20191266 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20191011

1�1 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
October 11, 2019
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Western Stream Initiative — Mahshie Site
Shaw Creek and UT, Henderson County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 1051 ft of Shaw Creek and an unnamed tributary (UT) 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).
Wild trout reproduction should not be impacted by project activities and a trout moratorium is
not needed for the project. However, the site is just two miles upstream of the French Broad
River, which supports Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana, US and NC Endangered).
Effective erosion and sediment control measures are especially important to minimize impacts to
this species.
The application proposes to stabilize unstable reaches of stream by addressing pattern,
dimension, and profile with various instream log and rock structures, brush toes with geolift,
brush mattresses, bankfull benches, and riparian vegetation. According to Jake McLean, flows
will be diverted around work areas, and when necessary, water pumped through a turbidity filter
bag. A riparian buffer 20-35 ft in width will be planted.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
1. In -channel 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 should be seeded, mulched and/or matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end of
each work day.
2. Work should be done during low flows.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

WSI — Mashie Site Page 2 October 11, 2019
Shaw Cr, Henderson County
3. We support diverting flows around in -channel work areas to reduce the risk of fine sediment
liberation and loss.
4. Any erosion control matting used should be free of nylon or plastic 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: Jordan Hessler, Wildlands Engineering
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources
Byron Hamstead, US Fish and Wildlife Service