20202034 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20210302

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director

Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
February 26, 2021

Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006

SUBJECT: Big Creek Dam Removal and Restoration
Big Creek, Macon County

Dear Mr. Brown:

Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to remove a dam structure and associated 50-ft culvert, restore a stream reach within
the old pond footprint, and extend an existing culvert by 50 ft, impacting 490 ft of Big Creek in
Macon 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).

There are wild Brook Trout in the project vicinity, and in-stream activity should be avoided
during the trout moratorium period of October 15 to April 15 to minimize impacts to trout
reproduction. Due to the sensitivity of this species to fine sediments, it is essential that excellent
erosion and sediment control be maintained during the project.

The dam at the project location is no longer impounding water, as the outlet failed in 2020. The
project involves the removal of a non-functioning dam and spillway culvert, the restoration of
the channel within the old pond footprint with constructed riffles and a native woody buffer of
30-50 ft in width, and the extension of an existing upstream culvert (roughly estimated at 150 ft
in length) by 50 ft. Flows will be pumped around the work area.

We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife resources:
1. Be vigilant with sediment and erosion control during site staging, construction, and cleanup.
Disturbed areas should be stabilized each day.
2. In-stream work should be avoided between October 15 and April 15 to minimize impacts to
trout reproduction.
Big Cr Dam Removal and Restoration Page 2 February 26, 2021
Big Cr, Macon County
3. 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.
4. River birch is included in the planting list. This is primarily a larger river species, and we
recommend using an alternative, such as Sweet Birch, on the site.

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

ec: Andrew Bick, Headwaters Engineering
Kaylie Yankura, NC Division of Water Resources