Waynesville Watershed

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, and the State of North Carolina co-hold the conservation easements that permanently protects the 8,040-acre Waynesville watershed. SAHC continues to monitor the conservation easement every year; our stewardship team ensures long-term protection of the land and water resources.

Protection of these resources helps to ensure that high safety standards are met for the drinking water supply of Haywood County and helps preserve a high quality aquatic ecosystem.  The jointly-held easement allows active forest management and is often referred to as the ‘working forest conservation easement.’ The watershed contains the upper drainage of Allen Creek and its tributaries. The property’s primary use is as a municipal water supply for the Town of Waynesville and additional parts of Haywood County.

The Waynesville Watershed is contained within the Great Balsam Mountains/Pisgah Ridge Megasite, a nationally Significant Natural Heritage Area, as designated by the NC Natural Heritage Program. Scenic views of the watershed easement properties are visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway along an approximate 10-mile stretch, between mileposts 429.85 and 439.6.

In the early 1900’s, there was a well-established farming community, known as Quinland, within the watershed. There was a history of timber harvesting within the watershed. The Haywood Lumber and Mining Company cut 13,270,000 board feet from 1945 – 1958, and additional logging events occurred in the 1980s.  Today, the forested watershed has rebounded, with a healthy diversity of plant and animal life. Researchers and local forestry experts have helped create forest management plans, which guide the rejuvenation and health of the forested land.