20230439 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20230428

® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
April 28, 2023
Brooke Davis
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Pizza by the River
Nantahala River, Swain County
Dear Ms. Davis:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to stabilize 250 ft of the Nantahala River in Swain 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 Rainbow Trout are found in the Nantahala River in the project vicinity, and in -stream
activities should be avoided between January 1 and April 15 to minimize impacts to trout
reproduction. Effective erosion and sediment control are needed on the project to minimize
impacts to this sensitive species.
The project involves stabilization of an eroding section of river with stacked rock. The project
will be constructed when the upstream dam is not releasing; this will enable the work to be done
while the area is dry.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife resources:
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 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.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Pizza by the River Page 2 April 28, 2023
Nantahala R, Swain Co
3. In -stream work should be avoided between January 1 and April 15 to minimize impacts to
trout reproduction.
4. We recommend incorporating native herbaceous seed as well as shrubs to create some habitat
for birds and other animals.
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: Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources
Kevin Seagle, SMCS
Amanda Bushon, NCWRC