20150943 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20151001

_ North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission _
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
October 1, 2015
Ms. Tasha Alexander
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801 -5006
SUBJECT: Comments on Little Fisher River — Laurel Springs, Jackson Creek, and
Beaverdam Creek Stream Stabilization Projects
Surry County
Dear Ms. Alexander:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed three
applications to stabilize streams and improve habitat using in- stream structures, bank sloping,
and riparian planting in Surry County. These projects would address 2,753 feet of Little Fisher
River, 5,325 feet of Beaverdam Creek, and 2,988 feet of Jackson Creek and two unnamed
tributaries to Jackson Creek. 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).
Work on these projects will be conducted in the wet. The replanted woody riparian buffer will
be at least 25 feet on both sides of the streams. We are supportive of the projects as described, as
they should address bank erosion and improve aquatic and riparian habitat.
None of these projects will impact wild trout, and project activities do not need to be avoided
during the trout moratorium.
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.
2. Any matting used on site should be free of nylon mesh; nylon mesh netting frequently
entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that may last for years.
Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699 -1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

L Fisher R, Beaverdam Cr, Jackson Cr Page 2 October 1, 2015
Surry County
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact me at
(828) 558 -6011 if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator
Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Kevin Tweedy, Ecoystem Planning and Restoration
Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources