20240305 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20240319

® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
March 19, 2024
Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Vanderpool Creek Restoration
Vanderpool Creek and UTs, Watauga County
Dear Ms. Fuemmeler:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 4,915 ft of Vanderpool Creek and two unnamed tributaries (UTs) 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 Rainbow Trout in the vicinity of the project, and in -stream activities should be avoided
between January 1 and April 15 in order to minimize impacts to trout reproduction.
The application proposes to restore unstable reaches of stream by both restoring in place and
building a new channel with constructed riffles, cross vanes, j-hooks, boulder and rootwad
revetments, rock sills/steps, and toewood. It is unknown how wide the planted woody buffer will
be.
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. Where work is to be done in live flows, flows should be diverted around instream work areas,
especially where there is more risk of sediment loss, such as at bank -tie in areas.
3. 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.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Vanderpool Creek Restoration Page 2 March 19, 2024
Vanderpool Cr & UTs, Watauga Co
4. In -stream activities should be done outside the January 1 to April 15 trout moratorium to
minimize impacts to Rainbow Trout reproduction.
5. Minimize any impacts to existing mature trees. We recommend that a woody buffer of at
least 30 feet be planted on both sides of the streams 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.
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: Adam Williams, Brushy Fork Environmental
Seren Homer, NC Division of Water Resources