Stream Restoration Recap

This summer, the stream that meanders across Shipley Farms underwent a beautiful transformation thanks to the Linville Creek restoration project. This project was a joint effort between Brushy Fork Environmental Consulting Inc. (BFEC), Western North Carolina Stream and Water Quality Initiative, and the Resource Institute of Winston Salem. The goal of the project aimed at stabilizing over 3,000 linear feet of stream bank which had become badly eroded. 

The BFEC crew implemented natural channel stream design techniques that help prevent erosion and improve water quality downstream by increasing sediment filtration. Some of these techniques include:

• J-hooks, which deflect water flow away from the banks. 
• Toe-wood structures, or trees that are integrated into the natural structure of the stream bank, which provide habitat and cover to fish and other aquatic animals. 

Brushy Fork Environmental achieved great results in this project, including decreases in sedimentation, improvements in water quality, an expansion of aquatic animal habitats, and the re-vegetation of stream banks. The Watauga River is a designated Outstanding Resource Waters, meaning that it supports an array of bio-diverse aquatic fauna and insects, including trout, darters, mussels, and the Eastern Hellbender (a giant salamander and species of special concern). This designation situates Linville Creek as a reach that is important to improve and maintain.

Shipley Farms is proud to be a part of this project. This stream restoration was a collaborative effort of government funding initiatives with non-profits, engineering and consulting firms, and private landowners. All of these parties worked together to achieve the result of this beautifully resorted reach of Linville Creek. 

   Step pools were added for stabilization

This project is a big win for Shipley Farms. As a beef producer, we believe it is important to continue educating our team on best management practices to ensure that our grazing activity enhances the environment we call home. The Brushy Fork team provided a great deal of expertise regarding responsible management of livestock in and around stream banks, such as livestock fencing and engineered stream crossings that will be implemented in order to preserve the quality of the stream banks and ensure the success of native riverbank vegetation that is being planted within the riparian buffer. 

Shipley Farms would like to thank Mike Elliot for his comments on this project, and all of the Brushy Fork Environmental Consulting crew for their help and expertise on this project.