Wildlands Engineering

August 1, 2025 In Industry Insights, Our Projects

Stewardship Corner: Natural Approach to Repairs

At Wildlands Engineering, our internal stewardship team plays a key role in supporting the long-term success of our stream and wetland mitigation sites. Streams are naturally dynamic systems, and from time to time, they experience changes that require thoughtful maintenance to preserve their stability. After construction is complete, we prioritize low-impact repair techniques that avoid the use of heavy machinery, helping protect young vegetation during its critical establishment period.

In April, the Charlotte team, alongside our restoration specialist, Andrew Radecki, completed a significant repair at our Plantation Branch Mitigation Site in the Yadkin River Basin. Following a major storm event, high water flows dislodged two large log sills, resulting in localized streambank erosion. Our team harvested hard woody materials on-site from a dying mature sycamore tree, shaped it to fit each pool, and anchored it at the toe of the original streambank. We then backfilled the streambank with large brushy material and live willow fascines to reinforce the structure, followed by topsoil, native seed, and natural fiber coir matting. The finishing touch was to install live stakes harvested on-site from established native black willow, silky willow, and silky dogwood to promote deep rooting and natural stabilization.

The two-day project showcases the value of hands-on stewardship and the lasting impact of natural solutions. We’re proud of our team’s commitment to helping our restoration sites thrive for years to come.

Dominic Dixon, Stewardship Coordinator

August 1, 2025 In Industry Insights

Let’s Talk Bugs: an Overview of Benthic Collection and the Benefits of Good Bugs

Let’s talk about bugs! Specifically, aquatic insects, also known as benthic macroinvertebrates. The word benthic refers to anything relating to or occurring at the bottom of a body of water, and that’s exactly where we find these little bugs! These macroinvertebrates are visible to the naked eye and live in a variety of habitats on stream bottoms, like large woody debris, undercut banks, fine root mats, instream structures that promote leaf pack formation, and emergent sticks and rocks within riffles.

But why is it so beneficial to keep track of these bugs? Benthic macroinvertebrates have a wide range of ecological functions, like being the primary processors of organic material and being sensitive to pollution. Depending on their presence and diversity in our streams, it suggests that the water quality of our stream is healthy enough to support a flourishing aquatic community. In other words, if the bugs are present, that’s a great indicator that our streams are healthy.

Wildlands Engineering (Wildlands) established our own biological monitoring program in 2014, and benthic macroinvertebrate collection is a huge part of that. Our mitigation projects are designed to improve biological function and ecological health, which we achieve by alleviating water quality stressors and improving in-stream habitat. These projects have significant impacts, and this monitoring program helps us keep track of their long-term effects. To do this, our scientists collect samples and data from sites over time—from project pre-construction to project close-out—a process that can take upwards of 10 years! The data collected is then analyzed using metrics, like the NCBI, which rates a stream on a scale of “poor” to “excellent” based on a species’ tolerance to pollution. We also use the EPT richness metric—which stands for Ephemeroptera (Mayflies), Plecoptera (Stoneflies), and Trichoptera (Caddisflies)—which indicates the presence of bugs that cannot tolerate pollution. Using this metric, we know that if we are not seeing Mayflies, Stoneflies, and Caddisflies, poor habitat or pollutants are most likely present in our stream ecosystems.

Wildlands recently completed a benthic study on our Candy Creek Mitigation Site, located in Guilford County, NC. Benthic samples were collected beginning in the pre-construction phase [January 2015] through the project closeout phase [March 2024]. The project restored 17,085 linear feet of stream along Candy Creek, and one of the site-specific goals was to improve stream habitat for the bugs! This was accomplished by excluding cattle from the streams and creating stable stream channels, which ultimately reduced pollutants and created habitat for the bugs. Wildlands’ scientists collected benthic samples at four different locations along project streams at Candy Creek during multiple phases of the project: pre-construction, two years post-construction, five years post-construction, and seven years post-construction. At each site visit, the scientists would walk the streams with nets and buckets to collect bugs from rocks, logs, leaf packs, and undercut banks. The bugs were then transferred to a lab where they were identified, and NCBI and EPT metrics were calculated.

What we found in our study on Candy Creek is that benthic communities are sensitive to disturbance and require time to reestablish themselves within our streams as the habitats stabilize and the fine sediments flush out following construction. The NCBI and EPT metrics show that Candy Creek had an immediate decline post-construction, followed by gradual improvement through the closeout phase as the ecosystem reacclimated. At the closeout phase of the project, most streams had an NCBI rating of Good to Excellent and an EPT rating of Fair. While there is still room for improvement for sensitive EPT species, the overall quality of bugs in the streams is improving. Stream restoration and environmental conservation are ever-evolving processes, and our biological monitoring program is one way Wildlands works to keep our restoration projects informed, innovative, and beneficial.

July 25, 2025 In Our Projects

Reconnecting Water & Community in the Heart of Asheville after Helene

The Asheville-Buncombe (A-B) Tech Stream Restoration project has finished construction! Wildlands worked with RiverLink and A-B Tech Community College to complete this project, which was identified as part of the Central Asheville Watershed Plan in 2019. It restored 1600 LF of Haith Branch and 530 LF of an unnamed ephemeral gully (named Haith Gulley for the project). Both the stream and gulley were severely eroding, with headcutting and lateral scour contributing to excessive sediment and silting of aquatic habitat within the reach and into the French Broad River 400 LF downstream.

