19991449 Ver 1_COMPLETE FILE_19991229

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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS
P.O. BOX 1890
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 28402-1890
IN REPLY REFER TO December 22, 1999

Regulatory Division A A
Action ID No. 200000675, New Hanover County Drainage Projects
T
Mr. Wyatt Blanchard, County Engineer
New Hanover County Engineering Department
414 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, North Carolina 28401-4045
Dear Mr. Blanchard:
Please reference your letter dated November 23, 1999, requesting Department of the Army
authorization to perform minor excavation and to clear vegetative debris from several drainage.
ditches and streams in the Castle Hayne area of New Hanover County. Specifically, drainage
improvements will occur in the Heritage Park area from Blue Clay Road north of Heritage Road
and Pilgrim Circle extending across Castle Hayne Road (NC Highway 117) along the north side
of Seitter Acres. Additional work will also occur along an unnamed tributary to N eek on
the East Side of Castle Hayne Road in the Runnymeade subdivision. Finally, you propose to
excavate a 2- to 3-foot drainage ditch along the East Side of Apple Road that will connect to an
existing stormwater collection system on the south side of Rockhill Road just east of Apple
Drive. Based on my inspection of the areas to be cleared, it is expected that the work will result
in substantially less than 0.3 acres of impact to water and wetlands of the United States.
With the exception of the work in the Rockhill Road area, it is our understanding that the
majority of the work will involve hand clearing of accumulated storm debris and minor amounts
of sediment removal. No relocations of the existing drainage ways are proposed. As discussed
with Adam Rahall of your staff, the majority of the work will occur along relatively stable stream
and ditch banks. We therefore caution you to refrain from any work that involves the removal of
existing root mat or cutting into stream and ditch banks. This would only result in a long-term
erosion control and turbidity problem. As also discussed with Mr. Rahall, absolutely no
excavation in the stream or any adjacent wetlands shall occur west of Fulbright Street in the
Seitter Acres Subdivision.
Finally, we would like to schedule a meeting with your contractor when he is ready to
commence work in order to discuss the limitations being placed on this work.
For the purposes of the Corps of Engineers' Regulatory Program, the "December 13, 1996
Fgde?al Register, Final Notice of Issuance, Reissuance, and Modification of Nationwide Permits
(/61 FR 65874)" listed nationwide permits. Authorization was provided by Nationwide Permit
#26, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, for discharges of dredged or fill material
into headwaters and isolated waters.
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Your work is authorized by this nationwide permit provided it is accomplished in strict
accordance with the enclosed conditions and provided you receive a Section 401 water quality
certification from the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCWQ) and, in the coastal
area, a consistency determination from the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management
(NCDCM). You should contact Mr. John Dorney, telephone [phone], regarding water
quality certification, and Mr. Steve Benton, telephone [phone], regarding consistency
determination. This nationwide permit does not relieve you of the responsibility to obtain other
required State or local approval.
This verification will be valid until the nationwide permit expires, which will occur on
April 14, 2000, unless the nationwide authorization is sooner modified or revoked. It is
incumbent upon you to remain informed of changes to the nationwide permits, which will be
announced by public notice when they occur. Under the present terms and conditions of this
nationwide permit, all work verified under this authorization must be completed or cease on
February 11, 2002.
Questions or comments may be addressed to the undersigned in the Wilmington
Regulatory Field Office, Regulatory Division, telephone [phone].
Sincerely,
Scott McLendon
Regulatory Project Manager
Enclosure
Copies Furnished (without enclosure):
Mr. John Dorney
Division of Water Quality
North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources
1621 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1621