River Restoration Project in Western NC Aims to Save Trout Population

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A major project to restore more than 1,000 feet of the Linville River flowing through Gill State Forest in western North Carolina is nearly complete. Environmentalists say the improvements will help ensure the river's trout population, along with other fish species, can thrive.

Greg Jennings is an engineer who led the effort. He said over time, erosion can cause rivers to widen and become unstable.

"Development of roads, and building and residential communities causes more stormwater to run off quickly into the rivers,” Jennings said. “And that water entering into the rivers quickly can lead to some erosion problems."

The state Forest Service and state Division of Water Resources teamed up with Resource Institute, an organization that specializes in stream and river restoration, to undertake the project.

Darrell Westmoreland, CEO at North State Environmental, implemented the restoration project. He said the Linville river's water quality and flow had been previously flagged by the state as being at risk for degrading to the point where it could no longer support a trout population.

"Because the river acts like a conveyor belt, it's constantly moving the gravel and material that you see on the bottom,” Westmoreland said. “What had happened in this particular reach of the Linville River, it had gotten shallow, and shallow water does not support trout very well."

Shallow waters can cause a host of problems. Forest hydrologist Bill Swartley with the North Carolina Forest Service said an important aspect of reconstructing the river involved ensuring enough water depth is available for aquatic life, especially during moderate to severe drought.

"The aquatic life, the macrobaetis - or aquatic insects - and fish will have a place to stay during low-flow periods,” Swartley said.

Swartley also pointed out that most of North Carolina's rivers should be maintained regularly to help them handle the runoff from more extreme rains and storms, particularly in the face of a changing climate. More information on the Linville River Restoration Project is available at NCForestService.gov.

Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service - NC

Original Article at
https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2019-10-22/environment/river-restoration-project-in-western-nc-aims-to-save-trout-population/a68123-1

App State’s NRLP Awarded $1M for Environmental Restoration on Middle Fork New River

This aerial photo displays the section along Payne Branch Road in Blowing Rock where the stream will be restored. The decommissioned Payne Branch hydroelectric dam, visible in the upper left corner, will be removed as part of the restoration efforts. Photo submitted

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s New River Light and Power (NRLP) is the awardee of $1 million in grant funding from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF), which will be used to complete an environmental restoration on the Middle Fork New River. This restoration will take place at the site of the decommissioned Payne Branch hydroelectric dam, located just east of Boone at Payne Branch Park in Blowing Rock.

To complete these restoration efforts, NRLP is partnering with CWMTF and the Resource Institute Inc., with an expected project completion date of fall 2020.

NRLP Engineering Supervisor Matthew Makdad, P.E., the grant recipient, and NRLP General Manager Edmond Miller, P.E., have collaborated on the project, for which the university is also honoring a $200,000 matching funds commitment.

“With our collaborative efforts, we are eager to restore this section of the New River to its natural habitat, address erosion and wetland habitats, and create a location for use and enjoyment by the community,” Makdad said.

The Payne Branch dam was used from 1924–72 as a power source for the NRLP service area, according to Makdad.

“The watershed upstream of the site has been impacted by development, pasture grazing and highway expansion,” he explained. “This, plus the remaining dam structure, has subsequently resulted in increased stormwater, sediment loading from erosion and higher surface water temperatures that all impact the water quality in this habitat.”

As part of the upcoming project, remnants of the dam will be removed, restoring approximately 1,200 linear feet of the river and adjacent wetland areas, Makdad said.

Specific work to the site will include the following:

• significant sediment removal;

• reconnection to existing floodplain;

• new channel construction;

• creation or enhancement of floodplain wetlands or ponds;

• riparian buffer and stream bank plantings; and

• removal of invasive species.

Once the restoration is completed, “significant improvements to this native trout stream will be realized,” Makdad said, “as well as a more scenic environment for future extension of the Greenway Trail between Boone and Blowing Rock.”

Jessica Stump, Appalachian State Today, August 28
original article at https://today.appstate.edu/2019/08/29/nrlp

Experts Come to CO to Talk Watershed Restoration, Climate Change

ESTES PARK, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Stream Restoration Conference comes to Estes Park next week, bringing watershed experts and engineers to the state. 

Russ Schumacher – associate professor and Colorado State University's climatologist – says it's an opportunity for policymakers to look at a host of challenges facing the Intermountain West, such as extreme weather events like the Big Thompson and 2013 floods in Lyons and Boulder. 

Schumacher says mitigating flash floods is especially important along the Front Range, where moisture from the Gulf of Mexico pours down through steep canyons.

"Clearly extreme precipitation and flooding has always happened, but there's also kind of growing evidence that the warming climate and more moisture in the atmosphere is leading to more extreme precipitation," says Schumacher.

