Hardin Creek is a headwater stream in the New River watershed within the town of Boone. The stream has experienced significant impacts from growing impervious cover (roads, parking lots, rooftops, and other surfaces that prevent rain from soaking into the ground). Every time it rains, “flashy” urban runoff erodes the stream bed and stream banks, leading to highly unstable stream habitat and sending tons of sediment downstream into the South Fork of the New River. Critters of Hardin Creek (i.e. aquatic insects, crayfish, molluscs, etc.) reflect the degraded conditions–upstream of the urban runoff there is a diverse and abundant community of aquatic life whereas downstream only a few highly tolerant insects persist.
Hardin Creek is a classic example of “urban stream syndrome.” Urban stream syndrome describes the consistently observed ecological degradation of streams draining urban land. Symptoms of the urban stream syndrome include an increased flow of water, elevated concentrations of nutrients and contaminants, and altered or eroded channels. This has led to threatening conditions for Town of Boone’s sewer mains and the integrity of the Greenway Trail. The Town of Boone and its partners have been looking to remedy this erosion and degradation since 2014.
The most obvious hydrologic changes that come with urbanization are the engineering of stream channels during construction of development. Natural features are replaced with concrete channels that neglect how nature uses riparian buffers to resist that damage of flood waters. Extensive piped storm drainage networks often completely bypass riparian zones, channeling large amounts of water from roads and parking lots directly into streams quickly. As a result of this, urban stream channels feature downcutting along their banks. We have all seen this phenomenon where the grassy strip overhangs the bank of a creek bed. All the rushing water cuts into the banks, scouring out sediment that has accumulated during agricultural activity and/or residential construction in the watershed. This prevents the creek from getting out of its banks and into the floodplain where floodwaters can slow down, spread out, and soak in.
Additionally, the Boone Greenway and Town of Boone’s sewer lines run through this area. The Greenway runs roughly parallel to the flow of the Creek and the sewer line bisects the project scope closer to the mouth of the creek. This section of pipe is threatened by any movement in the creek. If Hardin Creek erodes any further toward the sewer line, the community is looking at a serious risk of sewage contamination.
The Hardin Creek Project aims to correct this downcutting and restore the natural flow of water by reconnecting this stream to the floodplain giving flood waters a chance to spread out and infiltrate into the floodplain. This will reduce the amount of sediment, pollutants, and trash from entering the river. The floodplain will also aid temperature control by capturing warm, polluted stormwater from impervious surfaces upstream. During winter months, floodplain capture of stormwater will also cut down on the amount of road salt entering the river. New River Conservancy and the contractors we choose to work with believe in the same river restoration philosophy of emulating what nature has already figured out and using native materials to do so.
A partnership between New River Conservancy, the Town of Boone and Watauga County will be restoring 2,500 feet of the lower end of Hardin Creek, beginning at the mouth that enters the South Fork New River. As such, the Boone Greenway Trail, beginning at the entrance of the Greenway Trail at Daniel Boone Drive Extension and ending at the Watauga High School Cross-Country field alongside the river, will be closed beginning on Monday, June 10th, and will reopen in September 2024. No access to the Greenway Trail throughout this portion of the Greenway Trail will be available until the restoration project is complete.
New River Conservancy and the contractors we choose to work with believe in the same river restoration philosophy of emulating what nature has already figured out and using native materials to do so. This site has the potential to become not just a higher quality stream, but also a site for ongoing education of high school students, ASU students, and the larger community about what happens to streams in our communities and how we can best steward them.
According to the Town of Boone, “The Lower Hardin Creek Restoration Project, a significant step towards restoring nature’s balance, aims to stabilize the stream bed, reconnect the stream to its floodway, and enhance habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial animals. This project is not just about the present but also about securing a better future for our environment. A new bridge will be a key feature, spanning the newly created floodway and ensuring the safety of critical infrastructure from flood damage. We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on our community.“
