Partners for Trout Protects and Restores Rare South Carolina Waters By Amy O. Maxwell, USDA-NRCS

South Carolina attracts millions of visitors each year that flock to the state to enjoy an abundance of state parks, shopping malls, beaches, and golf courses. But, tourists don’t normally think of South Carolina when it comes to trout fishing. It may be South Carolina’s best kept secret, but trout fishing generates nearly 17 million dollars a year for the state’s economy. Secluded in the uppermost corner of the state, South Carolina’s 250 miles of trout waters occur only north of Highway 11 in the mountain region of the state. Thanks to a powerful coalition of private citizens and federal, state, and local agencies, restoration efforts on the state’s rare trout waters are ensuring the protection and improvement of this precious natural resource. Partners for Trout is comprised of Eastatoee Valley landowners, the Foothills Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D), SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Trout Unlimited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Oconee, Pickens, and Greenville Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD’s), U.S. Forest Service, and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Two sites along the Eastatoee River in Pickens County were targeted for restoration work, with additional sites anticipated in the near future. The Eastatoee Valley is a mountain pass full of swift creeks, flower-laden meadows, and gently rising hills. It is a place rich in history and folklore and was named after an Indian tribe that inhabited the area. The Eastatoee tribe, or the “Green Birds,” was probably named after the Carolina parakeet, the only endemic parrot of North America which became extinct in 1904. The Eastatoee Valley is the last recorded siting of the species.

Although the parakeet is no longer present, this pristine valley is home to many long-time residents who are determined to preserve the natural habitat and wildlife in the area. Landowners involved in the project agreed to generously return streambank areas on their property, from pasture to a natural wood state which will be improved for trout habitat. Restoration efforts include installation of a riparian buffer alongside the stream which provides shade to cool water temperatures to a suitable environment for trout.

“The conditions for supporting a population of trout in the Eastatoee were quickly degrading,” stated USDA-NRCS Wildlife Biologist Jim Lewis. “This restoration work will convert the stream back to the conditions that originally existed in the area and will support a healthy environment for trout,” he concluded. Naturally reproducing trout populations are native to the Eastatoee, and fish management efforts in this area date back to the 1930’s.

“Trout require cold, well oxygenated water and are highly sensitive to excessive silt loads, increased water temperatures and lowered oxygen levels,” stated Dan Rankin, SCDNR fisheries biologist. “Historically, native, self-sustaining trout populations existed in the Eastatoee,” added Rankin. This project is the beginning of long-range efforts to restore trout populations and return the Eastatoee to an environment that protects and provides a haven for trout.

Everyday, about 300 acres in South Carolina are converted to development, ranking the state fourth in the nation on a per capita basis for development, according to Upstate Forever. Nationally, South Carolina (although one of the country’s smallest states) converts more total acreage to development than in 40 other states! Over time, development, agriculture, dam construction, logging, road construction, etc., have degraded the trout-producing habitat.

Foothills RC&D Council Chairman and Eastatoee Valley resident Wes Cooler has been instrumental in organizing the Partners for Trout coalition. “As a resident of the area, a sportsman, and an environmentalist, I knew we had to be proactive in order to protect and preserve the trout waters of the Upstate before it was too late,” he said. Water temperatures rose due to loss of tree cover and vegetation alongside the streambank. This resulted in unsuitable living conditions for the trout which meant the trout either died or swam upstream to cooler waters. To provide a quick fix for this problem, bottom water release structures were installed on some of the larger reservoirs. These devices help release cold water back into the receiving stream, thus providing immediate relief of cooler stream temperatures.

The Brook Trout is Eastern North America’s only native trout species. In the earlier centuries, these fish enjoyed the wilderness of the Foothills of South Carolina. But, mechanized logging ushered in a frenzy of development in these quiet mountain hideaways and brook trout retreated to remote headwaters. Then, with the issuance of state boundary lines, South Carolina lost much of its mountain territory and trout streams to North Carolina and Georgia.

Partners for Trout developed a resource plan to accomplish three major objectives—1) conserving, enhancing, and restoring cold-water trout habitat and fish stocks with high priority given to Eastern Brook Trout populations; 2) developing and maintaining increased recreational trout fishing facilities and access and, 3) promoting public education of the value and benefits of SC’s trout fishery and conservation measures that protect it.

Joe Cockrell, USFWS wildlife biologist, has been a major contributor to the project. He emphasizes the long-term, all encompassing impact of the restoration. “This project is referenced as trout stream restoration but it is protecting much more than just trout—it’s a chain of events that will help protect and sustain a number of wildlife species and vegetation that all depend on one another,” he said. Gene Dobbins, NRCS agricultural engineer, is working closely with the contractors during installation of the restoration practices and surveying the work in progress. Lewis, Cockrell, and Dobbins have worked together to ensure that the practices are installed correctly and according to plan.

It all began in September 1997 when Cooler called Foothills RC&D Coordinator David Demarest to come look at the stream running alongside his property. This initial meeting blossomed into the formation of Partners for Trout and the start of a long-term project. “What we are planning and implementing today will secure the future of the state’s trout supply and fishing industry for a long time to come,” explained Demarest. “We can’t expect fast results in a project like this—this isn’t about seeing immediate results.” Installation of structures such as the Cross-Vane and the J-Hook (river restoration practices developed and tested by Professional Hydrologist Dave Rosgen) on the Eastatoee help reduce streambank erosion, facilitate sediment transport, enhance fish habitat, establish grade control, control flooding, and maintain overall river stability. Because of its natural characteristics, the Eastatoee is classified as a stream type that is susceptible to rapid bank erosion.

One practice installed to combat erosion was the Cross-Vane (see figure A), which decreases velocity and stream power, while increasing the energy in the center of the channel. The Cross-Vane is a carefully calculated structure with each rock placed at a specific angle in relation to the current and the bank. The structures were placed at strategic locations along the water body in an effort to centralize the current. “Each structure we installed was placed according to a specific elevation at the point where most of the energy occurred,” said Dobbins. The J-Hook is a gently sloping structure of natural materials located on the outside of stream bends. The structure helps reduce bank erosion by decreasing velocity and stress to the streamside. The hook also creates a pool area that dissipates energy and provides excellent fish habitat.

Other techniques included whole-tree revetments, which uses bundles of cabled trees to stabilize curves within the stream and protect the streambank from excessive erosion. Willow limbs were also planted in hopes of creating live cover along the bank. Root wads stabilize the bank and provide protection for fish and wildlife habitat. “Over time, the restoration work that we have installed will look completely natural and it will be impossible to tell that man altered this natural resource,” explained Dobbins. Lewis emphasized the impact that the riparian buffer will have once installed.

“Tree cover is the real solution to this natural resource concern, because once established, the canopy will naturally lower water temperature, thus increasing dissolved oxygen and providing vegetation and cover for wildlife.” Although the riparian buffer was established in February 2002, its benefits won’t take hold for many years to come. Cockrell said tree plantings will include native species such as sycamore, walnut, red maple, and oaks.