Bill White Creek
Stream Restoration Project
Bill White Creek after construction, showcasing enhanced habitat for aquatic life through the development of stable streambanks and rock and woody instream structures.
Bill White Creek
French Broad River Watershed
Avery County, Newland, NC
Status: Complete
Stream Restored: ~ 5,000 feet
Planting Stats: 9,917 livestakes & 1,722 trees
Carbon Sequestration: 44 tons
Sediment Reduction: 177 tons
Resource Institute’s Partners:
Before construction, Bill White Creek was plagued by severe erosion issues. Erosion, driven by natural forces such as water flow, destabilized the streambanks, contributing to sedimentation and habitat degradation.
Natural Resource Concerns/Issues
Streambanks on Bill White 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
Establish a riparian buffer, remove invasive plant species, and reestablish native plants, trees, and shrubs
Enhance flood resiliency by improving the stream’s capacity to manage high-flow events, reducing the risk of flooding, and protecting surrounding infrastructure and habitats through strategic floodplain reconnection and the installation of flood-tolerant vegetation