20230153 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20230214

t
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
February 14, 2023
Mr. Bryan Roden -Reynolds
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
SUBJECT: City of King — Muddy Creek Pump Station
Wetlands, Stokes County
Dear Mr. Roden -Reynolds:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an application to
temporarily impact 0.146 acre of wetlands in Stokes 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).
Wild trout reproduction should not be impacted by the project, and a trout moratorium is not needed. The
impacts involve temporarily impacting emergent wetlands for a sewer line crossing. We offer the
following recommendations to minimize impacts to terrestrial and aquatic resources from the project:
1. Any erosion control matting used should be free of plastic or nylon mesh, as this type of mesh netting
frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that may last for years. This
is especially important in riparian and wetland areas.
2. Wetland disturbance should be kept to a minimum, and we recommend using timber mats to lessen
impact to wetlands.
3. Wetland substrate should be stockpiled for use when restoring these systems back to their original
contours.
4. Native wetland seed should be used within disturbed wetland areas.
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: Joseph Sullivan, KCI Technologies Inc.
Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]