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Paddlers observe contractors hired to clean up Hurricane Helene debris in a stretch of the Little Tennessee River that was largely spared the ravages of the storm. Angela Martin/MountainTrue
Tell Army Corps, county officials to stop deforestation and river disturbance on the Little T
This editorial was provided by MountainTrue.
FRANKLIN, N.C. — The Little Tennessee River is home to 100 fish species alone — some found nowhere else in the world. The river and its adjacent greenway are also a beloved recreational resource for Macon County residents and tourists alike. But over the past few weeks, the banks of the river have been under assault by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractors, removing hundreds of trees, many of which were still alive. Take action now to prevent further damage to the river!
While large-scale debris removal continues to be a high priority in many parts of Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Little Tennessee River did not experience those same impacts; it saw only normal flooding. Apart from a few localized areas, like the Cullasaja River across from Walmart, there is no need for disaster recovery-type debris removal in Macon County waterways. And yet, contractors started near Tryphosa Road in Otto and have been working their way down the river, removing trees and debris from the river channel and banks in areas where no flooding impacts occurred.
Native trees and shrubs along waterways are vital for preventing erosion, providing shade for our coldwater fisheries and wildlife habitat. Wood is also important for streams — it provides habitat for fish, salamanders and aquatic insects, backwater areas for wood ducks and other waterfowl, and it can reduce the velocity of the water during a storm event.
Erosion that will undoubtedly happen as a result of this work will contribute to more flooding and land loss in future storms and will negatively impact fish, freshwater mussels and other aquatic animals.
The Little Tennessee River continues to be negatively impacted by overzealous removal of trees and wood by contractors who are under the oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the request of the Macon County government. Ask US Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Management Branch Chief George Minges and Macon County Fire Marshal Jimmy Teem to ensure that future work is limited to only Helene-related debris!
