20141327 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20150130

0 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
January 30, 2015
Mr. David Shaeffer
US Army Corps of Engineers
3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite 105
Wake Forest, North Carolina 27587
SUBJECT: Upper Mitchell River - Devotion
Mitchell River, Surry County
Dear Mr. Shaeffer:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission ( NCWRC) reviewed an
application to enhance habitat on 3,345 ft of the upper Mitchell River. NCWRC staff are
familiar with the site. Our comments on this application are offered for your consideration under
provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C. 466 et. seq.) and Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661- 667d).
This reach of the upper Mitchell River contains both Brown and Rainbow Trout, and a modified
trout moratorium will need to be observed, with no in- channel work allowed between October 15
and April 1. Due to the low elevation of this trout stream, we anticipate that trout fry will have
vacated the gravel spawning beds by April 1.
We have the following additional recommendations:
1. There is very limited woody riparian vegetation on the site, and the proposal describes the
establishment of a riparian buffer of native herbaceous and woody species of unspecified
width. This buffer should be as wide as possible in order to provide stream bank stability,
moderated stream temperatures, a source of in- stream organic matter, and riparian habitat for
upland wildlife species such as song birds.
2. Matting used for bank stabilization should be free of nylon mesh; nylon mesh netting
frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade resulting in a hazard that may last for
years.
3. In- channel work be accomplished as quickly as possible and vigilance be used in sediment
and erosion control during site preparation, construction, and clean up.
Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699 -1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Upper Mitchell River - Devotion Page 2 January 30, 2015
Surry County
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. NCWRC staff intends to
inspect the work site during and /or after construction. Please contact me at (828) 400 -4223 if
you have any questions about these comments or need further assistance.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Michael Hough
Kevin Tweedy, Ecosystem Planning and Restoration
Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources
Kin Hodges, NCWRC