He says hotter and more destructive wildfires also need to be addressed. Burn scars don't absorb water, so heavy rains can send crippling debris flows into streams, affecting fish habitat and drinking water. 

He adds while population growth and development in flood plains have put structures and people at risk, cities and counties can restore flows in ways that limit flood damage and even capture water for drier days.

Dave Rosgen, the owner of Wildland Hydrology, speaks on Tuesday about natural channel design, which he describes as a four-stage approach that emulates stable waterways to accommodate water needs during drought as well as 100-year floods. 

He says streams can be stabilized, for example, by adding willows and cottonwoods, which send their roots into wood workers sink into the riverbanks.

"Very natural and aesthetically pleasing, as opposed to hard control with high walls of concrete,” says Rosgen. “And the use of 'toe wood' is really helpful for not only reducing bank erosion, but really helps for fish habitat."

Rosgen adds natural channel design costs about ten cents on the dollar compared with hard-control designs that he says end up being temporary after the next 100-year storm. 

The conference, organized by Resource Institute, starts Tuesday, June 18, at the Stanley Hotel. Information is online at 'RockyMountainStream.org.'

Eric Galatas, Public News Service - CO
https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2019-06-14/water/experts-come-to-co-to-talk-watershed-restoration-climate-change/a66801-1

Remembering California’s 2nd-Deadliest Disaster

The St. Francis Dam collapse in 1928 is California's second-deadliest disaster, after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. (H.T. Strearns/U.S. Geological Survey)

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Ninety-one years ago this spring, the St. Francis Dam collapsed, sending a 160-foot wall of water crashing 54 miles from Santa Clarita to the beach in Ventura.

It killed about 450 people – the second-deadliest disaster ever in the state. 

President Donald Trump signed a law in March establishing a national memorial there, and now, the Angeles National Forest has three years to come up with a management plan. 

Forest Supervisor Jerry Perez says the memorial will serve a dual purpose.

"So, I think the importance of it is to acknowledge the loss of human life, and the importance of sound infrastructure in Southern California,” says Perez.

Investigations done after the tragedy determined that rock on the south side of the dam was unstable, and that engineers failed to fortify the base when they raised the top of the dam an extra ten feet. Perez says the lessons learned have since informed generations of civil engineers, including those who worked on Hoover Dam.

Last weekend, volunteers removed trash near San Francisquito Creek, which runs through the dam site and supports two endangered species – the California red-legged frog, and a fish called the unarmored three-spined stickleback. 

Alan Walker is a manager with the nonprofit Resource Institute, which is working on a project to improve the creek that will then inform the management plan.

"What we're trying to do is look at ways naturally to incorporate the existing site conditions into a natural feature that will allow these organisms to move up and down stream, and being extremely respectful of the cultural resources that exist, especially at the St. Francis Dam site,” says Walker.

The project is a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Angeles National Forest, Resource Institute, and SWCA, an environmental consulting firm. 

The site is open to the public, northeast of Santa Clarita off Interstate 5. There is a plaque at the site of one of the power stations that was destroyed, as well as multiple places to pull off and see the giant pieces of concrete that washed down the valley almost a century ago.

Disclosure: Resource Institute contributes to our fund for reporting on Endangered Species & Wildlife, Environment, Public Lands/Wilderness, Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.

Suzanne Potter, Public News Service - CA
at https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2019-05-24/water/remembering-californias-2nd-deadliest-disaster/a66581-1

RI's Chair Inducted into the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians Hall of Fame

On March 30, Resource Institute’s chair, Squeak Smith was inducted into the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians Hall of Fame. Squeak was recognized for his contribution to conservation.

Michael R. “Squeak” Smith was born on November 1, 1948 in Alma, Michigan and grew up in Michigan around fly fishing as his grandfather was a fishing guide. Squeak caught his first fish on a flyrod at age 3 and learned to tie flies at age 8. Squeak earned his B.S. in Industrial Psychology from Michigan State University in 1970 and did masters work at Troy State University for 1974-77 in Counselling and Guidance. He is an “addicted” life-long fly fisher, averaging 150 days a year on the water chasing salmon and steelhead on Great Lakes tributaries, and trout in the local mountain streams and tailraces. He has lived in Southeast since 1985 in Glen Alpine-Morganton, North Carolina with his wife Connie. He has four children Heather, Aaron, Doug and John and four grandchildren Lilly, Dylan, Annabelle and Parker. He has been a “full time volunteer” giving programs and presentations throughout the Southeast and nationally on nonprofit fundraising, stream restoration project opportunities, fly-tying, and salmon and steelhead fishing. Squeak has held eleven nonprofit positions, accepted seven professional awards and six non-profit awards including NCWF Sportsman of the Year since retiring from the military where he served as a USAF Retired Captain Flight Commander F-4 Phantom Senior Weapons Systems Officer. He has traveled and lived all over the world while in the Air Force from 1971-83. Squeak was medically retired in 1983 due to Multiple Sclerosis. Squeak became active in environmental issues and organizations in 1986 after moving to the area for the fishing opportunities (he is proud to have 30 trout streams within 45 miles of his home). Squeak has held/holds leadership positions in numerous organizations at local, state and national levels for over 30 years. As Foothills Conservancy Chairman for 6 years, he received the Ruby Award for Conservation Leadership, protected over 50,000 acres and turned it over to state or federal agencies for public access and permanent protection status. He has served as the Resource Institute Inc. Board Chairman since 2010, implementing over 130 individual projects totaling 1,400,000+ feet of stream restoration and enhancement, over 100 miles of greenways and blue ways established, 10,000 acres protected, and wetlands restored with total funding raised for projects to date at over $130 million.

