Cane River Dam Removal and Restoration Project is complete

Wildlands has recently completed work on the Cane River Dam Removal and Restoration Project. The Cane River dam was built in 1908 to generate hydroelectric power for Yancey County. The dam was a reinforced concrete structure measuring approximately 45 feet tall and spanning 245 feet across the valley. The dam and powerhouse were submerged during major floods in 1940 and the mid 1950’s. In the 1970’s, another significant flood caused even more damage and the dam was partially breached to prevent complete collapse. The dam was damaged again during Hurricanes Frances and Ivan in 2004 and remained in an unstable condition until the removal project came to fruition.

Under a design-build contract through Blue Ridge RC&D Council and in coordination with a group of stakeholders that includes the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Wildlands designed and Baker Grading & Landscaping constructed a dam removal and river restoration project for a one-half mile reach of river. The project goals included: removing the dam, powerhouse and much of the accumulated sediment; restoring river dimension, pattern and profile upstream and downstream of the dam; establishing robust riparian buffers; and restoring aquatic organism passage through the project reach. This reach of the Cane River is home to populations of the federally endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel and the Eastern hellbender, a state species of concern. The project design included wood and stone shelter structures and bed form modifications that support the life cycles of these animals and other native species. Construction was completed in October 2016.

Cane River Dam 1916 (1)
bank erosion before-edit
post const lkg downstream-edit
post const lkg upstream-edit

Wildlands Engineering celebrates 10 year anniversary!

“We are excited to reach this substantial milestone in the maturity and growth of our business. After starting the business ten years ago with six dedicated individuals and building upon the vision of excellence, innovation, and comradery, we have continued to add members to our team who value our unique approach to the science and the business of ecosystem restoration. Our pride in what we have built; our business, our projects, and our family, is only surpassed by our enthusiasm about what the future holds for Wildlands.” – Shawn Wilkerson, President of Wildlands

This season, we are grateful as we reflect on a decade of success. The past ten years have been full of developing innovative solutions, opening new offices, and growing our team. Check out the timeline of milestones below.

Click here to download the timeline »

 

The South Ellerbe Stormwater Project Kicks Off

Wildlands is excited to be the lead design engineer and prime consultant for the 9-acre South Ellerbe Stormwater Project in Durham, NC. This project will not only be a wonderful community amenity, but it will remove up to 1000 pounds of nitrogen each year from Falls Lake. Watch the above video or CLICK HERE to learn more about the project.

Follow this project’s progress on the City of Durham’s project website: http://durhamnc.gov/1616

Wildlands Engineering named a top employer in North Carolina!

Wildlands Engineering was recently named as one of the 2017 Best Employers in North Carolina by Business North Carolina, NC SHRM and Best Companies Group.

This awards program was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best employers in North Carolina, benefiting the economy, workforce, and businesses in the state of North Carolina. The list is made up of 35 companies.

The process for selecting the 2017 Best Employers in North Carolina included two parts. The first part is an evaluation of each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data, and determined the final rankings.

Wildlands is honored to be recognized alongside such great North Carolina companies! To view the complete list of top companies, click here.

 

NC top employer, Environmental Engineering

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