20030243 Ver 1_Other Agency Comments_20030326

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®North Carolina~Uildlife Resources Commission
Charles R. Fullwood, Executive Director
MEMORANDUM ~c' -~'1N~S ~ 40'~ GboU~
TO: John R. Dorney, Division of Water Quality
Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources MAR `~ ~ ~~o~
FROM: Ron Linville, Regional Coordinatoy/~~' WATER QUALITY SECTION
Habitat Conservation Program
DATE: March 24, 2003
SUBJECT: Review of 401 Applications for Wilmore Walk, DWQ No. 030243 & 030249,
Unnamed Tributary Irwin Creek, Mecklenburg County
The applicant is requesting 401 Water Quality Certification from the North Carolina
Division of Water Quality. The NCWRC has reviewed information provided by the applicant,
and field biologists on our staff are familiar with habitat values of the project area. These
comments are provided in accordance with provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C.
466 et. seq.) and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C.
661-667d).
The project as proposed will impact 370' of intermittent stream and 80' of perennial
stream. Total impacts will be 450 linear feet of stream channel. It appears that the impacts will
be from road construction and additional development in the area. Onsite bioretention is
proposed to mitigate for stormwater.
Based on our review of the application, we will not object to the project as proposed. We
recommend that bioretention facilities be retrofitted to include the previously developed portions
of the site: Bioretention facilities .should use native° plant species of sufficient size to provide
urban wildlife habitat. Although multiple facilities like inverted tree islands will disperse
treatment, urban wildlife habitat would benefit from consolidation of treatment facilities into
larger aesthetically pleasing buffer zones or mini-parks with spatial connectivity.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. If you have any
questions regarding these comments, please contact me at 336/769-9453.
Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] ext. 281 • Fax: [phone]