Bank stabilization planned in Unicoi County

Two bank stabilization projects are being planned for Unicoi County streams.The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, or TDEC, issued contracting company Dreicor Inc. permitting to stabilize part of the streambank along South Indian Creek in Erwin to address erosion issues caused by Hurricane Helene.TDEC is also considering an application from the U.S. Forest Service, or USFS, which says ongoing erosion at North Indian Creek could damage its Unicoi Work Center.The USFS wants to stabilize about 330 feet of eroded streambank along North Indian Creek in the North Zone of the Cherokee National Forest.In its application to TDEC, the USFS says erosion along the bank is progressively heading toward the Unicoi Work Center, risking damage to its parking lot and storage shed.The proposed stabilization involves grading back the streambank and laying down riprap, a layer of stone to shield from erosion. Boulders would also be set in the stream to divert the flow away from the banks and toward the stream's center."One alternative considered was to move the fence back again and continue to allow the stream to migrate naturally," the USFS said in its proposal. "This alternative was rejected due to the need to protect Forest Service Infrastructure."The USFS also considered other options, which it abandoned, because of how much disturbance it said would happen in comparison to the plan it proposed.In its application to TDEC, the USFS said the bank is about 35 feet wide, and can range from a little more than one and a half to three feet deep, according to data collected from a survey of the area.Part of the proposed construction area would include private property, and thus other agreements.The USFS says its proposal "seemed to strike the right balance" between protecting aquatic infrastructure and infrastructure it says will be damaged as the stream continues to erode.In a Sept. 2 email, TDEC requested the USFS contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and United States Fish and Wildlife Service for consultation because of the presence of hellbenders, a type of salamander, in the area. TDEC also requested more information about work that would happen within the stream.The stabilization plans by Dreicor Inc. along the South Indian Creek in Erwin will involve 185 feet of the bank, grading the eroded slope, replanting vegetation and laying down riprap.That stream is about 65 feet wide and one to three feet deep depending on rainfall and the flow of the creek.Dreicor Inc.'s application to TDEC said that Helene's flooding caused significant soil loss, instability and undercutting of the streambank."Our goal is to reinforce this section of the creek to prevent further damage and protect the surrounding property," the application reads.