PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST – Tropical Storm Helene’s floodwaters had vast impacts on native Western North Carolina wildlife like hellbenders and caused environmental damage the region “not seen yet in recorded history.” But, the storm also impacted another important economic and environmental resource in the water: trout.
Since 2014, trout fishing in North Carolina’s mountains has grown into an industry with an estimated impact of nearly $1.4 billion. In a 2023 report on Public Mountain Trout Waters , the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission reported that nearly 370,000 people visit the region for fishing and that the most common complaint received by the commission is that “there are not enough trout in the streams.”
Helene knocked out at least two hatcheries that help resupply trout in WNC’s mountain streams. In total, an estimated 600,000 fish were lost when floodwaters breached the water supply to the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery on Sept. 27. On the Qualla Boundary, floodwaters wiped out an estimated 30,000 fish that supplied local streams .