20200871 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20200730

� North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
July 30, 2020
Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Mair Driveway
UT to Swannanoa River, Buncombe County
Dear Ms. Fuemmeler;
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to culvert 20 ft, remove an existing 20-ft culvert, and stabilize 60 ft of an unnamed
tributary to the Swannanoa River in Buncombe 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).
Wild Rainbow Trout may be impacted by the project, and in -stream activities should be avoided
between January 1 and April 15 to minimize impacts to trout reproduction. In addition, the
Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, US Federal Species of Concern, NC Special
Concern) is found downstream of the project. We are particularly concerned about potential
sediment impacts to these species, and proper sediment and erosion control is essential to protect
this aquatic community.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
1. Be vigilant with sediment and erosion control during site staging, construction, and cleanup.
Due to the presence of listed species downstream, disturbed areas should be seeded, mulched
and/or matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end of each work day.
2. In -stream activities should be avoided between January 1 and April 15 to minimize impacts
to Rainbow Trout reproduction.
3. We appreciate the use of a native herbaceous seed mix and the transplanting of on -site native
vegetation. 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
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Mair Driveway Page 2 July 30, 2020
UT Swannanoa R, Buncombe County
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 or need further assistance.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Joel Lenk, Quible & Assoc.
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources