Mills River Partnership Inc

MILLS RIVER WATERSHED, FOSTER CREEK RESTORATION

NOFO F22AS00095CFDA 15 631APPLIANT NAME MILLS RIVER PARTNERSHIPTITLE MILLS RIVER PARK STREAT AND ENHANCEMENT AND POLLLUTANT REDUCTIONPROJECT ABSTRACT THE MILLS RIVER PARK PROPERTY WAS HISTORICALLY USED FOR FARMING BOTTOMLAND IS SCARCE AND VALUABLE IN THE MOUNTAINS, SO IT WAS COMMON PRACTICE TO RELOCATE STREAMS INTO STRAIGHT DITCHES AND MOVE THEM TO ONE SIDE OF THE FIELD OR PROPERTY THAT IS THE CASE WITH TWO STREAMS AT THE PARK THE BENTHOS IS GREATLY DEGRADED DUE TO CONSTANT RUNOFF FROM AN ADJACENT DAIRY AND THE OTHER STREAM IS INUNDATED WITH SEDIMENT FROM A POORLY MAINTAINED PUBLIC GRAVEL ROAD THE STREAMS CONVERGE NEAR THE MILLS RIVER ON THE SE CORNER OF THE PARK PROPERTY AND RUN DIRECTLY INTO THE MILLS RIVER A 100 FEET AWAY THE MILLS RIVER IS A DRINKING WATER SOURCE FOR HENDERSONVILLE AND ASHEVILLE AND THIS PROJECT IS A HALF MILE UPSTREAM OF A WATER PLANT INTAKE SEDIMENT AND FECAL COLIFORM ARE CONCERNS FOR THE WATER PLANT THERE ARE SEVERAL SPECIES OF CRITICAL CONCERN IN THE MILLS RIVER WITH KNOWN LOCATION RECORDS NEAR THE CONFLUENCE WITH THIS UNNAMED STREAM SLIPPER SHELL MUSSELS AND HELLBENDER SALAMANDERS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THAT STRETCH OF RIVER, AS WELL AS THE ENDANGERED APPALACHIAN ELK TOE MUSSEL ELIMINATING SEDIMENT LOADING TO THE MILLS RIVER WILL IMPROVE HABITAT FOR THESE SPECIES MILLS RIVER IS FAMOUS FOR DIVERSE BIRD SPECIES AND THE AREA IS A STOPOVER FOR MANY MIGRATING BIRDS THE GREY BAT ROOSTS IN TREES ALONG THE RIVER THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE FOOD FOR THE BATS BY INCREASING HEALTHY HABITAT MEANDERING THE STREAMS AND RETURNING THEM TO THEIR NATURAL STATE WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HABITAT BY INCREASING THE FOOTPRINT OF THE STREAM AND RIPARIAN AREAS ADDING NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS WILL PROVIDE FOOD AND SHELTER TO POLLINATORS, BIRDS AND MACROINVERTEBRATES IN THE STREAMS SLOPING THE BANKS OF THE STREAM AND ADDING NATURAL BENDS WILL REDUCE SHEER STRESS DURING HEAVY RAIN EVENTS LESS SHEER STRESS WILL IMPROVE BENTHIC SPECIES OVERALL BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT JUST WASH AWAY WITH EVERY STORM USING NATURAL CHANNEL DESIGN ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES, THE STREAMS WILL BE RESTORED TO A MORE NATURAL STATE, WITH POOLS AND RIFFLES ADDING ADDITIONAL NICHE HABITAT FOR SMALL FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATES THERE MAY BE POTENTIAL TO MOVE THE SOUTH STREAM AWAY FROM THE ROAD DURING RESTORATION, GREATLY REDUCING SEDIMENT NATIVE PLANT SPECIES WILL INCLUDE ELDERBERRY, NINEBARK, SILKY DOGWOOD, RIVER BIRCH, MAPLE, SYCAMORE, SPICEBUSH, ECHINACEA, RIVER CANE, JUNCUS AND MANY OTHER WATER LOVING NATIVE PLANTS THAT CAN STABILIZE THE STREAM BANKS, REDUCE EROSION AND SHADE THE STREAMS MILLS RIVER HAS LOST SO MANY HEMLOCK TREES IN RECENT YEARS, THE WATER TEMPERATURE IS INCREASING AND STRESSING AQUATIC SPECIES SHADING THESE SMALL TRIBUTARIES WILL BE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FOR MAINTAIN COOL RIVER TEMPS THAT SO MANY SPECIES REQUIRE THIS RESTORATION WILL TURN THE DITCH INTO AN AESTHETICALLY PLEASING NATURAL FEATURE FOR PARK VISITORS FURTHERMORE, IT WILL OFFER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLASSES TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT WATER QUALITY AND AQUATIC SPECIES THE PARK INTENDS TO ADD AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR SOON AND WILL UTILIZE THE STREAM AS AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM ADDITIONALLY, MILLS RIVER PARTNERSHIP AND LOCAL TEACHERS WILL NOW HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES AND VOLUNTEER DAYS AT THE PARK WE WILL LEAD VOLUNTEERS IN PLANTING LIVE STAKES ALONG THE STREAM BANKS A FEW YEARS AFTER CONSTRUCTION, WE WILL HOST VOLUNTEER INVASIVE REMOVAL WORKSHOPS ALL THESE VOLUNTEER DAYS HELP TO MAINTAIN THE PROJECT AND ALSO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL AND NON PROFIT ENTITIES, MAKES THIS AN IDEAL PROJECT THAT WILL HAVE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FOR THE COMMUNITY THE COST OF THE PROJECT WILL BE SHARED BETWEEN LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND MILLS RIVER PARTNERSHIP