Haith Branch and Haith Gulley are headwater tributaries to the French Broad River, draining the A-B Technical Community College (A-B Tech) Asheville Campus and adjacent residential areas. Wildlands helped prepare technical grant information, and design work began in 2023 with the procurement of that grant funding, awarded from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) and the Pigeon River Fund.

Wildlands began by collecting existing conditions data, analyzing the 2017 LiDAR as well as recent topographical surveys, which were taken by AB Tech’s own surveying class. This data allowed Wildlands to selectively restore specific areas along Haith Branch that had one or more impairments. Some of these impairments included lack of instream habitat, severe bank erosion or tight meanders, incised sections lacking regular floodplain access, and areas where erosion was actively damaging existing sewer line or water line infrastructure.

Wildlands procured necessary permits, including 401/404 and erosion control, prior to beginning construction in the fall 2024, about three months after Hurricane Helene. The hurricane resulted in approximately 20 fallen trees needing removal throughout the work area, the blow out of an earthen dam and culvert at the top of the project that was originally not part of the project, and the necessary restoration of several additional areas of Haith Branch, which were significantly eroded by the storm flows. In the wake of the hurricane, Wildlands adapted our design plans to better meet the needs of the site and of the community.

Construction began earlier than anticipated to expedite recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. Through this project, we were able to provide work for the contractor, Baker Grading, when most projects were at a standstill due to the hurricane recovery. A local surveyor was also utilized to provide grade control for the GPS model that Baker utilized.

The original design minimized grading to reduce the number of trees required to be cut down, which was a request of the community college and the residential neighbors of the stream. However, after Helene wiped through WNC, approximately 20 additional trees had fallen within the project area. All trees cut and fallen were utilized to provide grade control in the form of log drops, a log sill, steep embankment toe protection, wetland habitat, and floodplain and vernal pool large woody debris functioning as habitat and reducing the velocity of overland flow before entering “Haith Gulley” and subsequently Haith Branch.

Following Hurricane Helene, construction of the AB Tech Stream Restoration Project has provided an opportunity to bring together—and show support for—our Asheville community. Before construction, community members often walked with their children, pets, or fellow neighbors along the stream corridor and the walking trail. The project amended the existing walking trail, which now crosses the earthen embankment of the newly constructed vernal pool. These new trails allow for views of the step pool gulley restoration and have expanded the recreational area available to the public for enjoyment. RiverLink is in the process of procuring an educational sign to place along the trail explaining the restoration and its importance. The AB Tech surveying class has already been able to get back out into the area, and the project continues to bring new opportunities for the Asheville community.

🌿2025 ECOSTREAM CONFERENCE🌿
If you’re attending the conference, join us for a field tour of this site on August 14, 2025!

July 22, 2024 In Our Projects

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Shulls Mill Dam Removal and Watauga River Restoration

The Shulls Mill Dam Removal is complete! Wildlands worked with MountainTrue, American Rivers, and the Wildlife Resources Commission to complete design, permitting, construction oversight, and post-construction activities for this exciting aquatic connectivity project, which opened up over 84 miles along the Watauga River in Western North Carolina. The partially breached concrete dam, which dates back to 1910, was removed between June 27 and July 10th by the US Fish & Wildlife Service Aquatic Restoration Team, who contributed funding and in-kind construction services to execute the removal. Appalachian State University assisted in relocating Hellbenders before the removal (check out this great article published by WFAE about the relocating process of the Hellbenders found onsite – CLICK HERE). They also assisted with fish and crawdad rescue during the removal process.

The removal process involved planning for the relocation of sand, gravel, and fine sediment that could adversely impact downstream habitat. In addition, a severely eroding bank with invasive plants was restored to a stable condition to allow for native revegetation. Kee Mapping & Surveying and Appalachian Landslide Consultants assisted with mapping and geologic interpretation using LiDAR and test pit sampling. The data collected was used by Wildlands Engineering (Wildlands) to prepare dam removal and river restoration sequencing and to design the new alignment of the restored river channel to address erosion and sedimentation and to promote long-term stability and habitat quality in the reach. Wildlands collaborated with Ecoforesters to treat invasive Japanese knotweed on the site. In order to permit the project, Wildlands Engineering prepared floodplain, erosion and sediment control, trout buffer waiver, NCDOT, and 404/401 permits. These efforts were supported by a stakeholder engagement process led by Wildlands to gather input from regulatory and resource agencies and determine an approach that would protect downstream habitat from the impounded sediment behind the dam, among other regulatory requirements.

A huge thanks to Wildlands Construction, which helped with test pit sampling, tree clearing in the winter to avoid impacts on bats, and construction phase assistance with traffic control, temporary crossings, and other materials management to make this project successful!

Similarly to the previously completed Ward’s Mill Dam Removal Project that Wildlands also completed in 2021, the Shulls Mill Dam Removal will have beneficial impacts for years to come. The endangered hellbender will be able to travel upstream of the dam, along with fish and mussels. The Watauga River is also a recreational centerpiece of the high country, where flyfishing, kayaking, swimming, and tubing are popular activities. Removing the dam will allow safe passage for recreational users without the drowning hazard caused by the retentive hydraulic created by low-head dams. After the removal, approximately 400 feet of the stream was restored, and native vegetation was planted (following the treatment of invasive species), providing valuable habitat and food for local animals.

This project has received significant attention for its impactful outcomes, earning the distinction of being featured in a National Geographic article!