20160626 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20160725

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
July 25, 2016
Mr. William Elliott
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Van Arnold Stream Restoration
Big Laurel Creek, Ashe County
Dear Mr. Elliott:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to stabilize 2,000 feet of Big Laurel Creek in Ashe 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 wild Brown Trout in the vicinity of the project, and in -stream work should be avoided
between October 15 and April 15. In addition, Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis, US Federal Species of Concern, NC Special Concern) is found in the Big Laurel
Creek downstream of the site.
We are supportive of the project, as it should improve in -stream habitat, address streambank
erosion, and eliminate uncontrolled cattle access to the stream. The project involves the
installation of log j -hooks and rock cross vanes, streambank sloping, and riparian planting.
Riparian planting is limited to that on bank slopes and 10 feet outward from the top of bank. We
strongly 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.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife:
1. In -stream construction should be avoided from October 15 to April 15 in order to avoid
impacts to Brown Trout spawning.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Van Arnold Stream Restoration Page 2 July 25, 2016
Big Laurel Creek, Ashe County
2. Work should be accomplished as quickly as possible and vigilance used in sediment and
erosion control during site preparation, construction, and clean up. Work should be done
from the bank as much as possible. Disturbed areas should be seeded, mulched and/or
matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end of each work day.
3. Measures to reduce the risk of fine sediment loss from in -stream work should be employed.
The thalweg should be diverted around the work area, especially where there is greater risk
of sediment loss to the channel, such as where structures are tied into the bank.
4. Any erosion control matting used should be free of plastic or nylon mesh, as this type of
mesh netting frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that
may last for years.
5. We strongly recommend that the planted woody riparian area be expanded beyond the
planned 10 feet to at least 30 feet as infrastructure allows to ensure project success.
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: Derek Goddard, Blue Ridge Environmental Consultants
Sue Homewood, NC Division of Water Resources
Kin Hodges, NCWRC