Dale’s Creek
Project Details
DIVISION
Environmental Construction
CLIENT
KCI Associates of NC
LOCATION
French Broad River Basin, Leicester, North Carolina
START DATE
February 2022
COMPLETION DATE
April 2022
SERVICES
• Excavation
• Established floodplain
• Stream Restoration
• Constructed steep riffle systems
PROJECT VALUE
$270,000
For the Dale’s Creek project, Chatham Civil Contracting, LLC worked as a subcontractor to KCI Associates of NC to complete the construction portion of this full-delivery stream mitigation project for the North Carolina Division of Mitigation Services. The project, located in Leicester North Carolina, in the French Broad River Basin, aimed to restore and enhance nearly 4000 linear feet of stream habitat.
Although the area’s remote, mountainous location made logistics challenging, Chatham Civil’s collective stream restoration experience allowed the company to meticulously construct the project’s steep riffle systems; on an average having a 15-20% fall in some areas. This detail-oriented construction included the first iteration of KCI’s “Cascade Riffle” grade control structure. The Cascade Riffle consists of reinforced banks with a series of larger cobble steps for grade protection; intermingled with smaller stones between the steps.
The deeply incised nature of the existing channels required a lot of excavation to establish a floodplain; leading to a great net excess of dirt material. Chatham Civil worked closely with the landowner and renters to effectively waste the dirt on-site, outside of the conservation easement, to provide utility to the land, as well as a great cost-savings to KCI.
Although project permits came late in the year 2021, Chatham Civil was able to move quickly on the project, then completed the work prior to the end of Winter in early March 2022; allowing the vegetation to be planted within that season, and preventing KCI from having to go another year without protective vegetation. The improvements have held up to a number of serious storm events since its completion; including Hurricane Helene among others.