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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20200714 Ver 1_USACE Permit_20200706Homewood, Sue From: Fuemmeler, Amanda J CIV (US) <Amanda.Jones@usace.army.mil> Sent: Monday, July 6, 2020 2:20 PM To: James Harrison Cc: Homewood, Sue Subject: [External] River Run Stabilization: No Army Corps of Engineers Notification Required for Use of NWP 13 AID 2020-00953 Attachments: Rive rRun_SForkNewR_Ashe_WRCComments.pdf, 2017NWP13.pdf External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to report.spam@nc.gov James, Based on our recent conversation, you are proposing to stabilize less than 100 linear feet of stream bank on the South Fork of the New River at 1395 River Front Drive, in Jefferson, NC. The work we discussed is authorized under what is a called a Nationwide Permit #13 (NWP 13) provided it meets the terms/conditions attached. As noted in our conversation, the stream where the stabilization will occur is located in a trout watershed however, the proposed activities will not impact trout as noted in the attached recommendations from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission. As a background, on March 19, 2017, the regional conditions of NWP 13 pertaining to notification requirements changed. These changes affect the requirements for submittal of pre -construction notification for work conducted in the western counties of North Carolina. Based upon details provided for your project, you are not required to submit pre - construction notification to our office. You may proceed with your work as proposed provided it is accomplished in accordance with all the conditions of the attached NWP 13 and this email will suffice as any permitting documentation. This statement does not preclude the need to obtain other applicable federal, state, or local authorizations for your project. 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 1�1 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0 Gordon Myers, Executive Director June 26, 2020 Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch 151 Patton Avenue, Room 208 Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006 SUBJECT: River Run South Fork New River, Ashe County Dear Ms. Fuemmeler: Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an application to stabilize 124 ft of the South Fork New River in Ashe 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). Project activities should not impact wild trout and do not need to be avoided during the trout moratorium. This portion of the river is recognized by the NC Natural Heritage Program as part of the South Fork New River Aquatic Habitat, rated Exceptional for the richness of rare species it contains. A number of rare and listed species are found in the project vicinity, including the Spike mussel [Elliptio dilatata, NC Special Concern (SC)], Seep Mudalia (Leptoxis dilatata, NC SC), Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, US Federal Species of Concern, NC SC), and two rare fish endemic to the New River basin --Kanawha Rosyface Shiner [Notropis sp., NC Significantly Rare (SR)] and Kanawha Darter (Etheostoma kanawhae, NC SR). The application proposes to stabilize an eroding reach of bank on the South Fork New River by placing large rock in areas where the bank has eroded and planting vegetation. Rock will not be placed in the river, and work will be done from the bank. We strongly recommend that a native woody buffer of at least 30 feet in width be planted 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. Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721 Telephone: (919) 707-0220 • Fax: (919) 707-0028 River Run Page 2 June 26, 2020 S Fork New R, Ashe 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 workday. 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. In larger areas of erosion, we recommend backing the rock with a semipermeable liner and stacking the rock to mimic a sloped bank. 4. We recommend that a native woody buffer as wide as possible (we recommend at least 30 feet in width) be planted on the stream banks as infrastructure allows in order to ensure project success. Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact me at (828) 400-4223 if you have any questions about these comments. Sincerely, Andrea Leslie Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program ec: Butch Harrison, landowner Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources