The mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee have hundreds of dams, yet only a handful of protected Wild and Scenic Rivers. These designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, like the Obed River and Wilson Creek, are beloved by locals and visitors alike. The Nolichucky River Gorge spanning the North Carolina and Tennessee borders is the perfect choice for the region’s next Wild and Scenic River.
Wild and Scenic designation for the Nolichucky would cover the federal US Forest Service lands in a half-mile wide corridor along the river between Poplar, North Carolina and Chestoa, Tennessee. The Forest Service would be charged with protecting the river’s scenic and recreational values, and dams would be forever prohibited. Designation would not affect private property or use of the railroad by trains. Recreation would continue to be managed by the US Forest Service. Wild and Scenic designation would ensure that the experiences and economic benefits the Noli provides today will be there for future generations. Designation requires an act of the US Congress, which requires enthusiastic local and regional support.
American Whitewater worked with local citizens to champion Wild and Scenic designation for the Nolichucky Gorge beginning in 2017. Over the course of several years support grew to the point that over 23,000 individuals and 110 businesses endorsed the proposal, all three County commissions were on record supporting the proposal, and congressional offices were engaged and interested. After years of local efforts, just as the proposal neared becoming legislation in 2020, the Farm Bureau lobbied against the bill causing the counties to withdraw their support. Lacking county support, legislation was no longer viable. Wild and Scenic designation on the Nolichucky would have had no effect on farming. Learn more about the movement to protect the Noli at www.noliwildandscenic.org
Four years after the Wild and Scenic designation efforts were stymied, Hurricane Helene hit the Nolichucky Watershed. CSX rushed to rebuild their railroad through the gorge by mining the Nolichucky River for its rocks. The Forest Service did nothing to try to protect the recreational values of the river. Wild and Scenic designation would have allowed the railroad to be rebuilt quickly while protecting the recreational values of the river. Instead, CSX was allowed to cause significant damage to the river, before being reined in through litigation and state permitting actions. Despite these challenges, the Noli remains a beautiful, remote river that merits protection.