Andy Hill, the High Country regional director and Watauga Riverkeeper for MountainTrue, has been instrumental in the removal of Shull’s Mill Dam on the Watauga River near Boone, North Carolina. This removal is part of a larger effort to enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, and reconnect fish and aquatic animals populations interrupted by the dam.
Supported by local conservationists, engineers, and wildlife biologists, the controlled demolition of the dam is aimed at minimizing short-term impacts on the river’s ecology and improving its resilience to climate change in the long term. Removing this dam and others like it throughout the region and the country is seen as crucial to restoring rivers and allowing aquatic life to flourish.
The removal of the dam also benefits the Eastern hellbender, a giant salamander that is a key indicator of stream health. Hellbenders require clean, flowing water and shaded riparian areas, which are disrupted by dams. By removing the barrier of the dam, hellbenders can have increased access to suitable habitat for feeding, breeding, and nesting.
Andy Hill and his team, along with Appalachian State University freshwater conservation biologist Mike Gangloff, have worked to locate and relocate Eastern hellbenders from the area below the dam prior to its demolition. By carefully monitoring these creatures before and after the removal of the dam, conservationists are ensuring their health and survival in their natural habitat.
The success of the removal of Shull’s Mill Dam is a significant milestone in MountainTrue’s and its partners’ efforts to restore rivers and preserve the delicate ecosystems that rely on them. By working together, these organizations are making a positive impact on the environment and helping to protect threatened species like the Eastern hellbender for future generations.
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Photo credit carolinapublicpress.org