Stream and Habitat Restoration

Altamont assisted the Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Council and Mitchell County Soil and Water Conservation District with the restoration design, permitting, and construction management for removal of an abandoned concrete hydroelectric dam on the North Toe River, a tributary of the Nolichucky River.  The North Toe River provides critical habitat for the endangered Appalachian Elk Toe Mussel and is designated by the NC Department of Natural Resource (DENR) as Class C Trout Waters throughout the project area.  The dam impeded the upstream migration of trout and other aquatic species including host fish for the Appalachian Elk Toe Mussel.  Additionally, sediment deposited upstream of the dam was negatively impacting aquatic habitat.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) investigated the dam and wanted the dam removed to improve water quality and habitat.  The dam was also an impediment to recreational access and its removal was a step forward toward enabling the creation of a canoe trail planned for the river.

The project involved removing two sections of the abandoned dam that were constructed on either side of a large mid-channel rock outcrop and subsequently stabilizing the streambanks adjacent to the dam. In order to obtain the necessary Section 401 and 404 permits and trout buffer waiver, Altamont is coordinating with numerous agencies and stakeholders including US Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, the USFWS, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, DENR Division of Water Quality and Division of Land Resources, NCDOT, adjacent landowners, local industry, the Toe River Valley Watch, and other community groups.  Altamont assisted in obtaining grant funds for the project from the DENR Division of Water Resources with matching funds and support from the Toe River Valley Watch, USFWS, and other in-kind sources.  To learn more, contact us now.