Bruce Ingram photo
Abingdon Trout Stream
Lush vegetation now thrives along the banks of Wolf Creek—a far different look for the stream compared to how it used to appear. Note the rocks on the left. They now help prevent erosion.
Quality trout streams are common in the Smoky Mountain Region. Indeed, this part of the country is nationally known for its cold water fisheries.
But what is exceptional about Wolf Creek is that not only does it course through downtown Abingdon, Virginia, but that it also has been restored as a trout stream. Credit goes to assistance from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, but just as importantly, local folks, specifically the Mountain Empire Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Town of Abingdon.
When I arrived in Abingdon, the first person I talked to about Wolf Creek was Cindy Patterson, who operates the Black’s Fort Inn and is a city council member. Patterson told me that a major reason she ran for council was her desire to maintain the green spaces and historic aspects of Abingdon.
“One of the things that makes Abingdon unique is its green spaces like the Virginia Creeper Trail and Wolf Creek,” said Patterson, whose 13-acre farm and B&B lies in downtown Abingdon. “Some children never get a chance to fish or be out in nature. But now because of Wolf Creek’s rebirth, our town’s kids and other children will have a chance to be out in nature and learn about the importance of restoring ecological balance.”
The project was kickstarted when METU received a $10,000 grant from Trout Unlimited through the organization’s Embrace-A-Stream program. The goals were to improve the stream channel by recreating its natural meanders, restore riparian vegetation which had been denuded, enhance macro-invertebrates (those little critters that trout eat, think crayfish and bugs), improve water quality, and establish interpretative opportunities, especially for educating youngsters. And, oh yes, to reintroduce brook trout—our region’s only native trout. What’s more, the 300-yard long restored section of Wolf Creek flows through the historic Abingdon Muster Grounds. Visitors can not only learn about how a waterway can be revitalized, but also learn about life in Revolutionary War-era America and the importance of how mountain men from this region defeated the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain.
When I approached the stream, it was obvious how well all concerned had succeeded in this endeavor. My guide was Ed Morgan, co-founder of the Wolf Creek Stream Restoration Project. We started at the upstream section of the stream where Morgan showed me the numerous species of trees planted when the restoration began in February 2016. Among the flora were dogwoods, sycamores, hazelnuts, red maples, and serviceberries.
“Our goal is for the creek to look like it did in the 1780s with mixed fields and wood lots,” he said. “Before we started the restoration, there were crayfish and aquatic insects present but not enough to sustain trout. Now, there’s a life that has come to this stream.”
As we walked along, Ed started fly fishing and said he has caught small brook trout from the creek. He then stopped and pointed to the lush growth of water cress flourishing along the shore and in the waterway. Ed also proudly showed me the cobblestones and mid-stream boulders placed in the creek to harbor trout and the creatures they feed upon. We also observed several J-hook vanes, which are a series of rocks or sunken wood designed to channel water away from erodible banks and create deeper, well-aerated pools below.
As I ambled along the stream and Ed fished it, periodically we stopped for him to show me more improvements done by TU members and local folks. I was impressed that people had taken much care to plant such a variety of native trees. Besides the ones mentioned earlier, we came across persimmons, choke cherries, shagbark hickories, and viburnums.
Ed paused from fishing to point out the hardwood root wads positioned along the shoreline—another way to prevent bank erosion. Root wads, which are the base of a cut tree, lay at the edge of the water, and their trunks extend into the bank—thus anchoring them there. Not far below them were a series of six-foot long sunken hardwood timbers along the shoreline, immobilized by metal pins and rocks placed over them—more cover for trout and more streamside stabilization.
“There they are!” Ed suddenly shouted as he pointed to six or seven five-inch brook trout. “That hole they’re swimming in used to be less than a foot and slow moving. Now it’s three-feet deep with current. Wow!”
Wow indeed is a natural response to what has taken place at Wolf Creek. The next morning while staying at Black’s Fort Inn, Cindy Patterson gave my wife Elaine and me a choice of stuffed French toast or eggs frittatas as she regaled us about the wonders of Wolf Creek. After breakfast, we had to decide whether to drive one minute to arrive at the Virginia Creeper Trail or drive six minutes to reach Wolf Creek—amazing choices in environmentally aware Abingdon.