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By Judy Althaus
On a Conservancy preserve in the Florida panhandle, a rare Steephead stream called Kelley Branch once again flows freely.
Little trees are planted near the nettings that wrap its banks like a mummy. New native vegetation pops up. A scientist takes inventory of the stream’s fish, crayfish and insects and smiles.
This is the site of the one of the few dam removal projects in Florida!
The Kelley Branch project is a remarkable example of successful restoration among freshwater environments – among the Earth’s most endangered, least protected of natural systems.
“Kelley Branch proved that streams can recover quickly when dams are removed,” said Director of Freshwater Conservation Steve Herrington, who led the Conservancy team.
“It’s like opening a door at a rock concert. Nature can flush both upstream and downstream.”
Flowing through the Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, the stream is a tributary of the Apalachicola River – Florida’s largest river, and one of the largest in the United States. Only one year after its restoration, the Conservancy and our agency partners marvel at Kelley Branch’s dramatic revival.
For the first time in 50 years, this tributary is fully alive.
Out, dammed spot!
Previous landowners had installed a 12-foot tall earthen dam, resulting in a 20-acre recreational reservoir that inundated former ravines. Along with a culvert and dirt-fill road, it significantly damaged this extraordinary property.
The Conservancy designed and engineered a fastidious restoration plan, and is now carefully monitoring progress. See a slideshow.
Steephead Streams
Steephead streams and ravines are among the rarest of freshwater habitats, and those at Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve are of extremely high quality. Clear, cool streams seep up through deep sandy soils, forming steep-walled, amphitheater-shaped headwaters that provide a unique microclimate for rare plants and animals.
Most steephead streams exist in Florida, although similar systems may be present in Georgia and other nearby states. The Kelley Branch project provides one of the few science-based steephead assessments.
Based on the success of the Kelley Branch model, the Conservancy proposes to remove dams at other Florida steephead stream sites including the Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park. Federally threatened species such as the federally endangered Okaloosa darter are expected to benefit at that park after waters once again flow naturally.
Hundreds of Florida’s streams are blocked by thousands of dams and culverts – many of which no longer serve a purpose. These structures fundamentally change water and sediment patterns. Fish and other aquatic wildlife simply can’t get around, over or through them to complete their life cycles. Dams affect freshwater habitats both upstream and downstream, including nearby plant communities.
Why Should We Care?
Obviously, rivers aren’t just for fish. But a fish community is considered the primary indicator of a river’s health.
The water people drink and use to grow food is all drawn from increasingly threatened freshwater resources. It is estimated that within 25 years, half the world’s population could have difficulty finding freshwater for drinking and crops. Many rivers – in Florida and around the world – have been altered to support human needs, and dams and culverts create significant damage.
Climate change presents another serious challenge to rivers. Scientists expect changing water patterns to include larger storms, and longer droughts followed by flooding. The seasonal pattern of rainfall may also be affected. Learn more about what the Conservancy is doing to combat climate change in Florida and around the world.
One Conservancy goal is to improve a river’s resiliency, or its ability to absorb change and persist over time. When rivers stay whole and connected, and stressors are reduced, they remain stronger and more able to adapt normally to the changes that flow their way.
Florida’s freshwater systems are under siege, and the Conservancy is a leader in the fight to protect them for people and nature. It all boils down to this: Our survival may depend upon it.
*Conservancy scientists expect to publish a full report of the Kelley Branch dam removal and restoration in 2010.
Judy Althaus is a conservation writer for The Nature Conservancy in Florida.
**This restoration project was completed with funding and support from the Conservancy's conservation partners. The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided funding for biological surveys and the development of the technical restoration plans, while the The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission provided substantial funding for the on-the-ground restoration and continued project management.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Michael Hill/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Aerial restored Kelley Branch stream); Photo © The Nature Conservancy (Revived Kelley Branch stream) Photo © TNC (1980 aerial of Kelley Branch Dam).
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