Great News on Floodplain Restorations
Great news! Muskie are spawning at Mud Creek. The natural floodplain restoration is working and there are positive signs that we could be on our way to bringing back our region’s biggest native fish. And we purchased more land just upstream at Kings Bridge, where there’s potential for another floodplain restoration. Our goal is to restore a vibrant corridor for wildlife all along the French Broad.
There was a great article about all of this, by Karen Chavez, in the Asheville Citizen-Times on Mar. 22.
READ THE ARTICLE IN THE CITIZEN-TIMES
The Citizen-Times article features interviews with Conserving Carolina’s David Lee and Tom Fanslow, expert biologists with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and generous philanthropists who supported the project. Here’s how it starts:
“Muskie are moving back to their rightful place in the French Broad River after a home-makeover of sorts at Mud Creek last year.
And the toothy, trophy-sized fish could be getting even more room to roam the river with a recent land conservation by environmental nonprofit Conserving Carolina, which might benefit muskie, other plant and wildlife and even humans with recreation opportunities.
Muskellunge, Western North Carolina natives, have been missing from the natural reproduction cycle of the river for more than 100 years due to pollution and habitat loss, said Scott Loftis, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission mountain aquatic habitat coordinator…”
You can read the full article online here.
