20220988 Ver 1_Staff Report Annino, Amy M_20220726

® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
August 11, 2022
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Nantahala Stream Restoration
Nantalaha River, Black Creek, and UT, Macon County
Dear Mr. Brown,
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to stabilize 3,150 ft of the Nantahala River, Black Creek, and an unnamed tributary
(UT) to the Nantahala River in Macon County. NCWRC staff visited the site on August 10,
2022. 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 Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout in the project vicinity, and in -stream work
should be avoided between October 15 and April 15 to minimize impacts to trout spawning.
There are extensive wetlands on the site; wetlands in the Nantahala River floodplain just
upstream of the project site host a number of rare and listed species, and it is particularly
important to minimize impacts to wetlands on the project site in case there are rare species in
these wetlands, as well. Rare and listed species in the project vicinity include Queen of the
Prairie [Filipendula rubra, NC Endangered (E)], Mead's Sedge (Carex meadii, NC E), Bog
Turtle [Glyptemys muhlenbergii, US Threatened (T) due to Similarity of Appearance, NC T],
Swamp Lousewort (Pedicularus lanceolata, NC T), Marsh Bellflower (Palustricodon
aparinoides var. aparinoides, NC T)) , American Willow -herb [Epilobium ciliatum, ssp.
ciliatum, NC Significantly Rare (SR)], and Holy Grass (Hierochloe hirta, NC SR).
The project involves bank sloping, in -stream structures and bank treatments 0-hooks, boulder
clusters, steps with embedded woody material, geolifts, and cross vanes), and riparian planting.
Work in the Nantahala River will not be performed in the dry due to the size of the stream. We
recommend diverting flows around in -stream work areas where there is more risk of sediment
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Nantahala Stream Restoration Page 2 August 11, 2022
Nantahala R, Black Cr, Macon Co
loss, such as bank tie-in areas. It is unknown if work in Black Creek and the UT will be done in
the dry; we recommend pumping flows around the work areas in these two streams.
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.
We recommend stabilizing disturbed areas within the riparian corridor at the end of each
work day.
2. Work should be done at low flows, and flows diverted around in -stream work areas
especially where there is more risk of sediment loss, such as bank tie-in areas. Work should
be performed from the banks as much as possible, and instream equipment use be minimized.
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. In -stream work should be avoided between October 15 and April 15 to minimize impacts to
trout reproduction.
5. The planted buffer width is estimated to be 20 ft. We recommend widening the planted
buffer to at least 30 ft to ensure project success and long-term bank stability. A wide forested
buffer can ensure greater bank stability, filter overland pollutants, and provide habitat for
birds and other wildlife.
6. Avoid impacting native vegetation within the riparian area as much as possible. For
vegetation that much be impacted, we recommend transplanting it whenever possible.
7. Temporary wetland impacts should be minimized by working from wooden mats, with the
impacted areas ripped/disked if the area is compacted before seeding with native seed.
Wetland areas should be clearly marked so that equipment is excluded from them except for
planned crossings.
8. Eliminate River Birch from the planting list unless this species is found from the site or on
adjacent land. We recommend replacing this species with another species, such as Sweet
Birch, Yellow Birch (if found nearby), or Yellow Buckeye.
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: Amy Annino, NC Division of Water Resources
Cody Batchelder, Michael Baker Engineering
Mary Pittman, landowner