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Decidely Diverse
The Roanoke is among the most diverse river systems on the Atlantic Slope. The Conservancy's work provides habitat for: Conservation TargetsMaintaining or restoring these conservation targets will indicate success with the total system and all the plants and animals indigenous to it: |
Thirty years ago, a young ecologist was given the Herculean task of inventorying natural areas along the Lower Roanoke River.
Intimately familiar with the Roanoke from his childhood growing up along its banks, he was nevertheless astounded not only by the diversity but by the conservation potential of the vast tracts of undisturbed bottomland and riverine ecosystems.
The findings left no doubt—this should become a major conservation project for the Conservancy. The North Carolina Chapter soon created a preserve plan and within a year had acquired its first property: 176 acres of floodplain and forest supporting healthy populations of wild hyacinths and cypress trees.
In 2007, the Conservancy celebrates its protection of more than 85,000 acres along the Roanoke River. Along the way, the project has involved every aspect of the Chapter’s operations, from land acquisition to adaptive management to community-based cooperation to fundraising. It has won prestigious awards and is an outstanding model for collaborative conservation around the world. But just like the river, the story—and the Conservancy’s involvement—continues to flow.
The River Runs Through It
From its source as a modest spring in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the Roanoke River runs some 400 miles into North Carolina’s Albemarle Sound. Its brown waters blend into black water tributaries that twist through the Coastal Plain, and its floodplain stretches five miles wide in some places.
The Roanoke flows through the counties of Bertie, Halifax, Martin, Northampton and Washington. The vibrancy, and indeed the future, of these communities are highly dependent on the river. The same can be said for the various natural communities through which the river runs. In order to reinvigorate the Roanoke, the Conservancy has had to successfully address both.
The Conservancy is currently the largest landowner in the Roanoke River Valley, but over the years it has collaborated with partners large and small to achieve its goals. The most recent—and largest single transaction—came last year, with the purchase of 21,231 acres and 54 miles of stream frontage from International Paper. Included were some of the highest quality bottomland hardwood and cypress forests remaining outside of conservation management.
The successes can be easily seen by any visitor to the Roanoke. One example is the Roanoke River Paddle Trail: 12 camping platforms and two terrestrial camp sites, bringing tourists as well as jobs for several boating and fishing outfitters. Begun in 1996 by the Roanoke River Partners and strongly supported by the Conservancy, the Paddle Trail was designed to merge the interests and economic needs of local people with their unique natural heritage. It was the first private eco-tourism system of its type in the nation. As protected land is acquired further upstream, the Paddle Trail will continue to grow, drawing more visitors and bolstering the economy.
Conservation partners have included local governments, hunt clubs and civic groups, as well as various federal and state agencies, universities and corporations. Among them are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Georgia Pacific/Plum Creek Corporation, Weyerhaeuser Corporation and International Paper.
Funders have understood and supported the vision for the Roanoke—among them are the state’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Natural Heritage Trust Fund, Wildlife Resources Commission and Ecosystem Enhancement Program; private foundations such as Z. Smith Reynolds; and a host of individual donors.
A Dam Good Idea
To achieve the Conservancy’s mission on the Roanoke, the landscape has to be managed sustainably and adaptively—terminology that can be hard to pin down. But in this case, the approaches are clear, if somewhat daunting.
“The basic approach is to manage the landscape so that the conservation of natural resources, recreation, flood control, economic development and hydropower production are balanced,” said Sam Pearsall, the Conservancy’s Director of Science. “Ultimate success will be achieved when natural communities, species, ecological patterns and processes are present and self-sustaining in the context of natural disturbances and human uses.”
The highest priority opportunity was and continues to be the existence and operations of dams and reservoirs along the Lower Roanoke. Beginning in 1993, the Conservancy put concerted effort into resolving flood and flow problems caused by three dams near the North Carolina/Virginia border. The Conservancy has shown that, despite apprehensions of some stakeholders, adaptively managing the dam operations not only results in stabilization of lake levels, it also has profoundly positive impacts on water supplies and on the health of the ecosystem’s plants and animals.
Dominion Generation owns and operates two of the dams. Since 1996, Pearsall has led the Conservancy’s negotiations on re-licensing, which were concluded to great acclaim in 2005.
“We achieved exactly the license we wanted,” said Pearsall. It includes provisions for spawning releases, adaptive management of water flows, fish passage for migratory species, water quality, drought management and hydrological alteration as well five-year monitoring programs for a variety of indicator species.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the largest of the dams and the Conservancy is engaged in a multi-year collaboration on a Congressionally authorized re-operations study. Funded by the Corps and the states of North Carolina and Virginia, this effort may take several more years of vested action, but the payoff for conservation is well worth the investment of time, energy and money.
The Roanoke is also a critical component of the Sustainable Rivers Project created by the Corps and the Conservancy. Established in 2002, the Sustainable Rivers Project aims to accomplish precisely the type of adaptive strategies proposed for the Roanoke. The organizations now work together on 11 rivers that flow through 13 states and have 26 dams. On the Roanoke, the project has helped support the Dominion settlement and the Corps’ re-operations study.
The View from Upriver
So, what’s next for the Roanoke? The answers come from Chuck Peoples, the new Roanoke River Project Director. Supporting him will be the Conservancy’s Assistant Director of Protection: J. Merrill Lynch, the same ecologist whose inventories three decades ago were the impetus for the entire project.
Adaptive management will continue to be a key part of the equation. The Conservancy will look into the ongoing effects of the hydrology and management of dams—–conducting research, getting results and providing feedback to make the best decisions for the river’s health.
Also critical are management and stewardship of the Conservancy’s many holdings on the river.
And of course, there will be land acquisition.
“The Conservancy’s successes to date are tremendous. We have protected many thousands of acres that will keep the Roanoke vibrant. Now we’ll continue connecting the dots, primarily through planning, outreach to owners of priority sites and negotiation of conservation agreements with those landowners,” said Peoples. “There are a few large tracts left, but as we learned with International Paper’s decision to sell their land, the game can quickly change. We have to be ready to act on such dramatic changes. As large tracts are subdivided and sold off, both the risks to the ecosystem and the cost to conserve increase.”
Land acquisition is a labor- and cost-intensive process, but Peoples will be keeping his eye on the long-term gain. Many of the towns that rely on the Roanoke face economic hardships and it is important that the Conservancy play a role in capacity building—–the same strengths we bring to similar situations around the world.
“In this region, we have an opportunity to protect critical natural areas while sustaining our vibrant working landscape and outdoor recreation opportunities,” said Peoples.
These natural and cultural resources, this quality of life, are what make the area unique and what will set it apart from other regions in the competition for future economic investment.
“We can help create community-based and regionally-led initiatives on the Roanoke by getting people energized and organized. Our job is to know when to lead, how to empower and when to let go,” said Peoples. “I spent my childhood exploring the river and wanted to make sure my children can have those same experiences. I look forward to focusing on a sense of place and to building upon the Conservancy’s substantial foundation of success here.”t consectetur.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Roanoke River © Wildlife Resources Commission; Zebra swallowtail © Mark Daniels/TNC; Red wolf © Hart Matthews.
