Kings Bridge Restoration Opens to the Public
Explore a new place for fishing, birding, and nature.
The Kings Bridge Wildlife Conservation Area reopens to the public today, following construction and planting to restore a natural floodplain. This makes Kings Bridge the first restoration project along the upper French Broad River to open to the public. Here, people can witness the transformation as restored wetlands, forests, and meadows provide both flood safety and wildlife habitat.
Scott Loftis, a biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, which manages Kings Bridge, calls it a work in progress. Last summer, excavators reshaped the ground to create a slough and 36 acres of wetlands—features that used to be common along the river. Then last fall, crews planted new vegetation, which is just getting its start. Even so, Loftis predicts that the site will be popular for birding, fishing, and wildlife observation.
He says, “The Wildlife Commission is excited to present this to the public as a place for people to get out and immerse themselves in a natural habitat. It’s an opportunity to see a wide range of species, both plants and animals.”
Kings Bridge is located off of Highway 191 between Mills River and Hendersonville. Conserving Carolina purchased the 87-acre former sod farm in 2020 and transferred it to the Wildlife Resources Commission in 2021. The two organizations, along with other partners, have collaborated on multiple natural floodplain restorations in recent years, including Mouth of Mud Creek and Pleasant Grove, both owned by Conserving Carolina. While there are plans for trails at other restoration sites, this is the first to open to the public.
David Lee, Conserving Carolina’s Natural Resources Director, says, “For years, we’ve been sharing the story of nature making a comeback at our natural floodplain restorations. Now people can see that transformation for themselves by visiting Kings Bridge and observing how the land changes as new plants grow in and fish, birds, and other animals start to take advantage of the resources there.”
From Muskie to Monarchs
It doesn’t take long. Loftis says that newly installed tracking equipment is already detecting fish in the slough, including muskellunge, or muskie, the largest fish native to the French Broad. He explains that the slough—which is like a pond connected to the river—provides much needed habitat for fish by creating a calm backwater, out of the current.
His agency is now tracking fish in four sloughs at three restoration projects. Loftis says, “We see fish using the sloughs during high water periods to get out of the flow. They’re also using them seasonally during the spawning season. Fish need this backwater habitat for respite during high flows, for foraging, and for spawning and nursery habitat. We’re checking all the boxes with these backwater areas.”
At the same time, birders see a high diversity of species at Kings Bridge because of the variety of habitat, including the river, wetlands, woods, and meadows. Wading birds, waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors all frequent Kings Bridge, and rare birds have been reported.
In the summertime, Loftis says, you can also see colorful dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies. With both dry land and wet areas, the site supports many kinds of wildlife, including turtles, frogs, salamanders, otters, foxes, and deer.
Loftis says, “That interface between the aquatic environment and the terrestrial environment gives you everything from muskie to monarchs.”
How to Visit Kings Bridge
Kings Bridge was closed to the public during the restoration work. As of April 1, the site is now open for fishing, birding, and wildlife observation. Hunting is not permitted due to the proximity to nearby homes and the entire site is a designated safety zone. Fishing is not permitted in the slough during March, April, or May when fish are spawning and young fry are emerging. However, fishing along the riverbank is permitted year-round.
You can find directions to the Kings Bridge Wildlife Conservation Area in Google Maps. There is a gravel parking area off of Highway 191. You can walk an access path to the mouth of the slough and the riverbank.
Loftis says that in the future, the agency intends to open a boat put-in and create a loop trail around the site.
When visiting, please watch your step and avoid harming the young plants growing on the site.
This restoration project on new public land is made possible by generous funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and NC Land and Water Fund.
Improving Flood Safety
It was only one week before Hurricane Helene that the construction phase of the Kings Bridge restoration was completed. This included breaching berms, digging the slough, creating low areas for wetlands, and plugging drainage ditches—as it turned out, just in time to help absorb water from the epic flood!
During Helene, Kings Bridge was about 17 feet underwater. Greg Jennings of Jennings Environmental, who designed the project, calculates that Kings Bridge stored approximately 475 million gallons of water, the equivalent of 720 Olympic swimming pools! All of this water was held on the floodplain instead of moving downstream.
This is what a floodplain is supposed to do—take on water when the river overflows. But today, natural floodplains are rare along the upper French Broad. Most of the river is lined with berms meant to keep the water from spilling onto the land. Meanwhile, ditches are in place to drain water off the land.
At a restored natural floodplain like Kings Bridge, it’s the opposite. Here, the river is invited to spill over onto its floodplain. During floods, this allows the water to spread out and slow down. This means less floodwater rushes downstream. It also allows sediment to deposit on the floodplain, reducing pollution in the water.
A natural floodplain also holds water like a sponge, which reduces the severity of droughts. Instead of running off quickly, water stays in the landscape, slowly recharging aquifers, sustaining rivers, and supporting plants and animals.
Natural areas also filter water as it makes its way into the river, which improves water quality. In addition, the enhanced riparian buffers-wooded areas along the river-at Kings Bridge extend for nearly two thirds of a mile, reducing erosion and sediment pollution.
Abundant Food from Native Plants
Visitors to Kings Bridge can see a special community of plants beginning to leaf and flower during their first spring in this new home. John Henry Nelson, of Stone and Spade, who managed the plantings, says the conservation partners chose of an array of native plants that will provide abundant food for wildlife. This plant community is informed by Native traditions and includes artisan resources that are important for Cherokee crafts.
Historically, the Cherokee cultivated natural communities that offered rich sources of nutrition for both people and wildlife. New plantings bring this tradition back at Kings Bridge with young trees and shrubs that include pawpaw, hazelnut, elderberry, mulberry, persimmon, and black cherry. In addition, plants that provide valuable artisan resources—like rivercane for basket making and yellowroot for dyes—are now growing at Kings Bridge, with plans for future sustainable harvest by the Cherokee.
Working at Kings Bridge, Nelson had the chance to see the mist rising off the water in the early morning and to share the space with bald eagles, ospreys, herons, kingfishers, and songbirds. Even very early in the process of restoration, he observed, “We’re starting to see this site come back to life.”
