20071194 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20070810

®North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Richard B. Hamilton, Executive Director
August 10, 2007
Mr. Ian McMillan
NCDENR, Division of Water Quality, 401 Unit
1628 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1628
SUBJECT: Wildcat Cliffs Country Club, George Shook
Nationwide Permit Application for golf course renovations
Macon County
DWQ No. 07-1194
Dear Mr. McMillan:
McGill Associates requested on behalf of Mr. George Shook of the Wildcat Cliffs Country Club a letter of
concurrence from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (Commission) fora 404 Permit from the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). I visited the site on June 14, 2007. Comments from the Commission
are provided 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).
The project involves enlarging three ponds and day-lighting a stream reach on the Wildcat Cliffs Country Club
golf course near Highlands. Streams on the property are part of the headwaters of the Cullasaja River.
The ponds are stocked with rainbow trout. Brook trout reportedly live in the streams, but none were observed
during the site visit. The project should not harm trout spawning if effective best management practices are used
during construction.
Regarding the stream day-lighting, the Commission recommends that armoring of the base channel be avoided.
This is unnecessary on a naturally designed stream. Moreover river stone is not stable during high stream flows,
so, even thought the stream is normally small, it may be prone to erosion during floods if the channel is lined with
smooth rock.
If the project is permitted, then the Commission can concur i£
1. The Nationwide and Final Regional conditions (with exception of 1.2) are adhered to.
2. Ponds are enlarged by excavating the bulk of the new pond areas before final excavation that connects to
existing ponds. This will reduce sediment suspension by the excavation.
3. Spoil is not placed in wetlands.
4. Stream flow is temporarily bypassed around the culvert extraction and channel construction area until the
new channel is stabilized.
Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries 1721 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Shook
Macon
Page 2 August 10, 2007
5. Astable stream channel pattern, dimension, and profile are constructed according to appropriate reference
information where the existing culvert is removed. Step-pools, as proposed; may not be appropriate for
this stream and may inhibit sediment transport and cause lateral erosion if constructed.
6. Native vegetation is planted along the banks of the day-lighted stream channel to provide some stream
shading and bank stability. Trees should be used where possible.
7. Effective sediment and erosion control measures are used and maintained during construction. Erosion control
matting is used with seeding on disturbed soils along streams. Bare soils are seeded as soon as possible
following grading.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Commission staff may inspect the site
during or after construction. If there are any questions regarding these comments, please contact me at (828)
452-2546 extension 24.
Sincerely,
~~ .
Dave McHenry
Mountain Region Coordinator
Habitat Conservation Program
cc: Mr. George Shook, Wildcat Cliffs Country Club
Mr. Kevin Barnett, NC Division of Water Quality, Asheville