Heron Stream & Wetland Mitigation Site Improves Aquatic & Terrestrial Habitat

The Heron Mitigation Site comprises 17.64 acres of former agricultural land, previously used for livestock grazing and hay production, located in southern Alamance County, North Carolina. The site contains unnamed tributaries to Pine Hill Branch and South Fork Cane Creek.

The Challenge

The site had livestock with unrestricted access to the water, resulting in 62 percent of the stream channel being degraded. The streams had been cleared, dredged of cobblestone substrate, straightened, trampled by livestock, eroded vertically and laterally, and received extensive sediment and nutrient inputs from adjacent bodies of water. Streamside wetlands were cleared and drained through channel downcutting and land use changes.

These factors led to degraded water quality in 6,548 linear feet of stream channel, loss of aquatic habitat, reduced nutrient and sediment retention, unstable stream channel characteristics, 0.61 acres of wetland degradation, and 0.35 acres of drained hydric soil.

Through a full-delivery contract with the state of North Carolina, Davey Mitigation worked with the landowner to secure a permanent conservation easement over the site and developed a detailed mitigation plan to address the degraded natural resources. 

The Solution

In 2019, Davey Mitigation restored 4,183 linear feet of meandering stream channel, enhanced 2,365 linear feet of the stream, restored 0.35 acres of wetland, and enhanced 0.61 acres of wetland. In combination with the physical restoration of the natural resources, Davey Mitigation planted 16,625 trees and shrubs comprising 22 different native species. 

Since the physical restoration of the site in 2019, Davey Mitigation has been monitoring the site to ensure that the streams and wetlands remain stable and mature into a self-sustaining system. The landowner is pleased with the site’s continued improvement. 

The Results

Through the required yearly monitoring of the site, Davey Mitigation is seeing improvements across the project in stream and wetland function, meeting the necessary success criteria required by the project's federal and state permits.