20020575 Ver 1_More Info Letter_20020703

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
Asheville Regional Office
Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross, Jr., Secretary
Alan W. Klimek, P.E., Director
Division of Water Quality
NCDENR
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
WATER QUALITY SECTION rl
July 3, 2002
1 9?i
WETLANDS GROUP
WATE1C UALITY SECTiGF!
Mr. Monte E. Seahorn
5292 Clarks Bridge Road
Gainsville, Georgia 30506
Subject: 401 Certification Application Review
Headwaters, Ltd.
DWQ Project No. 02-0575
Edgemont, Ltd.
DWQ Project No. 02-0576
Caldwell County
Dear Mr. Seahom:
Thank you for your response to my letter dated May 29, 2002 and for meeting us in
Caldwell County to visit the sites on Anthony Creek and Wilson Creek. I have reviewed your
"Stream Habitat Improvement Handbook" as well as other publications concerning fish habitat
structures. DWQ staff are aware that these structures provide some excellent fish habitat;
however, failure to construct these structures within the proper riffle-pool spacing and to evaluate
their effects on the streams natural ability to assimilate these structures into the existing channel
morphology, by providing a stable dimension, pattern and profile, could result in stream instability.
As an example, the gabion dam on Wilson Creek. This structure was installed to provide good
fish habitat, but because of the way this dam was installed, it has become a sediment trap,
completely filled with sediment and now is directing the flow of water to the right bank, looking
upstream, resulting in bank erosion of Wilson Creek.
Until information is provided that can assure the Division that instantiation of these
instream structures will not result in the instability of Anthony Creek and/or Wilson Creek, both of
these projects will have to be' placed on hold, due to incomplete information (15 A NCAC 2H
.0505 (a) (4). For your use, I am enclosing a copy of the Division's "Internal Technical Guide for
Stream Work in North Carolina" which describes the information that is necessary for staff to
complete a thorough review of the project.
Asheville Regional Office, 59 Woodfin Place, Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
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Mr. Monte Seahorn
July 3, 2002
Page Two
If you have questions, please call me at 828/251-6208.
Sincerely,
X, W"z "g -
Michael R. Parker
Environmental Specialist
xc: R.R. Rollings
Tim Smith-COE
Dave Penrose/Todd St.John
Jim Reid
Asheville Regional Office, 59 Woodfin Place, Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
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