20171486 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20171218

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
December 18, 2017
Mr. David Brown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Patrick's Pond and Simulated Stream Project
Spillcorn Creek, Madison County
Dear Mr. Brown:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to install an off-line pond that would be fed by Spillcorn Creek, impacting 24 ft of
Spillcorn Creek in Madison 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).
Project activities should not impact wild trout and do not need to be avoided during the trout
moratorium.
The application proposes to construct a 0.3 -acre pond, which would be fed by Spillcorn Creek.
It would be fed by diverting 4.4% of the flows of Spillcorn Creek through a simulated stream
channel, and drain water would flow through simulated stream channel back to Spillcorn Creek.
A total of 700 ft of stream channel would be created, which would be lined with stone and coir
blankets and planted with native seed and plugs. Excavated soil will be used on site and
surrounded by silt fence. In -stream booms will be used within the simulated stream channel to
capture sediment, as well.
We support the construction of off-line ponds as a stream -friendly alternative to on-line ponds.
Although this pond is small and will pull a small proportion of stream flow, we recommend
draining the pond with a coldwater release if possible. Proper erosion and sediment control are
essential to minimize impacts from construction activities.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Patrick's Pond Page 2 December 18, 2017
Spillcorn Cr, Madison County
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
1. Vigilance should be 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.
2. Any erosion control matting used should be free of nylon or plastic mesh, as this type of
mesh netting frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that
may last for years.
3. Although the pond is relatively small and will divert a small proportion of Spillcorn Creek,
we recommend that the pond be drained with a coldwater release if possible to minimize
water temperature elevation during warm months.
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: Jeremy Schewe, Unaka Environmental
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources