20191553 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20191203

❑ North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission ❑
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
December 3, 2019
Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Mayfair Glen Low -head Dam Removal
UT Haw Creek, Buncombe County
Dear Ms. Fuemmeler:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to remove an old low -head dam and stabilize an eroded downstream reach on 100 ft
of an unnamed tributary (UT) to Haw Creek 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 should not be impacted by project activities, and a trout moratorium is not needed for
this project.
The application proposes to remove a small low -head dam, remove sediment accumulated just
upstream of the dam, and stabilize banks with geolifts, grading, benching, and planting native
vegetation. Three cross vanes will be installed to step the stream elevation down once the dam is
removed. All work will be performed in the dry with a pump -around set-up. A riparian area of
up to 20 ft in width will be planted in native herbaceous vegetation, and live stakes installed
within the first 5 ft of the stream's edge.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
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 should be
seeded, mulched and/or matted at the end of each work day.
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.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Mayfair Glen Dam Removal Page 2 December 3, 2019
UT Haw Creek, Buncombe County
3. Currently, live stakes are specified for the first 5 ft of riparian buffer width; we recommend
that native woody vegetation be planted in the entire planted buffer area. A wide forested
buffer can ensure greater bank stability, filter overland pollutants, and provide habitat for
birds and other wildlife.
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: Joel Lenk, Quible & Associates
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources