20181666 Ver 1_Sediment lost at Watauga #278_ B-5177_20200825

Wanucha, Dave
From:Hining, Kevin J
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2020 10:34 AM
To:Wanucha, Dave
Subject:Sediment lost at Watauga #278, B-5177
Attachments:Tweetsie culvert and work area just prior to 8-24 flood.jpg; Aho - high water on the
way.jpg; Tweetsie during 8-24 flood.jpg
Hey Dave,

We’ve had several high water events upstream of our culvert project at Tweetsie, on the Middle Fork New River in
Watauga County. Luckily, most of the rain events have just resulted in the flooding of our work area (see photos taken
from yesterday evening as an example). When this has happened, we let the work area settle and clear up, and then do
our best to pump the water out, through silt bags, and try and dry things out prior to getting back to work. Luckily, the
water that enters the work area clears up pretty fast, as long as the contractor stays out of it.

However, just after the first photo attached above was taken, we were hit by a wall of water coming down from Blowing
Rock - see photo showing wall of water as it passes our bridge project on Aho Rd. (Watauga 136). It didn‘t even rain at
the Tweetsie project, but once the water arrived it overtopped our dikes, flooding the work are and surrounding parking
lot (photo attached). I’m not sure you could see a measurable difference in the turbidity of the river upstream and
downstream of our project as it was already pretty colored.

Furthermore, as you may know, there is a dam removal and stream restoration project about 1 mile below our Tweetsie
project that is also contributing some sediment into the stream with these high rain events. I honestly don’t know how
you can do that type of work without having some sediment impacts, so I’m not trying to point that project out as an
issue – the river will benefit from the dam removal and stream restoration for sure. I only mention this because we had
a complaint about sediment in the stream in Boone yesterday afternoon, but in this case, I was able to track the
sediment to the dam removal project, while our projects and the stream reach upstream of the dam remained clear, at
least until the flood last night. I just wish it would quit raining for a little bit, so they can finish their project and we can
finish ours….

I wanted to provide the photos and report that I’m sure we lost some sediment, but as of this morning, the creek is clear
again and there is no visible sediment in the stream to recover. I hope we can dry up a little, but sounds like a chance of
more rain later in the week.

Thanks and let me know if you have any questions,

Kevin

Kevin Hining
Division 11 Environmental Officer
North Carolina Department of Transportation

828-386-7202 cell
[e-mail]

801 Statesville Rd.
PO Box 250
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

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