LewisCrRestorationEdneyvilleCommunityCenter_LewisCr_Henderson_NCWRCComments

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
June 9, 2023
Mr. Shannon Healy
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Lewis Creek Restoration — Edneyville Community Center
Lewis Creek, Henderson County
Dear Ms. Healy:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 2,631 ft of Lewis Creek in Henderson County. I have visited the site
multiple times in the past. 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).
Project activities should not impact wild trout, and a trout moratorium is not needed for the
project.
The project proposes to stabilize eroding reaches of stream by installing in -stream structures
including constructed riffles and log j-hooks and vanes, installing toewood protection, grading
stream banks, and planting a native riparian buffer. Work will be done in the wet, with
equipment in -stream; coffer dams of gravel and cobble harvested from the stream would be used
to isolate flows from work areas.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
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 work day.
2. Any erosion control matting used should be free of 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]

Lewis Cr — Edneyville Community Center Page 2 June 9, 2023
Lewis Cr, Henderson Co
3. The application notes that the planted buffer will be at least 25 ft in width. We recommend
that a woody buffer of at least 30 feet be planted on both sides of the stream as infrastructure
allows in order to ensure project success. A wide forested buffer can ensure greater bank
stability, filter overland pollutants, and provide habitat for birds and other wildlife.
4. The planting specifications include Water Oak. This is a piedmont and coastal plain species,
and we recommend eliminating this from the planting plan unless it is found in the vicinity of
the project.
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: David Brown, Jennings Environmental
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources