20052212 Ver 1_Approval Letter_20060111

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January 11, 2006
Jackson County
DWQ Project No. 052212
US Highway 64 (Climbing Lanes)
APPROVAL of 401 Water Quality Certification with Additional Conditions
Mr. J. B. Setzer, P.E.
Division Engineer
N C Department of Transportation
253 Webster Road
Sylva, North Carolina 28779
Dear Mr. Setzer:
You have our approval, in accordance with the attached conditions and those listed below, to impact 20 linear feet of an
unnamed tributary to the Horsepasture River (20 linear feet of new pipe and temporary dewatering), in order to construct
new climbing lanes as part of US Highway 64 in Jackson County. The project should be constructed in accordance with
your application dated December 9, 2005 (received December 16, 2005), including the environmental comments made in
the application letter. After reviewing your application, we have decided that this fill is covered by General Water Quality
Certification Nos. 3404 and 3366, corresponding to the U.S, Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit Numbers 14
and 33. In addition, you must acquire any other federal, state or local permits before you proceed with your project
including (but not limited to) Sediment and Erosion Control, Non-Discharge and Water Supply Watershed regulations.
This approval will expire with the accompanying 404 Permit unless otherwise specified in the Water Quality Certification.
This approval is valid solely for the purpose and design described in your application (unless modified below). Should
your project change, you must notify the DWQ in writing and submit a new application. If the property is sold, the new
owner must be given a copy of this Certification and approval letter, and is thereby responsible for complying with all the
conditions. If total wetland fills for this project (now or in the future) exceed one acre, or if total impacts to streams (now
or in the future) exceed 150 linear feet, compensatory mitigation may be required as described in 15A NCAC 2H .0506
(h) (6) and (7). For this approval to he valid, you must follow the conditions listed in the attached certification and any
additional conditions listed below.
Erosion and sediment control practices must be in full compliance with all specifications governing the proper design,
installation and operation and maintenance of such Best Management Practices in order to protect surface waters
standards:
a. The erosion and sediment control measures for the project must be designed, installed, operated, and
maintained in accordance with the most recent version of the North Carolina Sediment and Erosion Control
Planning and Design Manual.
b. The design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the sediment and erosion control measures must be
such that they equal, or exceed, the requirements specified in the most recent version of the North Carolina
Sediment and Erosion Control Manual. The devices shall be maintained on all construction sites, borrow
sites, and waste pile (spoil) projects, including contractor-owned or leased borrow pits associated with the
project.
c. For borrow pit sites, the erosion and sediment control measures must be designed, installed, operated,
and maintained in accordance with the most recent version of the North Carolina Surface Mining Manual.
One
N thCarolina
~rrturally
North Carolina Division of Water Quality 2090 U.S. Highway 70 Swannanoa, NC 28778 Phone [phone] Customer Service
Internet: h2o.enrstate.nc.us I~AX [phone] I-877-623-6748
Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross ,lr., Secretary
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Alan 11'. Klimek, P.F.. Director
llivision of Water Quality
An Equal OpportunitylAffirmative Action Employer

Mr..T. B. Setzer, P.E.
January 11, 2006
Page Two
d. Any reclamation measures and implementation must comply with the reclamation in accordance with the
requirements of the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act.
2. No waste, spoil, solids, or fill of any kind shall occur in wetlands, waters, or riparian areas beyond the footprint of the
impacts depicted in the Preconstruction Notice Application. All construction activities, including the design,
installation, operation, and maintenance of sediment and erosion control Best Management Practices, shall be
performed so that no violations of state water quality standards, statutes, or rules occur.
3. Sediment and erosion control measures shall not be placed in wetlands or waters to the maximum extent practicable.
If placement of sediment and erosion control devices in wetlands and waters is unavoidable, they shall be removed
and the natural grade restored within six months of the date that the Division of Land Quality has released the project.
4. Adequate sediment and erosion control measures should be implemented prior to any ground disturbing activities to
minimize impacts to downstream aquatic resources. All bare soil must be seeded within 15 days of ground disturbing
activities to provide long-term erosion control. Erosion control mating should be used in conjunction with appropriate
seeding on disturbed soils in steep slope and riparian areas. Matting should be secured in place with stables or
wherever possible, live stakes of native trees. Tall fescue and straw should not be used in riparian areas. Riparian
vegetation must be reestablished within the construction limits of the project by the end of the growing season
following completion of construction.
