Debris removal to begin at Asheville's North Fork watershed: What to know
Debris removal to begin at Asheville’s North Fork watershed: What to know
Drone footage: Biltmore Village one year after Helene
Drone footage shows Asheville’s Historic Biltmore Village one year after Helene, where recovery and rebuilding efforts are still underway.
ASHEVILLE – The city will soon begin storm debris removal operations in the waterways and roads surrounding the North Fork Water Treatment Plant, which is fed by the 5.8 billion-gallon Burnett Reservoir, according to a Sept. 29 news release.
Work will start “within the next few weeks.”
The watershed had severe impacts from Tropical Storm Helene last September, which knocked out Asheville’s water system, leaving its 160,000 customers without potable water for seven weeks.
But even once service returned, city staff cautioned that the system was left more vulnerable to future storms.
Debris removal will help maintain water flow, prevent flooding and protect infrastructure. It will also reduce the risk of wildfire damage, the city release said.
“Storm debris removal will lessen the sediment yield in the watershed and reduce our overall vulnerability. We’re grateful that work is starting,” Water Resources Department spokesperson Clay Chandler said via email Sept. 29.
Contractors will work daily during daylight hours. People can expect increased truck traffic on the roads to North Fork, which sits near Black Mountain, surrounded by forests, bounded to the north by the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Pending permitting from the state, debris will be processed on site, then hauled to a final disposal facility. Operations will be monitored for safety and environmental protection, with care taken to protect healthy vegetation and wildlife, according to the city’s project page.
“It is important to note that this work is not being done because the dam is unsafe,” the release said.
‘Significant’ tree canopy loss
A June report from Greensboro-based Schnabel Engineering found that Helene caused “significant” loss in tree canopy in the watersheds, resulting in increased sediment delivery and requiring a pretreatment system at both North Fork and William DeBruhl water treatment plants.
In July, the city approved two multimillion-dollar contracts to sustain operations of a temporary water pretreatment system installed after the storm by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, described as a “needed redundancy” if turbidity spikes again in the city’s reservoirs.
The systems will remain in place at both water plants at least until Sept. 30. The department continues to negotiate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding that would keep them there as long as possible, Chandler said.
The city is working toward eventual installation of a permanent solution — a $150 million to $200 million project and a buildout that could take up to five years.
Overall, the report estimated that North Fork watershed experienced an approximately 15% loss in tree cover, while Bee Tree experienced an about 35% loss. The loss has led to an increased “sediment yield” for both. As vegetation begins to regenerate, that will decline from post-Helene levels, but the area will remain vulnerable to erosion until full canopy cover is restored, it said.
Other water recovery projects
There are nine ongoing city projects related to the water system’s recovery and increased resiliency, according to the project page:
- Fusegate repair at North Fork.
- Debris removal.
- A temporary pretreatment solution to reduce turbidity of raw water before it enters the filters, intended to serve as a redundancy for both plants.
- Road and bridge repair at North Fork and William DeBruhl.
- Minor repairs at the Mills River Water Treatment Plant.
- Repairs at Bee Tree Dam and spillway.
- A permanent pretreatment solution that will install plate settler and sediment basins at North Fork and DeBruhl allowing each plant’s filters to treat especially turbid water.
- An alternate bypass water line to supplement the existing bypass that washed out during Helene.
- The location of a fourth water treatment plant in the western service area to draw water from the French Broad River.
Learn more at https://publicinput.com/waterrecoveryprojects.
More: Asheville’s North Fork Water Treatment Plant; What happened to the ‘pristine’ reservoir?
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Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.