Bill White Creek Stream Restoration Project
Post Construction
Bill White Creek after construction, showcasing enhanced habitat for aquatic life through the development of stable streambanks and rock and woody instream structures.
Before Restoration
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.
French Broad River Watershed
Avery County, Newland, NC
Status: Complete
Stream Restored: ~ 5,000 feet
Planting Stats: 9,917 live stakes & 1,722 trees
Carbon Sequestration: 44 tons
Sediment Reduction: 177 tons
Resource Institute’s Partners:
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Streambanks on Bill White Creek were steep and severely eroded and lacked a riparian buffer
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Original Stream = C4
Project Objectives:
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Restored Stream Type = C4
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Improve water quality by reducing sediment, nutrient, organic, and inorganic loading of the stream and reduce streambank erosion
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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
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Construct rock and woody structures to provide instream habitat, stabilize streambanks and the channel bed
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Establish a riparian buffer, remove invasive plant species, and reestablish native plants, trees, and shrubs
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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