Front Page News: A Natural Floodplain Returns
Your good work is on the front page of the Asheville Citizen-Times today! Outdoors reporter Karen Chavez covers the story of how you’re bringing back a natural floodplain at the Mouth of Mud Creek on the French Broad River.
This ambitious restoration will help bring back our largest native fish—the gigantic muskellunge, or muskie. But it’s about much more than fish. It’s a holistic approach to ecological restoration that we hope to replicate as we restore more natural floodplains along the French Broad.
Highlights About the Restoration
Here are a few highlights that you’ll find in this great article:
- Water in the once heavily polluted French Broad is now clean enough to support muskie. But it’s about more than clean water.
- Biologist and fisherman Scott Loftis talks about why muskie and other fish need calm pools outside of the fast-moving current.
- The 103-acre restoration includes three new backwater sloughs, restored wetlands, reforested areas along the river, and a wildflower meadow.
- More fish species currently missing from the Upper French Broad could be reintroduced as habitat improves.
- Many kinds of wildlife have already been spotted on the restored land. Bird species include osprey, willow flycatcher, blue-winged teal, and yellow cuckoo. Otter and deer are out there too.
- The Eastern Band of the Cherokee is expanding an area of rivercane, a plant that can harvested to make baskets and other traditional arts and crafts.
- Conserving Carolina received a planning grant to work on a big-picture vision for the Upper French Broad River, with benefits for wildlife, water quality, and flood control.
Thank you for bringing back life along the French Broad River!
We’re inspired by the comeback happening at the Mouth of Mud Creek and we’re working on more restoration projects along the French Broad River. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you for making our rivers and floodplains full of life.