20120980 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20121109

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
MEMORANDUM
TO: Sue Homewood, Winston-Salem Regional Office
N.C. Division of Water Quality
FROM: Shari L. Bryant, Piedmont Region Coordinator

Habitat Conservation Program
DATE: 9 November 2012
SUBJECT: Pre-Construction Notification (PCN) for Lassiter Mill Dam Removal, Randolph County,
North Carolina. DWQ ID No.: 20120980
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
subject document. Our comments are provided in accordance with n Water Act of
1977 (as amended), Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. -667e),
and North Carolina General Statutes (G.S. 113-131 et seq.).

The Piedmont Conservation Council, Inc. proposes to remove Lassiter a rock and
concrete dam that impounds approximately three miles of the Uwharrie River. Sediment probing showed
impounded sediments were largely absent upstream of the dam and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
completed a sediment contaminant evaluation and found no issues of concern. Pre-removal fish and
mussel surveys have been conducted upstream and downstream of th
complete post-removal biological surveys. Native plant species will be used tas.
The purpose of the project is to restore the Uwharrie River to a-flowing stream, restoring aquatic
habitat and connectivity.

The dam impounds Uwharrie River in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin. There are records for the
federal species of concern and state endangered Atlantic pigtoe (Fusconaia masoni) and Carolina
creekshell (Villosa vaughaniana); the state threatened Eastern lampmussel (Lampsilis radiata); and the
state special concern notched rainbow (Villosa constricta) in Uwharrie River.

Removal of the dam will provide benefits to stream hydrology, water quality, and aquatic.
To minimize direct impacts to aquatic resources during the dam ree offer the following
recommendations.

1.Use a slow, controlled drawdown of the impoundment over a two to three week period.

Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries ¥ 1721 Mail Service Center ¥ Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
[phone] ¥ [phone]
Telephone:Fax:

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9 November 2012
Lassiter Mill Dam Removal
DWQ ID No.: 20120980
2.Conduct the drawdown and dam removal activities during the fall or winter months when water

temperatures are cooler and dissolved oxygen is high.

3.It is unclear whether sediment surveys were conducted within the vicinity of the dam or

throughout the entire impoundment. If large amounts of sediment have accumulated in the
upstream portion of the impoundment, then measures should be used to reduce a rapid
downstream transport of these sediments.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this project. If we can provide further assistance,
please contact our office at [phone] or [e-mail].

ec: John Thomas, USACE
Ryan Heise, NCWRC