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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20160742 Ver 6_WRC Comments_20230330® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9 Cameron Ingram, Executive Director March 30, 2023 Ms. Brook Davis U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch 151 Patton Avenue, Room 208 Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006 SUBJECT: Cedar Cliff Auxiliary Spillway Upgrade Project - Permit Modification Cedar Cliff Reservoir/East Fork Tuckasegee River, Jackson County Dear Ms. Davis: Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an application to impact 0.35 acre of Cedar Cliff Reservoir. 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). The project should not impact wild trout and a trout moratorium is not needed for this project. We appreciate that Duke Energy has coordinated with NC Wildlife Resources Commission on the boat ramp design. We offer the following recommendations to address safety at the boat ramp: 1. Americans with Disabilities Act regulations note that if only one accessible parking space is provided, it must be van accessible, with a minimum I I' x 20' space with a 5' wide access aisle (preferably on the passenger side) or an 8' wide space with an 8' wide access aisle. These access aisles should run the full length of the parking space. The plans show a 10' wide space with sidewalks running along each side, which may not be compliant. 2. Ensure that the surface of the concrete ramp extension is grooved to match the existing section of ramp. 3. It appears that there will be a ridge between the ramp and the constructed channel for the creek to the south. This feature could be up to 10' above the surface of the ramp. This could be a hazard to boaters approaching the ramp, particularly after dark. If this remains, we ask that Duke Energy staff coordinate with NCWRC on marking this potential obstruction with hazard markers or buoys. Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721 Telephone: (919) 707-0220 • Fax: (919) 707-0028 Cedar Cliff Permit Modification Page 2 March 30, 2023 Cedar Cliff Reservoir, Jackson Co. 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 cc: Eric Mularski, HDR Amy Annino, NC Division of Water Resources Jeff Ferguson, NCWRC