20180312 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20180321

ltl North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
March 21, 2018
Ms. Amanda Fuemmeler
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Cane Creek Stream Restoration Project
Cane Creek, Mitchell County
Dear Ms. Fuemmeler:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to stabilize 2,583 ft of Cane Creek in Mitchell 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).
There are Brown Trout in Cane Creek and project activities should be avoided between October
15 and April 15 to minimize impacts to trout spawning.
The application proposes to stabilize an eroding reach of bank through bank sloping, creating a
bankfull bench, installing instream structures, and planting native woody and herbaceous
vegetation. Work will be done from the bank, except where instream access is necessary to
install instream structures. According to Adam Williams, during instream structure placement,
deflection rocks will be placed upstream of the work area to divert direct flows from these areas.
Work areas will be stabilized each day. We support this project, as it should address bank erosion
and reduce instream sediment.
Riparian buffer width varies on this project from 5 ft next to the road to 25 ft on the downstream
end. In many areas, the width is only 15 ft. We recommend that a woody buffer of at least 30
feet be planted on both sides of the stream as infrastructure allows 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.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Cane Creek Stream Restoration Page 2 March 21, 2018
Cane Creek, Mitchell County
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. 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. Instream work should be avoided between October 15 and April 15 to minimize impacts to
Brown Trout spawning.
4. We recommend that a woody buffer of at least 30 feet be planted on both sides of the stream
as infrastructure allows in order to ensure project success.
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: Adam Williams, Brushy Fork Environmental Consulting
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources
Byron Hamstead, US Fish and Wildlife Service
David Goodfred, NCWRC