20081214 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20080815

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
MEMORANDUM
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TO: Monte Matthews, USACOE
Raleigh Regulatory Field Office AUG 1 5 2008
FROM: Ron Linville, Regional Coordinator ZWW UENR - WATER QUALITY
WE'UNDS AND STORMWATER BRMCI4
Habitat Conservation Program
DATE: August 13, 2008
SUBJECT: Victoria Haynes Pond Dredging and Dam Retrofit, Unnamed Tributary Honey
Branch (Tributary to Johns River), DWQ No. 2008-1214, Caldwell County
The Applicant proposes to dredge and retrofit an existing pond. Biologists with the North
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are familiar with habitat values in the area. These
comments are provided in accordance with the provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination
Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661-667d) and the North Carolina Environmental
Policy Act (G.S. 113A-1 through 113A-10; NCAC 25).
The project is to dredge the pond and install a cold water discharge outlet structure. No new
impacts are indicated; however, 120 linear feet of stream are involved due to the inline
impoundment configuration. Wild brown and rainbow trout are known downstream. The Brook
floater, Alasmidonta varicosa (NCE, FSC); Notched rainbow, Villosa constricta (NCSC); eastern
creekshell, V. delumbis (NCSR); and Santee chub, Cyprinella zanema (NCSR) are also known
for this river basin.
Based on our review of the submittal and our knowledge of area habitats, we will not object to
the pond rehabilitation project providing the following recommendations are implemented:
1. In stream work and land disturbance within the 25-foot wide buffer zone are prohibited
during the trout spawning seasons of October 15 through April 15 to protect the egg and
fry stages of trout.
2. The coldwater release should be designed as planned or as specified in the attachment.
The release flow should equal inflow to maintain stream habitats below the dam. The
discharge from the pond should be aerated.
Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries - 1721 Mail Service Center - Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] - Fax: [phone]
Havnes Pond Renovation Page 2 August 13, 2008
3. Stringent erosion control measures should be installed where soil is disturbed and
maintained until project completion. Sediment and erosion control measures should
adhere to the design standards for sensitive watersheds (15A NCAC 4B .0024).
4. As of July 1, 2005, anyone interested in stocking inland fishing waters with fish,
mollusks or crustaceans must obtain a stocking permit issued by the N.C. Wildlife
Resources Commission pursuant to 15A NCAC IOC .0209. The purpose of this new
regulation is to protect native or legally established aquatic species from the potentially
damaging effects of unauthorized stockings.
5. Project proponents should contact NC Cooperative Extension (NCCE) office for
Caldwell County to discuss pond vegetation management. The NCCE office is located at
120 Hospital Ave NE/Suite 1, Lenoir, NC 28645 (828- 757-1290).
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project during the early planning
stages. If you have any questions regarding these comments, please contact me at 336-769-9453.
Attachment: Pond Fisheries Management Fact Sheet
E-copy: Kevin Barnett, DWQ-ARO
Haynes Pond Renovation Page 3
August 13, 2008
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Fisheries Management Fact Sheet 2003
What: Environmental Impacts Caused by Ponds. Ponds provide aesthetic benefits, water for crop irrigation and
livestock, as well as fishing opportunities and wildlife habitat. However, ponds can be detrimental to fish, wildlife,
and water quality if constructed improperly. Ponds that are created by damming streams, and ponds of any type that
continuously release water back into a stream can be especially harmful.
Where: Poorly designed ponds can impact aquatic life and water quality statewide, but the impacts are greatest
around ponds located in and near coldwater streams in the mountains and foothills.
When: Historically, ponds were built on farms to supply water for livestock and crop irrigation. In recent years, the
rate of pond construction has increased as more and more people move to the mountains and build ponds to improve
the appearance of their property or to provide fishing opportunities.
Whv: There are two major problems that ponds can cause. First, a pond created by damming a stream impedes the
migration of many aquatic organisms along the stream, including fish, mussels, and amphibians. The second
problem is related to the release of warm water from ponds. Because impounded water warms more quickly than
moving water, water is considerably warmer in ponds than in free flowing streams. Furthermore, the warmest water
within a pond will be at the surface, while the coolest water will be found near the pond bottom. Within most
ponds, the water that flows out of the pond and back into adjacent streams is drawn off the surface. When this
warm surface water is released, water temperatures within the stream increase, harming trout, smallmouth bass, and
other species adapted to cooler water temperatures. While there can be thermal impacts below ponds that only
release water periodically during heavy rain events, the impacts will be most severe below ponds that constantly
release water.
How to build ponds without damming the stream channel: To ensure that the migration of aquatic organisms
within streams are not blocked when building a pond, consider locating new ponds away from streams and using
surface runoff, springs, or water pumped from wells as water sources. Ponds can also be filled by building them
adjacent to a stream and diverting or pumping a small portion of the stream water into the pond to fill it. Water
should only be diverted into the pond continuously while the pond is being filled. Once the pond is filled, water
should only be diverted into the pond as needed to maintain water levels.
How to reduce the thermal impacts of pond outflows: Thermal impacts caused by ponds that
continuously release surface water into streams can be reduced in ponds that are equipped with a
standpipe to regulate water levels. The installation of a bottom drawoff device (see diagram on next
page) over the existing standpipe helps reduce the temperature of water released by the pond by
siphoning off the cooler water found near the pond bottom. Furthermore, a bottom drawoff also helps
prevent fish kills in ponds by removing the stagnant, low oxygen water from the pond bottom. The
drawoff pipe needs to be large enough in diameter so that the cross-sectional area of the space between
the two pipes is greater than the cross-sectional area of the drainpipe. The pipe needs to be long enough
to reach into the cooler/deeper waters of the pond, and should leave at least a couple feet of clearance
above the bottom to avoid future interference from sediment accumulation. The drawoff pipe should be
constructed of a relatively light but rigid material (aluminum is best). Heavy pipes are difficult to mount
and put extra strain on the standpipe that could eventually cause its failure. If the drawoff pipe material
isn't sufficiently rigid it may collapse under the suction pressure. Typically drawoff pipes are mounted by
Haynes Pond Renovation Page 4 August 13, 2008
inserting two crossbars through the pipe 6-12 inches from the top end, then putting the drawoff pipe over
the standpipe so that these crossbars rest on the top of the standpipe. Three bolts or pins can be
inserted into the pipe several feet down from the top to serve as spacers that will keep the drawoff pipe
vertical and centered on the standpipe.

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Bottom water withdrawal devices do have their limitations. Ponds that are very shallow and/or small may
not benefit since the water temperatures near the bottom and at the surface will be more similar. Also, if
the outflow from a pond is going directly into a stream, then the water should be aerated by routing it to
splash onto rocks or other hard, jagged surfaces as it re-enters the stream.
More information concerning pond construction and management is found in the "Pond Management
Guide" published by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Agricultural Extension
Service. This guide can be obtained online at www.ncwildlife.orp or by calling 919 733-3633.
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Division of Inland Fisheries
www.ncwildlife.org [phone]