Stream Repair Workshop at SAHC’s Jenkins Branch Farm
Streambank repair helps protect water quality, stabilizes land, and benefits wildlife as well as people. However, folks interested in helping improve or restore stream banks often don’t know where to start.
In a hands-on workshop at SAHC’s Jenkins Branch Farm in Alexander, NC, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Riverlink recently partnered to share information and practical experience in a streambank repair workshop with live stake planting.
Getting Started
SAHC Community Farm Manager Chris Link joined with Riverlink Watershed Specialist Eli Smith and AmeriCorps Watershed Coordinator Chloe Green on a brisk but bright late January afternoon, along with approximately 20 participants. RiverLink’s Watershed Resources program works to improve water quality in the French Broad River and its tributaries.
An informative ‘class’ session shared resources with neighbors, landowners, and representatives from a variety of other organizations – many of whom expressed an interest in participating so they could bring information back to their own neighborhoods and colleagues.
“We spent about an hour in the ‘class’ portion of the workshop, demonstrating live stake cuttings and providing instructions about how to prepare the site, what plants to use, how far off the stream to plant, management steps going forward, and so on,” explained Chris. From the SAHC Community Farm, just around the corner, Chris had selected cuttings of cottonwood, willow, and elderberry to use in the live stake planting. The Riverlink staff brought ready-to-plant elderberry, buttonbush, and silky dogwood.
“A lot of people were interested in what kind of plants to use and curious about what native plants exist in the area,” said Chris. “Some people were already working on invasive plant species removal, and we had a lot of questions about native and invasive plant species.”
Following the instructional portion of the workshop, participants spread out along a section of Jenkins Branch to put their new knowledge into practice. With the ground still partially frozen, they used mallets and rebar stakes to pierce small holes in the bank. The group planted hundreds of live stake plants within a short period of time.
“It’s great to see people excited about using their hands,” said Chris. “You could tell that the experience left folks feeling confident and enlivened. This kind of workshop – seeing and engaging learning with a hands-on component – helps bring the content home. People left feeling empowered to do this work on their own and share with others.”
About the Farm
During the workshop, Chris shared a little about the history of the farm and the restoration project happening here. SAHC purchased the 99-acre farm on Jenkins Branch in 2020, permanently preserving the land for agricultural use, scenic beauty, habitat and open space. The farm rises to a beautiful, open knoll with 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape all the way to the Walnut Mountains and Black Mountains. For more than 100 years, this land served as a working family farm and cattle pasture. It sits less than 3,000 ft. from the French Broad River and contains fertile, important agricultural soils.
Previously, access to this side of the farm had to cross through Jenkins Branch, a tributary of the French Broad River. Thanks to funding from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, SAHC has been able to install a permanent span bridge over the creek, improving access on the farm.
“Now, we are managing invasive plant species along the stream and better able to conduct erosion control and other land management projects on the property,” explained Chris. “This stream repair workshop will help further management goals for the land.”
Expanding the Impact
“Among participants, this workshop sparked a lot of conversation about how to shift traditional thoughts around managing lawns and erosion,” added Chris. “People were excited about bringing info to their communities and neighbors. Plus, leaders and land managers from other organizations – including the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Forest Service, and Asheville Greenworks – came to learn, so there’s potential for an exponential growth of information and ideas from this small project gathering.”
Through their “Adopt a Stream” and Watershed Health programs, Riverlink hosts stream repair workshops across the region and shares a variety of supporting and informative resources.
For more info and resources, visit: https://riverlink.org/work/adopt-a-stream/
Enjoying the View
As a celebratory and fun way to end the afternoon, workshop participants enjoyed a guided hike to the top of the property. The group savored lovely views while Chris shared more about the history of the land, and an inquisitive herd of horses approached. Wes Buckner and Cheyenne Cearly of WC Performance Horses & Cattle Co, participants in the Farm Incubator Program at the SAHC Community Farm, currently graze horses on the land to keep the pasture open.
“This was definitely a fun experience,” shared Erin Goodpaster, SAHC’s Outreach Program Manager. “The workshop participants who had never done ground staking before said it was much easier than they thought it was going to be, and they felt encouraged to go back and do it in their own neighborhoods. Several folks said they would like to come back in the future and see how the project area progresses. And, the hike was a wonderful way to end the day. It was a quick hike for a rewarding view!”
