20131279 Ver 2_WRC Comments_20161205

Strickland, Bev
From:Dunn, Maria T.
Sent:Monday, December 05, 2016 5:13 PM
To:Huggett, Doug
Cc:Scarbraugh, Anthony; Staples, Shane
Subject:Hatteras Inlet, Dare Co.
Attachments:CMDF_Dare Co Hatteras Inlet_NCWRC.pdf
Doug,
Please accept the attached comments for the above project. Thank you.
Maria

------------------------------

Maria T. Dunn

Coastal Coordinator

NC Wildlife Resources Commission

943 Washington Sq. Mall
Washington, NC 27889
office: 252-948-3916
fax: [phone]

www.ncwildlife.org

Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

1

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MEMORANDUM
TO: Mrs. Maria Dunn
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
PAT MCCRORY
Governor
DONALD R. VAN DER VAART
FROM: Doug Huggett Respond to Doug Haggett
Major Permits Processing Coordinator Morehead City Office
Coastal Management Division
400 Commerce Avenue
Morehead City NC 28557
DATE: 17 November 2016
SUBJECT: CAMA Application Review
APPLICANT: Dare County, Mr. Robert L. Outten
Dare County Hatteras Inlet Channel Maintenance Project
PROJECT LOCATION: Project area is located on the west side of the Hatteras Inlet complex adjacent
the northeastern tip of Ocracoke Island in the Pamlico Sound, Hyde County, North Carolina.
PROPOSED PROJECT: Applicant proposes to maintain an existing permitted Connector Channel (NC
Department of Transportation) to the Hatteras Inlet gorge from Barney Slough using US Army Corps of
Engineers side cast and hopper dredge plants.
Secretary
Please indicate below your position or viewpoint on the proposed project and return this form by 7
December 2016. Please contact Steve Trowell at 252-948-3854, if you have any questions regarding the
proposed project. When appropriate, in depth comments with supporting data are requested.
REPLY This office has no objection to the project as proposed.
Signed
;�`This
This office has no comment on the proposed project.
office approves of the proposed project only if the recommended changes
are incorporated. See attached.
This office objects to the proposed project for reasons described in the attached
comments.
Date 12-5-yo112
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i North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission P
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
MEMORANDUM
TO: Doug Huggett
Division of Coastal Management
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
FROM: Maria T. Dunn, Coastal Coordinator ~
Habitat Conservation Division
DATE: December 5, 2016
SUBJECT: CAMA Dredge/Fill Permit Application for Dare County, Dare County Hatteras
Inlet Channel Maintenance Project, Hyde County, North Carolina.
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed the permit
application with regard to impacts on fish and wildlife resources. The project area is west of the Hatteras
Inlet complex, adjacent the northeastern tip of Ocracoke Island in the Pamlico Sound. Our comments are
provided in accordance with provisions of the Coastal Area Management Act (G. S_ 113A-100 through
113A-128), as amended, Sections 401 and 404 of the Clean Water Act, as amended, and the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.).
Dare County proposes to maintain an existing permitted Connector Channel (NC Department of
Transportation (NCDOT), 1[22487) to the Hatteras Inlet gorge from Barney Slough by using the US
Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) Navigation Branch dredge plants, Merritt, Murden, and Currituck.
Permit 422487 has a fixed authorized channel 150' by 5,000'with a maximum depth of -12' MLW.
Material was removed by a pipeline dredge and placed at three designated locations. Emergency dredge
operations to attempt the keep the channel operable for the ferry were done via sidecast dredge. Due to
the dynamics of the system and shoaling, the NCDOT has had to find an alternate, longer ferry route.
Currently Dare County is working to form a Memorandum of Understanding (MOL) with the
Wilmington District USACE Navigation Branch to perform the dredge operations with their dredge plants
to provide safer channel conditions for the commercial and recreational fishing fleet. The request is to
allow a non -fixed 150` by 5,661' channel to a maximum depth of -12' MLW to be dredged on an "as
needed" basis. Prior to dredge operations; a pre -construction bathymetric survey would be conducted to
find the best route within the project area to establish the channel_ if the special purpose dredges
Currituck or Murden are used, the spoil would be placed in a previously authorized nearshore disposal
site approximately 1,500' offshore of the northeastern tip of Ocracoke Island in a water depth of -10'
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

CMDF Dare Co Hatteras Inlet Complex Page 2.
December 5, 2016
MLW. Otherwise, material would be sidecast dredged by the Merritt. To minimize impacts to submerged
aquatic vegetation (SAV), all dredging activities would be a minimum 100' from SAV beds and no
dredging activities would be in the vicinity of the Tideland EMC power cable where it lies less than -15'
MLW. The Pamlico Sound in this location is classified SA ORW by the Environmental Management
Commission and is open to shellfish harvesting..
The NCWRC has reviewed the current application proposal and is familiar with the previously permitted
project and has provided comments on numerous occasions. We understand the importance of keeping a
navigable channel even though the Hatteras Inlet complex is dynamic and difficult to maintain at set
parameters. Therefore, we provide the following comments to minimize impacts to terrestrial and aquatic
wildlife resources;
— In general, NCWRC does not support sidecast dredging as a long term management method. We
encourage the applicant to look for more long term solutions that would keep an open channel
for a more extended period of time with less chronic impacts to aquatic habitats. This may
include, but is not limited to, new spoil deposition areas that may benefit wildlife resources.
— To avoid chronic impacts to aquatic resources during highly productive times of the year, the
NCWRC encourages no dredging be done from April 1 -September 30. If it is determined that
dredging must be done during this time due to significant shoaling or following storm events, A
efforts should be made to conduct dredging, especially sidecast dredging, during outgoing tides.
— The USACE dredge plants Merritt, Murden, and Currituck have minimal impacts to sea turtles
during dredge operations if material is sidecast or placed in the nearshore disposal area. If it is
determined other dredge plants would be used, consultation with state and federal agencies
should be initiated to determine if moratoria would be appropriate to protect wildlife and aquatic
resources.
We appreciate the opportunity to review and comment on this permit application. If you need further
assistance or additional information, please contact me at [phone] or at
maria.dunnnncwildlife. orR