Greenbrier Creek Restoration in Chatham County

The exclusion of livestock and stabilization of badly eroding banks on this reach of Greenbrier Creek substantially improved water quality just upstream of a municipal water supply reservoir, while also restoring and preserving valuable riparian wildlife habitat.

Biohabitats developed the design for approximately 4,940 feet of stream enhancement (Level I) and over 17 acres of riparian buffer restoration. Additionally, Biohabitats delineated and evaluated approximately 6,300 linear feet of stream and 7.5 acres of wetland that were purchased and conserved by the project. Biohabitats worked with the client to analyze the site and conclude that Enhancement Level I (restoration of dimension and profile) would be preferable on this project, to preserve mature hardwood forest that would have been lost if the stream pattern was changed substantially. Biohabitats was instrumental in accommodating the presence of beavers in the stream design, working with North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NC EEP) to develop and maintain good property owner relationships, proposing an effective control protocol for the invasives on site, working with NC EEP to evaluate the efficacy of implementing Simulated Stream Design on the site and working with the local Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a wet ford stream crossing design to implement on the project.