20181055 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20180824

❑ North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission ❑
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
August 24, 2018
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: UT Sentell Creek Pond Removal and Stream Restoration
UT Sentell Creek, Henderson County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to remove two in-line ponds and restore a stream channel within the former ponds on
an unnamed tributary (UT) to Sentell Creek in Henderson County. 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).
Project activities should not impact wild trout, and activities do not need to be avoided during the
trout moratorium.
The pond will be dewatered with a siphon and water pumped around the work area during
construction. Much of the pond sediment will be removed and used to construct a floodplain. A
stream channel will be constructed within the pond bed using in -stream structures such as offset
boulder steps, log steps, and constructed riffles. A 25 -ft buffer will be established with native
herbaceous and woody plants.
We support the removal of the impoundment and the establishment of a channel within the old
pond beds. We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic and
terrestrial resources:
1. Work should be accomplished as quickly as possible and vigilance used in sediment and
erosion control during site preparation, construction, and clean up. Disturbed areas and pond
sediments should be seeded, mulched and/or matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end
of each day.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

UT Sentell Creek Pond Removal Page 2 August 24, 2018
Henderson Co
2. Any erosion control matting used should be free of plastic or nylon mesh, as this type of
mesh netting frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that
may last for years.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact me at
[phone] if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Greg Jennings, Jennings Environmental
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources