cape fear river partnership
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The Cape Fear River Partnership and Update on Lock and Dams 2 and 3
A Model for Holistic Restoration of Migratory FishDawn York, Coordinator and Environmental Lead
Jeff Crump, Water Resource Engineer and Modeling LeadMark Pirrello, Senior Lead Design Engineer
Upper Cape Fear River Basin Association, July 28, 2020
Why was the Cape Fear River Basin Chosen? Diverse habitat problems and needs (coastal to freshwater) Momentum of fish passage at Lock and Dam 1 Presence and status of protected and managed species Active partners interested in restoration of migratory fish Numerous opportunities to improve migratory fish habitat and protect from future threats
Mission: Restore and demonstrate the value of robust, productive, and self-sustaining stocks of migratory fish in the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River Partners• More than 35 partners and stakeholders, including federal and
state resource agencies, local government, public utility authorities, academia, for-profit and non-profit organizations
The Cape Fear River BasinAction Plan Goals
Goal 1: Restore access to historic migratory fish habitat Goal 2: Improve habitat conditions for migratory fish within the Cape Fear River
basin Goal 3: Engage new stakeholders and increase interest in improving fish passage
and habitat conditions through communication of socioeconomic valuesassociated with such improvements
Cape Fear River Partnership Committees
Dawn York, Coordinator
Fish Passage
Water Quality
Socioeconomic
Habitat
Fish Passage – Jeremy McCargo, NCWRC and Fritz Rohde, NOAA Fisheries
*Dam Removal Subgroup – Kat Hoenke, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership
Water Quality – Dr. Mike Mallin, UNCW, Dr. Larry Cahoon, UNCW and Madi Polera, NC State University
Socioeconomic – Dr. Pete Schuhmann, UNCW
Habitat – Fred Tarver, NCDEQ and Julie DeMeester, The Nature Conservancy
Accomplishments of the Partnership Implementation of Cape Fear River Basin Action Plan (2013 – present) Cape Fear River Fisheries Enhancement Project (2013-2014) - $95,000 (SARP/NOAA RC) Fund Partnership Coordinator position (2015-2020) - $12,000/year (FWS/NOAA/TNC) National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Resiliency Study (2016) - $100,000 Acquire funding for Fish Passage Projects at Lock and Dams 1/2/3 - $4 Million Technical Support for Fish Passage Design at Lock and Dams 1/2/3 Engage New and Existing Partners in the Cape Fear River Basin (over 35 Partners) Coordinate New Projects to Meet Partnership Goals Develop a 5-Year Implementation Plan Create a Partnership Website and GIS-Online Tool for
Priority Restoration Planning Partner Data Sharing across the Watershed
Partnership Priorities Prioritize Action Plan goals and targets and finalize Implementation Plan
(ongoing)
Support partners to fund, design and implement projects aligned with Partnership goals
Develop a visualization tool for anadromous fish tracking and stakeholder engagement
Seek funding for construction of fish passage at Lock and Dam 2 and 3
Engage new stakeholders across the basin through collaboration and sharing resources (www.capefearriverpartnership.com)
Provide Input into the Outcomes of the USACE Section 216 Disposition Study
Resiliency Planning Efforts
67 prospective resiliency projects were identified and evaluated
Types of projects include 32 habitat restoration projects, 12 habitat conservation (land acquisition) projects, 13 grey infrastructure (dam removal) projects and 5 resiliency planning projects
Project list used as a prioritization tool for implementation and funding
Upper Cape Fear River Basin had limited projects identified
Barriers in the Cape Fear River BasinOver 1,500 barriers in the basin
GIS assessment of existing barriers to determine feasibility of removal
Dam removal training conducted by American Rivers in 2018
Example: Removing two dams on the Little River on Fort Bragg toopen 134 miles of river habitat
The Cape Fear River Action Plan identified Lock and Dams 2 and 3 as a high priority and critical for the recovery of endangered and federally-managed species and the Cape Fear ecosystem
Restoring Access to Historic Migratory Fish Habitat in the Cape Fear River Basin Proposes a comprehensive watershed-based strategy to improve the resilience of anadromous fish
populations through the construction of natural rock rapids fishways at both Lock and Dams 2 and 3
Provide free flowing access to historic spawning grounds, without compromising congressionallyauthorized purposes of navigation or affecting water supply users with intakes upstream of each the dams
Bladen County is the lead governmental entity and has been awarded the following funds: NC Port of Wilmington - $750,000 NC Division of Water Resources - $1.59 M National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Duke Energy Settlement) - $840,000
Retrofit Lock and Dams for Fish Passage• 12-foot differential between upstream and downstream• Create series of stepped weirs and pools to allow fish passage
• Atlantic Sturgeon• Shortnose Sturgeon• American Shad• River Herring• Striped Bass
Project Requirements• Maintain upstream water
surface levels• Advanced CFD modeling
to determine velocities
Existing Lock and Dam 3
Lock and Dam 3 Rock Weir Fishway
Lock and Dam 3 Rock Weir Fishway
Lock and Dam 3 Rock Weir Fishway
Proposed Rock Weir Fishway
Lock and Dam 1
Project Benefits• Allows for recovery of
native and historic fish populations
• Improves biodiversity
Contact InformationDawn York – [email protected]
Jeff Crump – [email protected] Pirrello – [email protected]