When Helene washed out Lake Craig Dam in Asheville two years ago, the damage opened the door for two species of native freshwater fish to repopulate part of the Swannanoa River.
For the first time since the dam’s construction more than a century ago, smallmouth bass and russet darters were discovered upriver from the dam. NC Wildlife Resources Commission and Warren Wilson College monitoring surveys spotted the fish in areas of the Swannanoa River above the dam.
Lake Craig Dam, and others like it, are known to create barriers to aquatic species. Dams can prevent species from repopulating areas impacted by pollution or significant weather events. This dam has been a known barrier for at least six fish species monitored by NCWRC…