Cove Creek
Stream Restoration Project
To stabilize Cove Creek’s streambanks, the project team installed root wads and rock structures.
Cove Creek
Watauga River Watershed
Watauga County, Sugar Grove, NC
Status: Complete
Stream Restored: ~ 1,992 feet
Planting Stats: 4,000 livestakes, 800 trees
Carbon Sequestration: 19.2 tons
Sediment Reduction: 104 tons
Resource Institute’s Partners:
The project team also created a floodplain bench and planted live stakes and shrubs to create a riparian buffer and further stabilize Cove Creek’s streambanks.
Natural Resource Concerns/Issues
Streambanks on Cove Creek were steep and severely eroded and lacked a riparian buffer
Original Stream = C4
Project Objectives:
Restored Stream Type = C4
Improve water quality by reducing sediment, nutrient, 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 bed
Provide an alternate watering source for livestock, including a pump and livestock pipeline to convey water to watering facilities and protect the surrounding heavy-use area.
Install fencing to restrict livestock access to the stream corridor to protect streambanks and streambank vegetation
Establish a riparian buffer, remove invasive plant species, and reestablish native plants, trees, and shrubs