20121081 Ver 3_WRC Comments_20240111

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
January 11, 2024
Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Middle Fork Greenway Section 5 — Boone Gorge Park
Middle Fork South Fork New River and Unnamed Tributary (UT), Watauga
County
Dear Ms. Fuemmeler:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to temporarily impact 60 ft and permanently impact 295 ft of the Middle Fork South
Fork New River and an unnamed tributary (UT) in Watauga 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).
There are Brown Trout in the vicinity of the project, and in -stream activities should be avoided
between October 15 and April 15 in order to minimize impacts to trout reproduction. The site is
within the South Fork New and New River Aquatic Habitat, a natural area designated by the NC
Natural Heritage Program and rated Exceptional due to the rich aquatic community it supports,
which includes the following rare species in the vicinity of the project: Kanawha Minnow
[Phenacobius teretulus, NC Special Concern (SC)]. Tonguetied Minnow [Exoglossum laurae,
NC Significantly Rare (SR)], Kanawha Darter (Etheostoma kanawhae, NC SR), and Appalachia
Darter (Percina gymnocephala, NC SR). It is likely that Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis, US Federal Species of Concern, NC SC) is within the project area, as well.
The application proposes to install two bridges and stabilize a reach of the Middle Fork South
Fork New River. Bridge construction will involve 60 ft of temporary impacts; for a bridge,
equipment will be set on a low floodplain bench, and a temporary culvert will be installed in the
UT. Permanent impacts will involve riprap stabilization near bridge footers and under a fishing
pier. In addition, 250 ft of the Middle Fork South Fork River will be stabilized with bank
grading, toewood, removal of a mid -channel bar, and one log vane.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Middle Fork Greenway Page 2 January 11, 2024
Middle Fork S Fork New & UT, Watauga Co
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 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.
3. In -stream activities should be done outside the October 15 to April 15 trout moratorium to
minimize impacts to Brown Trout reproduction.
4. Work should be performed during low flows. For instream work, we recommend diverting
flows around the work area especially at bank tie-in locations to reduce the risk of fine
sediment liberation and loss.
5. A preliminary planting plan includes River Birch, which we recommend removing unless
already naturally occurring on -site. Sweet Birch is a good substitute.
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: Carrie Caviness, Interface Environmental Consulting
Seren Homer, NC Division of Water Resources