20191577 Ver 1_USACE Email 12-11-19_20191211

Moore, Andrew W
From: Fuemmeler, Amanda J CIV (US) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2019 10:08 AM
To: Hamstead, Byron; Leslie, Andrea J; Moore, Andrew W
Subject: [External] FW: Project Ranger - PCN Comments
Attachments: 1-4400 1-4700_River Safety Plan for the Construction of the 1-26 Bridge over the French
Broad River_11192018.pdf
CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an
attachment to [e-mail]<maiIto: [e-mail]>
Fyi, project is on hold until requested information (below) is submitted in addition to completing consultation
requirements..
Amanda
828-271-7980 ext. 4225
-----Original Message -----
From: Fuemmeler, Amanda J CIV (US)
Sent: Wednesday, December 4, 2019 5:15 PM
To: Clement Riddle <[e-mail]>
Cc: Lee Thomason <[e-mail]>
Subject: Project Ranger - PCN Comments
Clement,
We have received the application for NWP 14 and 25 and a Section 10 permit request for the Project Ranger site dated
November 12, 2019. We have since forwarded the application to the NC State Historic Preservation Office, appropriate
Tribes, and US Fish & Wildlife Service to begin the corresponding consultation processes under Section 106 of the
Historic Preservation Act and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. As noted in the application, investigations/final
reports for potential impacts to cultural resources and T/E species are still pending and will be forwarded under separate
cover once completed. In the meantime, I am providing additional information requested from our office to continue
the review of this application as it relates to construction plans/details, avoidance & minimization efforts, and
considerations for recreational users and their safety on the French Broad River.
1) Based on the information submitted, proposed bridge clearance will be 20-30 feet above normal water surface
elevation. We have concerns that this height may be too low to safely pass recreational boaters especially during higher
flow conditions on the river. Please provide information on the vertical clearance of other existing bridges upstream and
downstream of the River in this general vicinity. Also please provide details on what the expected clearance would be
during various flood stages.
2) The plans note that there will be 3 piers/bents in the river (along with 3 on the river banks/uplands). We have
concerns that the number and spacing of these piers/bents will obstruct navigation for recreational boaters and create a
safety hazard. Please provide information on how the number/location of these structures were determined and could
an alternative design be evaluated that called for less bents/wider spacing. This information should also include the
number of bents and horizontal spacing on bridges upstream and downstream in this area. Also, we recommend that a
survey of the river bottom and thalweg in the project area in addition to upstream/downstream of the project area be

completed in order to better predict the natural course of the river and path that recreational boaters would be using in
this area so that we can determine if any bridge piers/bents will impede navigation.
3) The application notes that work in the river associated with investigative drilling, construction drilling and
construction/use of causeways will take approximately 22 months. Due to the prolonged length of time that
construction will be occurring in the river and the high volume of recreational boaters using this section of river, we will
require the following:
a) Coordinate with the recreational boating outfitters in the area to develop and provide signage alerting users to
this project/construction and recommended put in/pull out areas. Also, please address if there will be any
additional/new put in/out areas provided for river users. We recommend that you coordinate with NCDOT on this effort
to avoid any public confusion since it has been done for the 1-26 Bridge Construction downstream. NCDOT contact is
Luke Middleton - [e-mail]
b) Develop a River Safety Plan that addresses lighting requirements during construction, contractor
training/requirements in the event of a distressed boater, placement of in -stream navigational aids marking a safe
passage lane, and efforts to prevent construction material from falling on river users during bridge construction. The
attached River Safety Plan was developed by NCDOT as part of the permit requirements associated with the 1-26
Bridge Construction over the French Broad River and is being provided as a guide to assist you in this request.
4) Please provide information on how you plan to manage high water flows during drilling and while temporary
causeways are in the river. This should include any proposed measures to avoid or minimize adverse effects from the
causeways to upstream and downstream areas. Adverse effects include things such as bank erosion, scour, flooding, etc.
This documentation should include details concerning monitoring of conditions preconstruction, during construction,
and post construction. This documentation should also include a plan to address remediation measures for any
streambank instability as soon as possible after a high water event, or in the case of a destabilizing issue that arises for
some other reason related to the causeways - e.g., debris caught on the causeways, etc. Plans to ensure that equipment
and supplies are not placed in locations that will flood in the event of high water should also be detailed.
5) Please provide information on the water surface elevation (WSE) upstream during different storm events and how it
would affect structures in the floodplain. The summary and/or plan should include information that details how the
causeways and any other temporary structure(s) will not cause or exacerbate any upstream flooding under both normal
and high flow conditions.
Please contact me with any questions, thanks.
Amanda Jones
Regulatory Specialist
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Asheville Regulatory Field Office
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, NC 28801-5006
828-271-7980 ext. 4225
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