Lake Lure is open and welcoming people back to the area. Now, we have an opportunity to heal the landscapes that surround it and create a healthier, more resilient future for our community and the wildlife that calls Lake Lure home.
Before Hurricane Helene, a walk along Lake Lure’s shoreline offered more than beautiful views. Birds moved through the trees and along the water. Native plants provided food and shelter, while insects, birds and other wildlife were part of the landscape in ways we often took for granted.
We can have this landscape again, BUT we need to stabilize the banks of the broad river and establish native plants to rebuild the habitat for birds and people.
Healing the landscape through shoreline restoration
We know all too well about the destruction that Hurricane Helene left in its wake. We received significant support from state and federal agencies to remove debris and repair critical infrastructure. While much important work has been done, our recovery is far from over. As we continue rebuilding our community, we also have an opportunity to begin restoring the natural landscapes that were impacted by the storm and strengthening them for the future.
Much of the Broad River shoreline and adjacent Morse Park are completely bare or lack deep-rooted vegetation needed to secure the banks. When a major storm strips vegetation from a landscape, soil becomes vulnerable to erosion, nutrients are lost, the ground can become compacted, and pollutants can more easily reach our waterways.
The birds and wildlife we remember seeing along the lake are still here, but they are navigating a very different landscape. By restoring native plants and stabilizing our shorelines, we can help ensure they continue to find the food, shelter and habitat they need.
Restoration Through Partnership
That’s why we’re partnering with Audubon North Carolina—because when birds thrive—people thrive. Audubon understands that long-term resilience planning and advocating for natural ecosystems is the best defense against extreme weather.
For Lake Lure, this means working on a plan to stabilize the banks of the Broad River and create spaces that benefit the community and wildlife. Our hope is to restore 81 acres of habitat by planting trees and other native vegetation along the Broad River and its tributaries, including stabilizing 1.3 miles of streambanks and transforming portions of the Green Space into a model for regenerative agriculture and public working lands. You can read more about our partnership with Audubon and plan to rebuild important habitats here.
Audubon North Carolina, in collaboration with the Town of Lake Lure and eight other partner organizations, recently submitted a grant proposal to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support this work. We will find out in late November if we receive funding and look forward to hopefully sharing good news soon!
What would happen if we didn’t stabilize the river and rebuild habitat?
Lake Lure is at an important intersection: we could let our shorelines erode and invasive plants take hold. Or we could use this opportunity to bring our beloved Lake Lure back to life by planting native plants that support insects and birds like Wood Thrush, Eastern Towhee, and Prairie Warbler.
Native plants are important because they provide food for birds and other wildlife that have adapted, over thousands of years, to depend on them. They produce nectar, pollen, seeds, and berries that wildlife needs during every phase of their life cycle.
In fact, birds need thousands of caterpillars to raise a single brood of chicks, but some non-native grasses and plants actively repel them. Native plants are also already adapted to the climate and resources of the area, meaning they are easier to tend to and survive more extreme weather.
We need your help
Without stream stabilization, we could lose our chance to maximize conservation efforts and create a more resilient town for future generations. We are excited to be working with Audubon North Carolina on this community and wildlife-focused project which we hope will create a more resilient ecosystem and places where the community can thrive.
This work is vital to healing our landscapes and community, but we couldn’t do it without you. The health of our environment and the health of our community are inextricably intertwined. So, stay tuned for ways to help.
