Volunteers Needed for Additional Restoration:
We need volunteers to help with planning and implementing the following projects:
1- Staining of Stairs, signs for chapter, parking signs, monofilament receptacles, stream cleanups
2- Stream survey including temperature recording throughout the summer
3- Bank restoration planning and canopy cover
4- Publicity for the project and community involvement
1- Staining of Stairs, signs for chapter, parking signs, monofilament receptacles, stream cleanups
2- Stream survey including temperature recording throughout the summer
3- Bank restoration planning and canopy cover
4- Publicity for the project and community involvement
Email us at [email protected] for more information or to volunteer.
Action Plan for Future Restoration and Volunteers:
Click the image to view the action plan.
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Blue Ridge TU Chapter goals are to:
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Mitchell River - Installation of Sediment Boxes, Data Loggers, and Guages
Click here for results of the turbidity testing on the Mitchell River during the summer of 2024.
Blue Ridge Trout Unlimited has installed data loggers, sediment boxes, and gauges in the Mitchell River to monitor sediment deposits and temperature. We are continuing our efforts to ensure the Mitchell can support trout well into the future.
Bob Lassiter and Grier Jones
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Bob Lassiter and Grier Jones
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Jimm Barbery
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Professor Stephen Smith from Wake Forest University
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Mitchell River - BRTU Adds 4 Sets of stairs for better access and to protect banks
Stairs #1 located at 438 River Road
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Stairs #2 located at 622 River Road
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Stairs #3 located on Grover Cockerham Road
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Stairs #4 located on Grover Cockerham Road beyond the gate
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Phase II bank repair photos.
January 2022 our chapter planted a 1000 willow live stakes for bank stabilization as well as 400 trees to provide shade and lower the temperature of the water. This will continue over the next few years. 
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Our continued efforts on the Mitchell River involved planting saplings and vegetation along the banks. These plantings serve two purposes. With the vegetation it is an effort to help control erosion of the banks. The planting of the saplings will provide additional shade for the river which will hopefully bringing the water temp down during the summer. We are also monitoring the temperature of the river through multiple devices along the river.
Mitchell River Phase 1 Project Complete:
For many years locals have enjoyed the beauty and tranquility of the rivers in Surry County while fishing for trout and other species. One of the most prized fishing spots is the Mitchell River in Dobson. Over twenty years ago the North Carolina Wildlife Commission designated a three mile section of the Mitchell from the Kapps Mill north, a Delayed Harvest stream. This designation has enhanced the experience for anglers from around the Foothills region and has become a very popular fishing spot because of its proximity to Winston Salem, Charlotte and Greensboro.
Although a majority of this section of river is privately owned, the landowners have been very generous in providing access to the river and have always practiced strong conservation policies. Bank erosion has always been one of the challenges that concerned the owners and they where looking for ways to stop the destruction of the natural riparian buffer. In the fall of 2018 after hurricane Florence had brought record rainfall to the foothills region, the Kapps Mill dam located at the southern point of the delayed harvest section was destroyed. That caused the water levels from the dam section back for approximately a mile upstream to drop significantly. There was also severe riverbank damage from the flooding. Other damage occurred upstream as well as roadway damage.
The Blue Ridge Trout Unlimited chapter in Winston Salem reached out to the landowners to see if we could help with the recovery. Discussions revolved around the possibility of applying for FEMA funding and other resources that would be available. The Blue Ridge chapter offered up a plan to provide multiple river access staircases at several locations along the riverbank to reduce foot traffic off the banks and control erosion and siltation. After installing access points our chapter would finish by restoring and replanting the banks.
There is wild trout population downstream to the delayed harvest. By reducing and stopping the siltation we hope that they will migrate back upstream.
We started raising funds for the project through our Banquet for several years. We applied for matching funds from NC TU council to help move the restorations quicker and cover a much longer stretch of the stream.
After several months of planning and receiving input from organizations and individuals such as North State Environmental, Dick Everhart and with the assistance of the Pisgah TU chapter providing us with the construction plans from a similar project they had built on the Davidson River we were ready to start. in November of 2019 we started building our first in a series staircases at the primary parking area along River Road on the Mitchell River and completed it in early December. After the construction was finished fishermen immediately starting using the access to river.
Now there is heavy traffic going up and down the stairs. Our plan is to install at least another two to three of these staircases along the river this year to allow fisherman to go in one staircase and come out through another saving the banks from all the foot traffic.
The owners of property along the designated fishery section have allowed fisherman the opportunity to enjoy the river and share the experiences that they have enjoyed for generations. We hope by working with the owners and the fisherman we can make this a better quality stream for many years to come.
Surry County government has applied for FEMA funding for the bank restoration project along the southern section of the delayed harvest section that was severely impacted by Hurricane Florence and that project has recently been approved for funding. Contractors have been selected and the work on the bank restoration project is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2020. We plan on meeting with FEMA and the contractors to insure that our restoration work will not be impacted by their restoration plans.
Although a majority of this section of river is privately owned, the landowners have been very generous in providing access to the river and have always practiced strong conservation policies. Bank erosion has always been one of the challenges that concerned the owners and they where looking for ways to stop the destruction of the natural riparian buffer. In the fall of 2018 after hurricane Florence had brought record rainfall to the foothills region, the Kapps Mill dam located at the southern point of the delayed harvest section was destroyed. That caused the water levels from the dam section back for approximately a mile upstream to drop significantly. There was also severe riverbank damage from the flooding. Other damage occurred upstream as well as roadway damage.
The Blue Ridge Trout Unlimited chapter in Winston Salem reached out to the landowners to see if we could help with the recovery. Discussions revolved around the possibility of applying for FEMA funding and other resources that would be available. The Blue Ridge chapter offered up a plan to provide multiple river access staircases at several locations along the riverbank to reduce foot traffic off the banks and control erosion and siltation. After installing access points our chapter would finish by restoring and replanting the banks.
There is wild trout population downstream to the delayed harvest. By reducing and stopping the siltation we hope that they will migrate back upstream.
We started raising funds for the project through our Banquet for several years. We applied for matching funds from NC TU council to help move the restorations quicker and cover a much longer stretch of the stream.
After several months of planning and receiving input from organizations and individuals such as North State Environmental, Dick Everhart and with the assistance of the Pisgah TU chapter providing us with the construction plans from a similar project they had built on the Davidson River we were ready to start. in November of 2019 we started building our first in a series staircases at the primary parking area along River Road on the Mitchell River and completed it in early December. After the construction was finished fishermen immediately starting using the access to river.
Now there is heavy traffic going up and down the stairs. Our plan is to install at least another two to three of these staircases along the river this year to allow fisherman to go in one staircase and come out through another saving the banks from all the foot traffic.
The owners of property along the designated fishery section have allowed fisherman the opportunity to enjoy the river and share the experiences that they have enjoyed for generations. We hope by working with the owners and the fisherman we can make this a better quality stream for many years to come.
Surry County government has applied for FEMA funding for the bank restoration project along the southern section of the delayed harvest section that was severely impacted by Hurricane Florence and that project has recently been approved for funding. Contractors have been selected and the work on the bank restoration project is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2020. We plan on meeting with FEMA and the contractors to insure that our restoration work will not be impacted by their restoration plans.