20031322 Ver 2_WRC Comments_20170802

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
August 2, 2017
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Harmon Field Restoration
North Pacolet River, Polk County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 3,111 ft of the North Pacolet River in Polk 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).
This project should not affect trout and the activities do not need to be avoided during the trout
spawning moratorium. However, the project is within habitat occupied by the Seagreen Darter
(Etheostoma thalassinum, NC Signficantly Rare).
The project proposes to stabilize unstable reaches of the North Pacolet River with bank sloping,
bankfull benches, geolifts, matting, riparian planting, and rock cross vanes. Work will be
completed from the bank as much as possible. Water will be diverted away from work areas
with sandbags. We are supportive of this project, as it should stabilize an unstable channel and
restore a native riparian area.
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. In -stream activities and bank grading should be constructed when stream flows are low in
order to minimize sediment loss.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Harmon Field Restoration Page 2 August 2, 2017
North Pacolet River, Polk County
3. Any erosion control matting used be free of nylon or plastic mesh, as this netting frequently
entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade resulting in a hazard that may last for years.
4. The planting specifications describe the use of use of a native riparian seed mix within the
50 -ft riparian area, livestakes on the banks, and containerized plants "may be installed as
saplings sporadically along the top of the bank." We recommend that the entire riparian area
be planted with native woody vegetation 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 or need further assistance.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Joel Lenk, Quible & Associates
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources
Byron Hamstead, US Fish and Wildlife Service