North Toe River (Upper Reach) Stream Restoration Project
After Restoration
Construction underway at North Toe River to enhance flood resiliency, ensuring the stream can effectively manage high flow events and protect surrounding habitats and infrastructure.
Pre-Construction
Before construction, this reach of the North Toe frequently flooded, causing significant property loss and damage to local landowners.
North Toe River (Upper Reach)
North Toe River – Upper Reach
French Broad River Watershed
Avery County, Newland, NC
Status: Complete
Stream Restored: ~ 2,500 feet
Planting Stats: 4,760 livestakes & 826 trees
Carbon Sequestration: 21.1 tons
Sediment Reduction: 57 tons
Resource Institute’s Partners:
Natural Resource Concerns/Issues
-
Streambanks on UT North Toe River were steep and severely eroded and lacked a riparian buffer
-
Original Stream = C4b
Project Objectives:
-
Restored Stream Type = C4b
-
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