WHAT WAS LOST: PRESERVING HISTORY AND POST-FIRE RESTORATION IN ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST

SWCA’s The Wire showcases a partnership between Resource Institute, SWCA, and Southwest Aquatic and Terrestrial Biology (SWAT). The partnership was formed to implement a multi-phased project titled the San Francisquito Canyon Aquatic Barriers Restoration Program. The project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Read more at SWCA - The Wire, Volume 18, No.

Waterway Restoration: A New Year Priority in NC

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – It's been a tough year for North Carolina's water resources. 

Like people, buildings and wildlife, bodies of water also have had to withstand the damaging effects of Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and a flurry of tornadoes. Professor Tammy Kowalczyk at Appalachian State University says a waterway's resiliency is a gift, and clean water "sustainability" is important for day-to-day water needs, as well as preparing for future weather emergencies. 

"One of the definitions is the capacity to endure,” says Kowalczyk. “And so, that notion of capacity is really about resources. So, you have capacity if you have sufficient resources, and that the resources are doing the things that they're supposed to be doing to help maintain sustainability."

She says the importance of stream restoration was underscored this year as floods threatened the majority of the state between Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and restoration work must be prioritized. Kowalczyk points to organizations working to ensure North Carolina's capacity to endure future emergencies, including Resource Institute.

Alan Walker, restoration specialist with Resource Institute, says when a stream is restored, or put back into its natural state, it's more easily able to withstand and recover from storm events. And that improves water quality for everyone who depends on the stream.

"Clean water is not only important for us as humans, but it's also vitally important for wildlife,” says Walker. “It's our responsibility to help manage and look after what was created and given to us."

He says for almost two decades, Resource Institute has worked to restore and enhance more than 1.3 million feet of stream and 2,000 acres of wetlands.

Kowalczyk, who teaches the concept of sustainability to business students, explains that resources such as waterways and forests have a three-pronged benefit. 

"What these three areas are: environmental stewardship, social justice and economic prosperity,” says Kowalczyk. “The primary emphasis here is on the fact that we have to really preserve natural resources to have sustainability in the other areas."

North Carolina's stream restoration efforts also boost the outdoor recreation industry, which is responsible for 260,000 jobs and $28 billion in consumer spending, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

Antionette Kerr, Public News Service - NC

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2018-12-14/water/waterway-restoration-a-new-year-priority-in-nc/a64916-1

Native Plants Provide Pit Stops for Bird Migration through NC

The swamp sparrow is among the birds traveling through North Carolina this month, on its way south for the winter. (Kenneth Cole Schneider)

CLEMMONS, N.C. – Chances are more than a few North Carolinians turned on their heat this weekend and dug out winter clothes as temperatures start to drop. 

The same shifting season is also prompting birds to fly south for the winter, but increases in urban development sometimes make it difficult for them to find food. 

Jesse Anderson, president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County, says people can support the birds’ travels by planting native plants in their yards and gardens. 

"The insects that are native to here are feeding on those plants as the birds are migrating, and the birds have a huge resource of both seeds, berries, and these native caterpillars," Anderson points out.

Forsyth County is home to Tanglewood Park. It's part of the North Carolina Birding Trail, created in 2004 as a joint project of the Audubon Society and Pilot View Resource Conservation and Development, Inc., a nonprofit group that focuses on environmental restoration. 

Anderson says native plants along waterways also reduce erosion and maintain water quality. 

Darin Young, chair of Pilot View, says by planting native vegetation, or leaving natural vegetation in place, people can support an entire ecosystem.

"Mother Nature kind of takes back over, from where it had been in poor quality beforehand, with the stream restoration and the bank restoration and all that,” she explains. “It just provides a better habitat for all wildlife, not only just the fish, but also the birds and deer, and small animals."

Anderson says communities or individuals looking to landscape should think twice before using plants just because they're readily available at the big box stores. He says give some thought to how useful the plants will be in nature.

