20191156 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20190925

ltl North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
September 25, 2019
Ms. Brandee Boggs
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Mitchell Branch Restoration
Mitchell Branch, Yancey County
Dear Ms. Boggs:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to stabilize 400 ft of Mitchell Branch in Yancey 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 a trout moratorium is not needed for the
project.
The application proposes to stabilize a manipulated reach of Mitchell Branch that runs through a
county park with boulder steps, constructed riffles, brush mattresses, bank sloping, and planting
native woody and herbaceous vegetation. According to Andrew Bick, approximately 70 ft of the
channel will be relocated. The width of the planted buffer will be limited by existing
infrastructure and will be up to 20 ft on the right bank and less on the left bank. Work will be
done in the dry. We support this project, as it should address bank erosion and reduce instream
sediment.
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 stabilized 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.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Mitchell Branch Restoration Page 2 September 25, 2019
Mitchell Branch, Yancey County
3. Immediately after flows are turned into the new constructed channel, stranded animals should
be rescued from the abandoned channel and placed upstream.
4. A woody buffer can ensure project success. A wide forested buffer can ensure greater bank
stability, filter overland pollutants, and provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. We
recommend clearly indicating the limits of the native buffer with signs that prohibit clearing.
It is essential that maintenance staff understand the importance of the buffer, and we
recommend meeting with them at the completion of the project.
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: Andrew Bick, Headwaters Engineering
Jonathan Hartsell, Blue Ridge RC&D
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources