20200675 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20200630

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
June 30, 2020
Ms. Brandee Boggs
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Frank Busic Stream Restoration
UTs to Rock Creek, Alleghany County
Dear Ms. Boggs:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 2,968 ft of unnamed tributaries (UTs) to Rock Creek in Alleghany County.
In addition, temporary impacts to 80 ft of stream for a pump around and temporary impacts to
0.295 acre of wetland are proposed. 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 the project, and a trout moratorium is not
needed. However, the site is upstream of the South Fork New and New River Aquatic Habitat, a
natural area identified by the NC Natural Heritage Program and rated as Exceptional due to the
richness of rare species it supports. Rare and listed species found in the river in the vicinity of
the project include Spike [Eurynia dilatata, US Federal Species of Concern (FSC), NC Special
Concern (SC)], Seep Mudalia (Leptoxis dilatata, US FSC, NC SC), Kanawha Darter
[Etheostoma kanawhae, NC Significantly Rare (SR)], Appalachia Darter (Percina
gymnocephela, NC SR), Mimic Shiner (Notropis volucellus, NC Threatened), Common
Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus, NC SC), and Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis, NC SC, US FSC). These species are especially sensitive to sedimentation, and
good erosion and sediment control measure for this project are essential to protect these species.
The application proposes to stabilize eroding and reaches of stream with a dense set of rock and
log cross vanes, j-hooks, and constructed riffles. Banks will be graded, a floodplain bench
constructed, and a native riparian buffer of 10-25 ft will be planted on the stream banks. Work
will be done in the dry. We recommend softening the project design, using fewer structures,
more wood and less rock, and making the distribution of structures less regular.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Frank Busic Stream Restoration Page 2 June 30, 2020
UTs to Rock Cr, Alleghany County
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.
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.
3. We recommend that a woody buffer of at least 30 feet be planted on both sides of the stream
as infrastructure allows in order to ensure project success. A wide forested buffer can ensure
greater bank stability, filter overland pollutants, and provide habitat for birds and other
wildlife.
4. We request that we be informed of project construction start and end dates so that we can
visit the site when it is underway.
5. Wetland impacts should be minimized, and where feasible, equipment placed on mud mats.
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: Derek Goddard, BREC
Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources