20171341 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20171117

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
November 17, 2017
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Brandy Branch Stream Restoration
Brandy Branch, Henderson County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore stabilize 149 feet of Brandy Branch in Henderson County. We visited the
site with Greg Jennings and Maria Wise on November 16, 2017. 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 wild trout reproduction and the activities do not need to be avoided
during the trout spawning moratorium. The site is just upstream of a reach of the Mills River
that is recognized by the NC Natural Heritage Program as the Mills River Aquatic Habitat, rated
High for the richness of rare species it contains. Aquatic species found in the vicinity of the
project include four mussels—Appalachian Elktoe [Alasmidonta raveneliana, US Endangered
(E), NC E], Slippershell (Alasmidonta viridis, NC E), Tennessee Heelsplitter [Lasmigona
holstonia, NC E, US Federal Species of Concern (FSC)] and Creeper (Strophitus undulatus, NC
Threatened); a rare fish—Southern Blotched Chub (Erimystax insignis eristigma, NC
Significantly Rare); and a rare salamander—the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis, US Federal Species of Concern, NC Special Concern). We are particularly
concerned about potential sediment impacts to these rare and listed species, and proper sediment
and erosion control is essential to protect this aquatic community.
We support this project, as it proposes to restore an unstable and eroding reach of Brandy
Branch. A meander bend will be realigned, coir logs placed at the bank toe, and a constructed
riffle will be installed. A 30 -ft wide buffer of native woody and herbaceous species will be
planted. In -channel work should be completed within a half-day, and flows will be routed
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Brandy Br Stream Restoration Page 2 November 17, 2017
Henderson County
around the work area while the channel is realigned. It is anticipated that work will occur the
week of December 4.
Before on -the -ground project activities begin, US Fish and Wildlife Service and NCWRC staff
will survey the Mills River just downstream of the project reach for mussels.
We offer the following additional recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife
resources:
1. 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. 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.
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: Greg Jennings, Jennings Environmental
Maria Wise, Mills River Partnership
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources
Byron Hamstead, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Lori Williams and Luke Etchison, NCWRC