19990098 Ver 2_WRC Comments_20200520

❑ North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission ❑
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
May 20, 2020
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Ross Dairy
UT Jonathan Creek, Haywood County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to culvert 148 ft of an unnamed tributary (UT) to Jonathan Creek in Haywood
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).
This project should not affect trout and the activities do not need to be avoided during the trout
spawning moratorium. However, this site drains to Jonathan Creek, which supports both wild
trout and Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, US Federal Species of Concern,
NC Special Concern). Due to the sensitivity of these species to fine sediments, it is essential that
excellent erosion and sediment control be maintained during the project.
The project involves the placement of a culvert in a small stream to allow the installation of a
grassed waterway, one of many best management practices designed to address chronic issues
with animal waste at this dairy farm. We are supportive of the upgrades to the farm, as they
should benefit both water quality and in -stream habitat in downstream waters, especially
Jonathan Creek.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife resources:
1. Be vigilant with sediment and erosion control during site staging, construction, and cleanup.
Disturbed areas should be seeded, mulched and/or matted as soon as possible.
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]

Ross Dairy Page 2 May 20, 2020
UT Jonathan Cr, Haywood County
3. Outside of the grassed waterway, we recommend that a buffer of native herbaceous and
woody vegetation be established on the farm's streams in order to improve stream health.
This buffer should be as wide as possible, as 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: Tim Garrett, Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation District
Tim Fox, NC Division of Water Resources