"With increases in development, there's a large push to install plants that are low-maintenance and may look appealing for most of the year,” he points out. “However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good plant for birds and wildlife."

This month, birds arriving in North Carolina include the swamp sparrow, white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed junco and white-crowned sparrow. 

Many garden stores are now identifying plants and seed mixes on their shelves, and the Audubon Society also keeps a list of native plants on its website.

Stephanie Carson - Public News Service - NC
https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2018-10-29/public-lands-wilderness/native-plants-provide-pit-stops-for-bird-migration-through-nc/a64445-1

NC Communities Benefit from Historic Conservation Legislation

Wilson Creek in Caldwell County has a growing number of outdoor enthusiasts seeking out the area because of improved trout population and waterways. (Trout Unlimited)

LINVILLE FALLS, N.C. – Outdoor recreation generates $28 billion dollars annually in North Carolina, according to the Outdoor Recreation Association, and the state's thousands of miles of waterways are a large part of that. 

One example is the Wilson Creek watershed in Caldwell and Avery counties, one of five areas in the state that was created as a result of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. 

Ron Beane, a former Caldwell County commissioner, was one of the community members that advocated for the funding in 1999 and says the project has had a huge impact.

"We did a good thing when we did that, and we got the people that live along that river, and also people who own land and property along that river to join in with us,” he recalls. “It improves their water quality and it also cleaned it up."

New River and Lumber River are among the other waterways in North Carolina that also received funding from the act. 

On Saturday, Nov. 3, more than two dozen community partners, including Trout Unlimited, Resource Institute, the U.S. Forest Service and Foothills Conservancy, will host a public party to celebrate the anniversary of the legislation, and announce new community projects to further enhance Wilson Creek.

One of the new projects that will be launching at the event is a Citizen Scientists Initiative, where community members will be invited to monitor and maintain trails and roads around the Wilson Creek area. 

"We're going to be utilizing citizen scientists to walk up trails and find significant sedimentation and erosion areas that the Forest Service and TU (Trout Unlimited) and other partners can then remediate," explains Andy Brown, Southern Appalachian cold water conservation manager with Trout Unlimited.

Brown adds that the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act anniversary is a good time to recognize how far efforts have gone over the years.

"Fifty years is a long time, and sometimes we all get busy on working on our conservation projects that we don't take time to just pause and just be, and remember why we're in this work in the first place, and why we even have a wild and scenic river," he states.

Other projects include new trails, roads and the replacement of stream crossings to better support aquatic life. 

Brown says the projects being launched address the needs of the trout population and also maintain clean water for outdoor recreation like hiking, paddling, angling and others.
Stephanie Carson, Public News Service - NC

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2018-10-15/public-lands-wilderness/nc-communities-benefit-from-historic-conservation-legislation/a64276-1

CA Project Repairs Damage from Decades-Old Fire; Plans for Future

The joint project addresses erosion and sediment issues that still affect wildlife in the Angles National Forest. (SWCA Environmental Consultants)

LOS ANGELES — It's been 16 years since the Copper Fire of 2002 ravaged parts of the Angles National Forest north of Santa Clarita, but damage remains. But a number of groups are working together to repair it. 

Fires affected the stream infrastructure and specific breeds of fish and frogs, but using innovative channel designs and restoring passage barrier sites should help the wildlife. It's a joint project between Resource Institute, SWCA Environmental Consultants, and funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Forest Service. 

Nathan Sill is a forest biologist for the Forest Service. 

"We're oftentimes tasked with trying to just deal with the emergency when it's happening, and then the aftermath doesn't get nearly as much attention,” Sill said. “We forget to have the conversation about well, what is the land doing and what are the natural resources that use that land doing?"

The historic Saint Francis Dam site will also benefit from the project. The dam was built to supply water to Los Angeles. Thirty volunteers also will work on the ground to repair fire damage and collaborate with technical experts on a long-term plan to prevent the extent of damage in the event of another fire. 

Chelsey Murphy is senior natural resources project manager with the environmental consulting firm working on the project. She said the value having multiple experts involved has been priceless.

"It's been really interesting to get all these different experts into a room - and Resource Institute, who has an excellent national perspective on how to design sustainable, successful channels,” Murphy said.

Jim Bond is the Southern California Forest Programs Manager for the federal government's National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He said some of the problems addressed by the Copper Fire project are a combination of geology, past land-management practices and post-fire effects.

"It's really dry, it's really erosive,” Bond said. “And so there's a lot of sediment impacts that occur in streams, especially after fires, and in certain cases, enhances the problems where these aquatic organism passage barriers exist."

Bond added that much of the work involves repairing damage done by past fires to create more resilient landscapes going forward.
Stephanie Carson, Public News Service - CA

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2018-09-24/environment/ca-project-repairs-damage-from-decades-old-fire-plans-for-future/a64027-1