20071890 Ver 1_Staff Comments_20071129

NC Division of Water Quality
Wetlands/401 Unit
November 29, 2007
Memorandum
To: Cyndi Karoly
Kevin Barnett
File
From: Eric Kulz
Subject: Followup to Comments on PCN and Stream Restoration Plan -Blockhouse Creek -
Polk County. Baker Engineering plan for EEP; EEP Full-Delivery Project?? (DWQ#
20071890)
The plan generally looks OK except for significant areas where the buffer is shown as less than
50 feet on one side of the stream. Section 5.8.1 of the plan states that buffers from 30 to 50 feet
will be established. Again, Baker and NCEEP need to understand that they may not get full credit
for stream length in sections where buffers are not 50 feet.
The only additional item is they are proposing to use black walnut as one of the primary tree
species. I sent a e-mail to Karen Hall at NCSU asking her opinion on the use of black walnut, as
it is alleopathic to other plant species, and may hinder good vegetation growth around these
trees.
FOLLOWUP: I received an a-mail reply (11/28/07) from Karen Hall, and her response was as
follows:
"I personally do not plant this tree on my restoration projects, though I do list it as a potential tree
to plant in riparian areas. It tends to form monocultures because of the prolific number of seeds it
produces. The allelopathy compounds the issue of its dominance to the exclusion of just about
everything else. I don't think a few trees would hurt, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it being
one of the main species (at least in large numbers)"
I feel we should recommend that they decrease the number of black walnut trees planted, and
use another species as one of the main trees planted.
North Carolina Division of Water Quality; Wetlands/401 Unit
1650 Mail Service Center; Raleigh, NC 27699-1650
2321 Crabtree Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27604-2260
Telephone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
http://ncwaterquality. org/wetlands