11" x 8.5") sheet.
Soil Map may not be valid at this scale.

MAP LEGEND
MAP INFORMATION
Area of Interest (AOI)
Area of Interest (AOI)
Soils
Soil Map Unit Polygons
Soil Map Unit Lines
Soil Map Unit Points
Special Point Features
Blowout
Borrow Pit
Clay Spot
Closed Depression
Gravel Pit
Gravelly Spot
Landfill
Lava Flow
Marsh or swamp
Mine or Quarry
Miscellaneous Water
Perennial Water
Rock Outcrop
Saline Spot
Sandy Spot
Severely Eroded Spot
Sinkhole
Slide or Slip
Sodic Spot
Spoil Area
Stony Spot
Very Stony Spot
Wet Spot
Other
Special Line Features
Water Features
Streams and Canals
Transportation
Rails
Interstate Highways
US Routes
Major Roads
Local Roads
Background
Aerial Photography
The soil surveys that comprise your AOI were mapped at 
1:12,000.
Warning: Soil Map may not be valid at this scale.
Enlargement of maps beyond the scale of mapping can cause 
misunderstanding of the detail of mapping and accuracy of soil 
line placement. The maps do not show the small areas of 
contrasting soils that could have been shown at a more detailed 
scale.
Please rely on the bar scale on each map sheet for map 
measurements.
Source of Map: Natural Resources Conservation Service
Web Soil Survey URL: 
Coordinate System: Web Mercator (EPSG:3857)
Maps from the Web Soil Survey are based on the Web Mercator 
projection, which preserves direction and shape but distorts 
distance and area. A projection that preserves area, such as the 
Albers equal-area conic projection, should be used if more 
accurate calculations of distance or area are required.
This product is generated from the USDA-NRCS certified data as 
of the version date(s) listed below.
Soil Survey Area: State of Connecticut
Survey Area Data: Version 22, Sep 12, 2022
Soil map units are labeled (as space allows) for map scales 
1:50,000 or larger.
Date(s) aerial images were photographed: Jun 14, 2022—Oct 6, 
2022
The orthophoto or other base map on which the soil lines were 
compiled and digitized probably differs from the background 
imagery displayed on these maps. As a result, some minor 
shifting of map unit boundaries may be evident.
Soil Map—State of Connecticut
(295 & 313 Willetts Avenue)
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Web Soil Survey
National Cooperative Soil Survey
8/8/2023
Page 2 of 3

Map Unit Legend
Map Unit Symbol
Map Unit Name
Acres in AOI
Percent of AOI
3
Ridgebury, Leicester, and 
Whitman soils, 0 to 8 
percent slopes, extremely 
stony
0.1
0.8%
50B
Sutton fine sandy loam, 3 to 8 
percent slopes
3.8
20.8%
51B
Sutton fine sandy loam, 0 to 8 
percent slopes, very stony
0.3
1.6%
60B
Canton and Charlton fine 
sandy loams, 3 to 8 percent 
slopes
0.6
3.2%
66B
Narragansett silt loam, 2 to 8 
percent slopes
1.9
10.6%
306
Udorthents-Urban land 
complex
6.9
37.8%
307
Urban land
4.6
25.2%
Totals for Area of Interest
18.3
100.0%
Soil Map—State of Connecticut
295 & 313 Willetts Avenue
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Web Soil Survey
National Cooperative Soil Survey
8/8/2023
Page 3 of 3