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Home My WebLink About20090901 Ver 1_Mitigation Site Visit_20070119i VO ?O? WA OT F9QG r O "< Michael F. Easley, Governor William G. Ross Jr., Secretary North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Alan W. Klimek, P.E. Director Division of Water Quality January 26, 2006 Ms. Amanda Jones U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Asheville Regulatory Field Office 151 Patton Avenue, Room 208 Asheville, NC 28801-5006 Re: Comments on Proposed Stream Mitigation Project Shoal Falls Farm Mitigation Bank Henderson County, NC Dear. Ms. Jones: On January 19, 2007, Eric Kulz, Periann Russell and Tammy Hill with the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) 401 Oversight and Express Review Permitting Unit attended an on-site meeting at the proposed restoration site to make observations and to discuss the project with Restoration Systems, LLC and other regulatory agencies making up the Mitigation Bank Review Team (MBRT). Based on the site visit and the Prospectus provided for the proposed project, our comments are as follows: • In general, the site appears to be a good candidate for restoration. DWQ concurs that Crab Creek and the upper reach of Shoal Creek would benefit from a Priority 1 restoration. Similarly, portions of the upper and lower reaches of Shoal Creek would benefit from enhancement. Also, the middle portion of Shoal Creek and the UT to Shoal Creek appear to be suitable reaches for preservation. • With respect to the lower reach of Shoal Creek, the stream bed appeared stable, and good aquatic habitat appeared to be present throughout this reach. Several areas of bank failure and undercutting were observed, and the riparian corridor consisted of mowed fescue grass. No accumulations of sediment were observed, and the cobble within the bed appeared to be supporting good periphytic growth. One mayfly was found on the first cobble removed from the Stream. 401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit 1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Phone (919) 733-1786/ Fax (919) 733-6893 Internet: htta://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/ncwetiands NorthCarolina Natura!!rl An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer- 50% Recycled/10% Post Consumer Paper Ms. Amanda Jones U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Shoal Falls Farm Mitigation Bank Page 2 DWQ is of the opinion that this reach does not demonstrate the need for Priority 1 restoration. Enhancement, including bank stabilization and establishment of woody riparian vegetation, would be the best approach in this area, in our opinion. The credit release schedule proposed in the Prospectus is not consistent with the Stream Credit Release Schedule presented as Appendix IX of the Stream Mitigation Guidelines (April 2003 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission; and N.C. Division of Water Quality). DWQ requires the stream credit release schedule to adhere to the Stream Mitigation Guidelines. Please feel free to contact me at (919) 733-1786 if you have any questions regarding this project or our comments. III Cc: Periann Russell Tammy Hill File Copy Central Files Noce hCarolina atura!!b 401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit 1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Phone (919) 733-1786 / Fax (919) 733-6893 Internet: htto://h2o.enr,state.nc.us/ncwetlands An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer- 50% Recycled/10% Post Consumer Paper W AT F9QG Co r O 'C Michael F. Easley, Governor William G. Ross Jr., Secretary North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Alan W. Klimek, P.E. Director Division of Water Quality January 26, 2006 Ms. Amanda Jones U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Asheville Regulatory Field Office 151 Patton Avenue, Room 208 Asheville, NC 28801-5006 Re: Comments on Proposed Stream Mitigation Project Shoal Falls Farm Mitigation Bank Henderson County, NC Dear. Ms. Jones: On January 19, 2007, Eric Kulz, Periann Russell and Tammy Hill with the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) 401 Oversight and Express Review Permitting Unit attended an on-site meeting at the proposed restoration site to make observations and to discuss the project with Restoration Systems, LLC and other regulatory agencies making up the Mitigation Bank Review Team (MBRT). Based on the site visit and the Prospectus provided for the proposed project, our comments are as follows: In general, the site appears to be a good candidate for restoration. DWQ concurs that Crab Creek and the upper reach of Shoal Creek would benefit from a Priority 1 restoration. Similarly, portions of the upper and lower reaches of Shoal Creek would benefit from enhancement. Also, the middle portion of Shoal Creek and the UT to Shoal Creek appear to be suitable reaches for preservation. With respect to the lower reach of Shoal Creek, the stream bed appeared stable, and good aquatic habitat appeared to be present throughout this reach. Several areas of bank failure and undercutting were observed, and the riparian corridor consisted of mowed fescue grass. No accumulations of sediment were observed, and the cobble within the bed appeared to be supporting good periphytic growth. One mayfly was found on the first cobble removed from the stream. 401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit 1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Phone (919) 733-1786 / Fax (919) 733-6893 Internet: httD://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/ncwetlands o Carolina Ne Naturallb, An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer- 50% Recycled/10% Post Consumer Paper Ms. Amanda Jones U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Shoal Falls Farm Mitigation Bank Page 2 DWQ is of the opinion that this reach does not demonstrate the need for Priority 1 restoration. Enhancement, including bank stabilization and establishment of woody riparian vegetation, would be the best approach in this area, in our opinion. • The credit release schedule proposed in the Prospectus is not consistent with the Stream Credit Release Schedule presented as Appendix IX of the Stream Mitigation Guidelines (April 2003 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission; and N.C. Division of Water Quality). DWQ requires the stream credit release schedule to adhere to the Stream Mitigation Guidelines. Please feel free to contact me at (919) 733-1786 if you have any questions regarding this project or our comments. Sincerely W. Cc: Periann Russell Tammy Hill File Copy Central Files III Noe Carolina Naturally 401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit 1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Phone (919) 733-1786 / Fax (.919) 733-6893 Internet: htto://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/ncwetlands An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer- 50% Recycled/10% Post Consumer Paper .o"tll Lower reach Shoal Creek - view north (downstream) • r t - ' fi •Z , fi r 1'r t? :4'?N ' Mry' J f • Ar, A? Y: L'i?. - ??•? I-?"'"'.. y.. ? °iy ?. may: r ' At 1! 1 y xl 1 .a"^ y •h. ?\ ?0?f! y? _yi' ry?f ?..t .r... 1'?3+tf ?? _ - .. p?,rppC?y- ?tr + fsV ys•- r^v k?•?4y'{?, 1' ' '«? ?? ?' ?rPe?. ??'?'?',+w {il••(fK'? .??i?+i-: .•?? "? ? yt1'? + ?lM ,may 'M {4 ?? R ' dMIX Lower reach Shoal Creek - view south (upstream) M'JL •. , ?S? '?...,y p. .may _. ???.y?? Lower reach Shoal Creek - view south (upstream) Lower reach Shoal Creek - view south (upstream)