BostRdSewer_UTsCatawbaR_Burke_NCWRCComments

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director

Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
March 16, 2023

Mr. Brandee Boggs
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006

SUBJECT: Bost Road Sewer Improvement
UTs to the Catawba River and wetlands, Burke County

Dear Ms. Boggs:

Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to permanently impact 10 ft and temporarily impact 120 ft of unnamed tributaries
(UTs) to the Catawba River and permanently impact 0.01 acre and temporarily impact 0.01 acre
of wetland in Burke 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 project activities and a trout moratorium is
not needed.

Stream impacts involve installing sewer lines at 3 sites via trench cut. Work in wetlands will be
done from timber mats. Post-construction, one impacted stream will be stabilized with riprap.
Disturbed wetlands will be seeded with a native wetland seed mix.

We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife:

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
areas should be seeded, mulched and/or matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end of
each workday.
2. Any erosion control matting used should be free of plastic or nylon mesh, as this type of
mesh frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that may last
for years.
Bost Rd Sewer Improvements Page 2 March 16, 2023
UTs to Catawba R, Burke Co
3. The permanent planting specifications include various fescues and Kentucky bluegrass; these
should be avoided in riparian and wetland areas, as they are invasive and has minimal
wildlife benefits. Instead, a quick growing seed such as Wheat, Rye Grain or Oats is
recommended. Perennial native grasses and wildflowers can be added to the seed mix in
order to provide a more permanent herbaceous cover.
4. Stream channels at sewer crossings should be restored to near pre-disturbance conditions.
Channel dimensions should mimic the existing dimensions if stable, and the stream bed
should set be at the pre-existing elevation. At least 6-8 inches of natural bed material should
be placed on top of the restored stream channel bed; this bed material should mimic that
which is found in the stream bed.
5. The application proposes to stabilize stream banks of Stream A with riprap. Instead, banks of
all disturbed streams should be stabilized with a seed mix that includes quick-growing non-
fescue temporary seed and native riparian vegetation. Native woody vegetation (e.g., live
stakes) should also be planted to ensure long-term stability.

Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact me at
[phone] if you have any questions about these comments.

Sincerely,

Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program

ec: Megan Bollero, Carolina Wetland Services
Joey Winston, NC Division of Water Resources