20211826 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20220104

® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
January 4, 2022
Ms. Crystal Amschler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Crawley -Leonard Project
North Fork New River, Ashe County
Dear Ms. Amschler:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to stabilize 261 ft of the North Fork New River in Ashe 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).
Project activities should not impact wild trout and do not need to be avoided during the trout
moratorium. However, the North Fork New River is recognized by the NC Natural Heritage
Program as the North Fork New River Aquatic Habitat, rated Exceptional for the richness of rare
species it contains. Rare and listed species found in the river in the vicinity of the project include
Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, US Federal Species of Concern, NC Special
Concern), Seep Mudalia (Leptoxis dilatata, NC SC), Kanawha Minnow (Phenacobius teretulus,
NC SC), Kanawha Darter [Etheostoma kanawhae, NC Significantly Rare (SR)], and Tongue-tied
Minnow (Exoglossum laurae, NC SR). Due to the sensitivity of these species to fine sediments,
it is essential that excellent erosion and sediment control be maintained during the project.
The application proposes to stabilize an eroding reach of bank on the North Fork New River
through sloping the bank, planting native woody and herbaceous vegetation, and installing two
in -stream rock vanes. Most work will be done from the bank, but some instream access may be
necessary for proper installation of the rock vane.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
1. In -channel work should be accomplished as quickly as possible and vigilance used in
sediment and erosion control during site preparation, construction, and clean up. Disturbed
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Crawley -Leonard Project Page 2 January 4, 2022
North Fork New River, Ashe County
areas should be seeded, mulched and/or matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end of
each work day.
2. 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.
3. Work should be performed during low flows. For the rock vane installation, we recommend
diverting flows around the work area especially at the bank tie in location to reduce the risk
of fine sediment liberation and loss.
4. NCWRC staff will likely survey the site before project construction for rare animals. We ask
that the project manager coordinate with Andrea Leslie (andrea.lesliegncwildlife.org) and
Luke Etchison (Luke.etchison(cr�,ncwildlife.org) to ensure access to the site, and we ask that
the project manager reach out to them at least three weeks before construction begins.
5. Shelter rocks potentially used by hellbenders should be left undisturbed during construction
activities. Shelter rocks are typically large flat rocks at least a foot in diameter. If animals
are disturbed during construction, they should be captured in a bucket and moved away from
the area of disturbance. Please notify Lori Williams (lori.williamsgncwildlife.org) if
hellbenders are found.
6. To increase habitat diversity, we recommend incorporating stable woody debris into the
project design.
7. We recommend that a woody buffer of at least 30 feet be planted on the stream banks as
infrastructure allows in order to ensure project success.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact meat
[phone] if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Glen Sullivan, Foggy Mountain Nursery
Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources
Byron Hamstead, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Luke Etchison and Lori Williams, NCWRC