Lone Mountain NRDAR Pennington Gap Riparian Restoration and Community Park Development Restoration

Background information.—To restore fish and mussel habitat lost in the Lone Mountain coal slurry spill, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) plan calls for riparian habitat restoration to improve existing stream conditions, particularly by stabilizing streambanks in problem areas and planting appropriate riparian buffers throughout the watershed.
The Powell River runs through Leeman Field Park in Pennington Gap, Virginia, the largest population center near the Lone Mountain spill site. Through this reach, the river experienced streambank erosion and loss of instream habitat because of channel instability, changes in stormwater runoff, and loss of riparian vegetation along the streambank.

Using Lone Mountain NRDAR settlement funds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and several other community and business partners worked together to restore more than 700 feet of the Powell River running through Leeman Field. Streambanks were stabilized by using natural bioengineering techniques, and riffle and pool sequences were created to provide diverse streambed fish and mussel habitat. Upland areas were treated to remove invasive plants, and more than 1,000 native trees and other native vegetation were planted. In the restored reach, streamflow is now increased during normal flows and adequate flood storage is maintained during storm events.
In addition to improving stream health, the Leeman Field river restoration project added recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to Lee County. The City of Pennington Gap is constructing a 1.5-mile greenway trail parallel to the stream. The stream restoration and trail will provide outdoor recreation opportunities, such as hiking, biking, and fishing, as well as community outreach and education about the importance of riparian health for water quality and instream habitat.

Background information on the Pennington Gap restoration for the Lone Mountain NRDAR settlement was obtained from Carol Doss, Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, written commun., 2015; and from Lone Mountain NRDAR case documents at http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/orda_docs/CaseDetails?ID=914.

Economic impacts.—Planning for the Pennington Gap riparian restoration project began in 2011 and restoration was completed in 2014 at a cost of $93,000 (2014 dollars). Many of the materials needed for the restoration, such as rocks, trees, straw, and gasoline, were purchased locally, and more than 50 percent of direct project expenditures were spent within the local economy. During the course of the project, the Pennington Gap riparian restoration project is estimated to have supported 0.9 total job-years; $27,000 in labor income; $34,000 in value added; and $86,000 in economic output in the local economy. Expanding to include both local and nonlocal expenditures, this project supported an estimated 1.6 total job-years; $95,000 in labor income; $138,000 in value added; and $239,000 in economic output in the national economy. Restoration of the stream has long-term benefits beyond these immediate economic impacts, including valuable ecological services such as improved wildlife habitat, floodwater control, erosion control, intrinsic values, aesthetic values, and ecotourism values.

A National Civilian Conservation Corp Team Assists with Planting.jpg “A National Civilian Conservation Corp Team Assists with Planting”		145.21 KB	image/jpeg
Pennington Gap Middle School Students Plant Trees.jpg “Pennington Gap Middle School Students Plant Trees”		129.92 KB	image/jpeg

Lone Mountain NRDAR Pennington Gap Riparian Restoration and Community Park Development Restoration

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