Paint Fork, California Creek, and Little Ivey Creek Stream Restoration Project

 
 

This aerial drone photo shows degradation to Paint Fork, California Creek, and Little Ivey Creek prior to restoration.

Paint Fork, California Creek, and Little Ivey Creek

French Broad River Watershed
Madison County, Beech Glen, NC
Status: Complete
Stream Restored: ~1,725 feet

Partners:

Resource Concern/Issues:

Paint Fork & California Creek & Little Ivey Creek were impacted by development and suffered from critical erosion and incised streambanks. Streambanks were steep and severely eroded. All three streams lacked a riparian buffer.

This aerial drone photo shows instream construction along Paint Fork, California Creek, and Little Ivey Creek.

Project Objectives:

  • Improve water quality by reducing sediment, organic, and inorganic loading of the stream and reduce streambank erosion

  • Stabilize the stream reach to prevent further aggradation or degradation by providing an improved dimension, pattern and/or profile that will improve sediment transport, and manage surface waters and groundwater levels in floodplains, riparian areas, and wetlands

  • Construct rock and woody structures to provide instream habitat, stabilize streambanks and the channel beds

  • Establish a riparian buffer, remove invasive plant species and reestablish native plants, trees, and shrubs

  • Remove barriers to provide an opportunity for the aquatic organisms to access additional habitat and migrate up and downstream

Paint Fork, California Creek as the flow into Little Ivey Creek just after instream construction.

Paint Fork, California Creek as the flow into Little Ivey Creek after riparian planting.