20170637 Ver 2_Meeting Minutes_20190823

Wanucha, Dave
From:Leslie, Andrea J
Sent:Thursday, August 15, 2019 1:05 PM
To:Hining, Kevin J; Wanucha, Dave
Cc:Russ, W. Thomas; Johnson, Thomas C; Hodges, Kinnon B; Rash, Jacob M.
Subject:FW: Joes Creek, Watauga Co
Attachments:IMG_3078.MOV; IMG_3076.JPG
Hi Kevin and Dave,

WRC staff have some real concerns about a DOT project on Sampson Road along Joes Creek. Can you help us
address this issue? TR attached a telling photo and video of what’s going on there.

Thank you!
Andrea

_____________________________________________
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Habitat Conservation Coordinator
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
645 Fish Hatchery Rd., Building B
Marion, NC 28752
828-803-6054 (office)
828-400-4223 (cell)
www.ncwildlife.org

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From: Russ, W. Thomas <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2019 12:16 PM
To: Rash, Jacob M. <[e-mail]>; Hodges, Kinnon B <[e-mail]>
Cc: Johnson, Thomas C <[e-mail]>; Leslie, Andrea J <[e-mail]>
Subject: Joes Creek, Watauga County

Hey yall, I think we have an issue in Joes Creek that needs Fisheries attention, again. This week I’ve heard from 3
landowners that live on or have property along Sampson Road, and they are highly frustrated with NCDOT. Apparently,
DOT has run out of money and Sampson Road is not going to get paved after all. The word on the street is they have
until October to pull out and stabilize what has been blasted. As you would imagine the amount of blasting and erosion
that has occurred along Joes Creek this year has been crazy. On top of this it seems like it rains up there every day! Joes
Creek and Buffalo Creek are suffering. We snorkeled Buffalo Creek this week and it was very bad, full of sediment and
very few mussels. I can’t imagine any trout still living in Joes Creek.
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Sterling Carroll is involved and will likely get DWR involved; they have used his land for staging and mobilizing but now
they won’t finish the job. His motives are different than ours, but I think we should raise concern about what is
happening to Joes Creek and the Buffalo watershed as a whole.

I don’t believe DOT ever runs out of money; can we express concern? From a trout perspective do yall think we should
contact DOT or DWR? My data and views are somewhat anecdotal but erosion from road construction is obvious, I’m
happy to raise concerns on mussels but they are 10 miles downstream.
Thanks for any help.

TR
William T. Russ // Foothills Coordinator, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program
Division of Inland Fisheries

NC Wildlife Resources Commission
645-A Fish Hatchery Road
Marion, NC 28752

office: 828-803-6035
mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

ncwildlife.org

The Wildlife Diversity Program depends on the NC Tax Check-off for Nongame and Endangered Wildlife on line 31 of
your NC income tax form. Learn more about the Wildlife Diversity Program.

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Inbox from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

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