Undamming Hope: A Watauga River Restoration

In the heart of North Carolina’s High Country, the Watauga River is remembering its path. From its headwaters at Grandfather Mountain, it winds through forests and over rocky banks before flowing into Watauga Lake in eastern Tennessee. For over 150 years, Shull’s Mill Dam stood as a concrete barrier across these waters, a remnant of the region’s industrial past.

American Rivers, MountainTrue, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined forces to remove the dam, transforming the river’s ecosystem. When combined with the 2021 removal of Ward Mill Dam downstream, our partnership created something remarkable: a 78-mile corridor of free-flowing water — an achievement that would soon prove far more important than anyone imagined.

Nature’s test: Hurricane Helene
In October 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated the region with unprecedented rainfall. But without the dam in the way, the river handled the flood like it had for thousands of years before. “Rivers need room to move, and when we can move restrictions out of the way, communities are safer,” explains Erin, American Rivers’ Southeast Conservation Director. The timing of the dam removal couldn’t have been better — engineers believe the old dam would likely have failed during the hurricane, potentially causing catastrophic damage downstream.

The Ward family, who had made the difficult decision to remove their family’s historic dam in 2021, found relief in the aftermath of Helene. “Hearing from Ms. Ward that surviving Helene was attributed to removing the dam — that’s a strong testimony to the impact of this work,” Erin shares.  

The power of local partnerships
This project’s success was built on trust and relationships. “We were only able to achieve this because of a strong partnership we’ve had with MountainTrue since 2020,” Erin reflects. 

For Erin, whose connection to rivers runs deep, this project represented something personal. “Growing up on the banks of the Mississippi river, we couldn’t touch the river because it was dangerous,” she recalls. “I fell in love with the Southern Appalachian Mountains, this river is where I caught my first trout and go to recharge. This project is about giving something back — helping the river flow freely while supporting the people, wildlife, and communities here.”

Part of a larger movement
The Watauga River story adds to a growing movement across the nation. While large dam removals grab headlines, it’s smaller projects like Shull’s Mill that show how local action can protect the places we love, while ensuring community safety against climate change. For our team at American Rivers, each project brings us closer to our goal of removing 30,000 obsolete dams nationwide. 

“We’re inextricably linked to these rivers,” Erin concludes. What started as removing old concrete has grown into something far more powerful — a blueprint for how our partnerships, our relationships, and our reconnection to rivers can build a stronger and more vibrant future for both people and nature. 

For more details about this project, check out these stories. 

Associated Press, Federal infrastructure funding is fueling a push to remove dams and restore river habitat

Sierra Magazine, Hellbenders in Paradise

BBC Wildlife, Scuba-diving scientists capture rare underwater footage of prehistoric-looking hellbenders in North Carolina

WFAE, NC biologists mount ‘search-and-rescue operation’ for America’s largest salamander before dam removal 

National Geographic, How removing a dam could save North Carolina’s ‘lasagna lizard’