20060784 Ver 4_WRC Comments_20171003

El North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
September 29, 2017
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Slab Town Road
Chattooga River and UTs, Jackson County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to impact 91 feet of the Chattooga River and several of its unnamed tributaries (UTs)
and 0.10 acre of wetland in Jackson 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).
The Chattooga River and some of its tributaries host Brook Trout in the project vicinity. In order
to minimize impacts to spawning, project activities should be avoided between October 15 and
April 15. Brook Trout are extremely sensitive to excess sediment, and extra care must be taken
with erosion and sediment control activities on the project site.
The project involves the construction of swear or water lines across eight wetland sites and four
stream sites. After installation, impacted wetlands and stream beds and banks would be returned
to original contours and stabilized with seed.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to terrestrial and aquatic resources
from the project:
1. In -stream activities should be avoided between October 15 and April 15 to minimize impacts
to Brook Trout spawning.
2. Be vigilant with sediment and erosion control during site staging, construction, and cleanup.
Due to the presence of Brook Trout, disturbed areas should be seeded, mulched and/or
matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end of each work day; at a minimum, disturbed
areas should be stabilized within five working days or seven calendar days, whichever is
shorter.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Slab Town Road Page 2 September 29, 2017
Chattooga R & UTs & wetlands, Jackson County
3. 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.
4. Wetland disturbance should be kept to a minimum, and we recommend using timber mats to
lessen impact to wetlands.
5. Wetland and stream substrate should be stockpiled for use when restoring these systems back
to their original contours.
6. Stream channel dimensions should mimic the existing dimensions, and the stream bed should
set be at the pre-existing elevation. At least 6-8 inches of natural bed material should be
placed on top of the restored stream channel bed; this bed material should mimic that which
is found in the stream bed.
7. Design specifications show the use of matting within the wetted width of the stream. We
recommend starting the use of matting at the water line.
8. No seed specifications were included in the application. Native seed should be used within
the disturbed stream bank, wetland, and riparian areas. In addition, we recommend planting
live stakes on the stream banks to provide additional stabilization.
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: Kaylie Yankura, C1earWater Environmental
Kevin Mitchell, NC Division of Water Resources
Byron Hamstead, US Fish and Wildlife Service