5. Culverts that are less than 48-inch in diameter should be buried to a depth equal to or greater than 20% of their size to
allow for aquatic life passage. Culverts that are 48-inch diameter or larger should be buried at least 12 inches below
the stream bottom to allow natural stream bottom material to become established in the culvert following installation
and to provide aquatic life passage during periods of low flow. This may require increasing the size of the culvert to
meet flow conveyance requirements. If any of the existing pipes are perched, they shall be removed and replaced, and
re-installed correctly, unless demonstrated that this is topographically unfeasible.
6. Rock check dams at culvert outlets should be removed at the project completion to avoid impeding the movement of
aquatic life.
7. The dimension, pattern and profile of the stream, above and below the culverts, should not be modified by widening
the stream channel or reducing the stream depth. Disturbed floodplains and streams should be restored to natural
geomorphic conditions.
8. Stormwater shall be directed to vegetated buffer areas, grass lined ditches or other means appropriate to the site for
the purpose of pre-treating stormwater runoff, and must not be routed directly into streams. Mowing of existing
vegetated buffers is strongly discouraged, so that they may be utilized for stormwater diffuse flow.
9. Removal of vegetation at stream crossings and adjacent to streams should be minimized. Native trees and shrubs (e.g.
rhododendron, dog hobble, willows, alders, sycamores, dogwoods, black walnut and red maple) should be planted
along the streambank to reestablish the riparian zone and to provide long-term erosion control in the vicinity of the
road crossing and along the streams within dedicated rights of way.
10. Any riprap placed for bank stabilization should be limited to the streambank below the high water mark, and
vegetation should be used for stabilization above the high water elevation. Riprap should not be place in stream
channels in such a manner that it impedes aquatic life passage.
11. Heavy equipment must be operated from the banks rather than in the stream channel in order to minimize
sedimentation and to reduce the likelihood of introducing other pollutants into the stream.
12. All mechanized equipment operated near surface waters must be regularly inspected and maintained to prevent
contamination of stream waters from fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, or other toxic materials.
13. Excavation of the stream crossings and relocations should be conducted in the dry, if possible. Sandbags, cofferdams,
flexible pipe or other diversion structures should be used to minimize excavation in flowing water.
14. If concrete is used during culvert construction (e.g., headwalls), a dry work area should be maintained to prevent
direct contact between curing concrete and stream water. Water that inadvertently contacts uncured concrete should
not be discharged to surface waters due to the potential for fish kills.
15. Discharging hydroseed mixtures and washing out hydroseeders and other equipment in or adjacent to surface waters is
strictly prohibited.
16. The presence of equipment in the channels must be minimized. Under no circumstances must rock, sand or other
materials be dredged from the wetted stream channel under authorization of this permit, except in the immediate
vicinity of the culverts. In-stream dredging has catastrophic effects on aquatic life, and disturbance of the natural
form of the stream channel will likely cause downstream erosion problems, possibly affecting other landowners.
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~` Mr. J. B. Setzer, P.E.
January 11, 2006
Page Tlu-ee
17. This certification does not authorize the discharge of waste rock and dirt into the stream or riparian zone except for
permitted areas associated with the culvert extensions.
18. All work shall be performed during low flow conditions (below bankfull).
19. Upon completion of the project, the NCDOT shall complete and return the enclosed "Certificate of Completion "form
to notify NCDWQ when all work included in the §401 Certification has been completed. The responsible party shall
complete the attached form and return it to the Transportation Permitting Unit of the NC Division of Water Quality
upon completion of the project. The NCDOT is strongly advised to send in photographs upstream and downstream of
each structure to document correct installation.
If you do not accept any of the conditions of this certification, you may ask for an adjudicatory hearing. You must act
within 60 days of the date that you receive this letter. To ask for a hearing, send a written petition, which conforms to
Chapter 1508 of the North Carolina General Statutes to the Office of Administrative Hearings, 6714 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, N.C. 27699-6714. This certification and its conditions are final and binding unless you ask for a hearing.
This letter completes the review of the Division of Water Quality under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. If you have
any questions, please telephone Mr. Mike Parker of the Asheville Regional Office at 828.296.4500.
Sincerely,
Alan W. Klimek, P.E., Director
Division of Water Quality
Attachment
cc: Mark Davis, Division 14, DEO
Ed Ingle, Roadside Environmental
Angie Pennock, USACE Asheville Field Office
Transportation Permitting Unit
Mike Parker, Asheville Regional Office