20211471 Ver 1_BartlettGlenNOVResponse__NCWRCComments_20211026

® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
October 26, 2021
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Bartlett Glen NOV Response
UTs to Alarka Creek, Swain County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an application to
account for after -the -fact (ATF) impacts 510 ft on 7 unnamed tributaries (UTs) to Alarka Creek in Swain
County. This site is the subject of a US Army Corps of Engineers Notice (USACE) of Unauthorized
Activity and NC Division of Water Resources Notice of Violation (NOV). 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 Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout in the vicinity of the project. In addition, Alarka Creek
supports two state listed species — Smoky Dace [Clinostomus sp., US Federal Species of Concern (FSC),
NC Special Concern (SC)] and Little Tennessee Crayfish (Cambarus georgiae, US FSC, NC SC).
The application documents ATF placement of 13 culverts. Mitigation is required for 510 ft of impacts.
Due to the nature of the impacted streams, which are forested headwater streams that feed Alarka Creek,
we recommend that impacts be mitigated at a 2:1 ratio.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact me at (828) 400-
4223 if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Owen Carson, Equinox Environmental
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]