20201083 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20201103

0 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
November 3, 2020
Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Hidden Mountain
North Fork New River, Ashe County
Dear Ms. Fuemmeler:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to stabilize up to 900 ft of the North 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 a trout moratorium is not needed. The North
Fork New River is part of the North Fork New River Aquatic Habitat, rated Exceptional for the
richness of rare species it contains. State listed and rare species found in the project vicinity
include Kanawha Minnow (Phenacobius teretulus, US Federal Species of Concern, NC Special
Concern), Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, US FSC, NC SC), Spike (Elliptio
dilatata, US FSC, NC SC), Seep Mudalia (Leptoxis dilatata, NC SC), and Kanawha Rosyface
Shiner (Notropis sp., NC Significantly Rare). Effective erosion and sedimentation control are
essential to minimize impacts to these species.
The application included little information on the project design, but additional details have been
provided by the applicant. It is our understanding that the applicant proposes to stabilize up to
900 ft of the North Fork New River over time, with 75-100 ft stabilized each year. The banks
would be sloped and matted, with rock placed from the water's edge up 3-4 ft. Spaces would be
allowed between the rocks so that silky dogwood and willow cuttings can be placed within them.
Work will be done from the bank.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Hidden Mountain Page 2 November 3, 2020
North Fork New River, Ashe County
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
1. 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. We recommend that after the first phase of construction is completed, the applicant contact
US Army Corps of Engineers, NC Division of Water Resources, and NCWRC, so that a site
visit can be conducted.
4. Shelter rocks potentially used by hellbenders should be left undisturbed during construction
activities. Shelter rocks are typically large flat rocks at least a foot in diameter. If animals
are disturbed during construction, they should be captured in a bucket and moved away from
the area of disturbance. Please notify Lori Williams (lori.williams&ncwildlife.org) if
hellbenders are found.
5. We recommend minimizing the amount of rock used and maximizing the amount of shrubs
and trees planted on the banks.
6. We recommend that a woody buffer as wide as possible (we recommend at least 30 feet) be
planted on the stream banks 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.
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
cc: Michael Hennessey, Applicant
Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources
Lori Williams, NCWRC