Using Nature to Combat Flooding in Appalachia
By Jessica ArriensNational Wildlife FederationWorking with nature can be a powerful way to mitigate and adapt to flooding. Healthy natural systems – from forests and floodplains to wetlands and riparian buffers – filter, absorb, and slow floodwaters, and can therefore reduce a flood’s devastation on the surrounding environment. Investing in these kinds of nature-based hazard mitigation solutions is a key way for communities to build long-term disaster resilience while protecting and restoring nature, and all the ecosystem services it provides.
A new paper from the Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition highlights examples of nature-based hazard mitigation projects in Appalachia, to show the diversity of what this work can look like in the region and lessons learned from practitioners. Case studies include:
Dam removal in North Carolina - Removing traditional infrastructure, like dams or levees, can be a powerful way to restore natural river flows and make room for a river during flood events. Between 2021 and 2024, the Watauga River in North Carolina had two dams removed, creating a nearly 80-mile corridor of free-flowing river for the first time in decades. American Rivers, MountainTrue, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered on the dam removals, working alongside local engineering and surveying firms. When Hurricane Helene roared through eastern North Carolina in September 2024, the Watauga behaved as a healthy river should. Engineers estimate one of the dams would have likely failed during the hurricane, with potential catastrophic downstream effects.
Floodplain restoration in Ohio - Returning floodplains, wetlands, and watersheds to their previous natural states, to reestablish natural water flows and other ecological processes, is one of the most beneficial flood mitigation strategies. Ohio’s Dillon Lake, part of the Muskingum Watershed, is just one example – the 92-acre site was restored by Rural Action, an Ohio-based nonprofit, alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ohio Division of Natural Resources, Civil & Environmental Consultants, and others. Restoration included planting thousands of trees, native seeds, and the creation of about 15 acres of wetland depressions. Today Dillion Lake reduces hundreds of tons of sediment and agricultural runoff from entering the watershed each year.
Rain gardens in West Virginia - Rain gardens use a mix of native plants and low-tech design elements to capture and store excessive rain. They can be extremely effective at reducing runoff into storm drains, while removing pollutants. One of the first rain gardens in the city of Huntington showcases how some nature-based solutions can be more effective when they incorporate both engineered and natural features: the garden design includes both native switchgrass and a drain to remove any standing water (not uncommon, thanks to water runoff from a building next door).
Learn more about the projects, and lessons learned from those involved, in the paper. Climate change is making extreme precipitation events and subsequent flooding more common, and more destructive, in Appalachia. Nature-based hazard mitigation should be part of the solution, and communities across the region need greater technical and financial support to truly benefit from these projects. Learn more about the Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition’s federal policy recommendations on nature-based solutions here.
