A Western North Carolina environmental organization wants the state to upgrade a section of the Tuckasegee River’s water quality designation.

The board of directors of the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River (WATR) agreed to draft a letter to the North Carolina Division of Water Quality asking the agency to change the classification of a stretch of the river from C to B trout waters. The group wants to protect the water quality of the Tuckasegee river from the Dillsboro Dam to Bryson City.

Mike Bolt, water quality specialist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and chair of WATR’s River Monitoring Action Group, told the board he felt certain the Tuckasegee met the standards for the upgrade. He said the river received the “C” rating back in the 70s when there was a much higher industrial discharge.

He noted the endangered Appalachian elk-toe mussel once found only below the dam at Dillsboro can now be found as far downstream as Governor’s Island. Elk-toes and other fresh water mussels are indicators of good water quality.

Callie Dobson, basin planner for the state DWQ, said the class C rating means the state considers the river clean enough for “secondary” recreational purposes such as boating, fishing, and wading. The class “B” designation means the water is clean enough for swimming. Dobson agreed with Bolt that the river likely will meet class B requirements.

“We monitor the Tuckasegee, and it is meeting those standards now,” she said.

She said upgrading to B would mean any new construction along the river would have to be permitted by the Division of Land Resources and erosion control methods applied during construction.

Reclassification is a two-year project. Bolt told board members now was a good time to apply for reclassification because Duke Power was going to begin testing for their federal relicensing project and the state would be able to use that data to substantiate water quality.

“If we wait, we would be passing up a great opportunity to access a lot of free field work,” Bolt said.
David Monteith, WATR board member and Swain County commissioner, said Swain County commissioners and Fontana Lake Users Association supported the effort. He noted Swain County was reticent until it learned what impact the new classification would have on fishermen using the river. He said he had spoken with Scott Loftin of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and was assured the class B designation would not change current practices regarding fishing licenses in the county.

The board approved, with minor changes, a draft letter presented by Bolt and agreed to send it to the state petitioning for the change.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News