20081026 Ver 3_WRC Comments_20191018

0 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
October 18, 2019
Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Robinson Creek Restoration
Robinson Creek and UT, Buncombe County
Dear Ms. Fuemmeler:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 1,600 ft of Robinson Creek and an unnamed tributary (UT) in Buncombe
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. Blotched Chub (Erimystax insignis, NC Significantly Rare) is found
in Cane Creek downstream of the project.
The application proposes to restore channel pattern, profile, and dimension in Robinson Creek
and the UT using in -stream rock and log structures, root wads, creating a bankfull bench, sloping
the bank, and planting native woody and herbaceous vegetation. Work will be done in the dry
and flows pumped around the work area. According to Greg Jennings, the native riparian buffer
will be 30 ft wide. We support this project, as it should address bank erosion and reduce
instream sediment.
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.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Robinson Creek Restoration Page 2 October 18, 2019
Robinson Cr & UT, Buncombe County
2. 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: Greg Jennings, Jennings Environmental
Zan Price, NC Division of Water Resources