South Toe Stewards*
- Jess Ruegg
- Apr 29, 2025
- 5 min read
April Newsletter of the organization formerly known as the South Toe Conservation Fund
Today I joined South Toe Stewards board members Tal Galton and Felix Stith at the River to marvel at a fascinating phenomenon. An eight-inch-long fish called a river chub was picking up stones – some as large as ping pong balls – in its mouth and dropping them into a pile for its nest. The nest was surrounded by dozens of smaller fish that Felix identified as warpaint shiners, Tennessee shiners, and dace. When professors Tom Near from Yale and Maya Stokes from Florida State stopped by the South Toe River to collect fish for their research last month, Tom said that many shiners and darters depend on these river chub nests for their own reproduction. Hunting above the nest was a six-inch small-mouth bass which occasionally darted after the smaller fish. A 14-inch hellbender made its way slowly toward the nest. We wondered what it was trying to do, but when it got close, the river chub bit it on the tail, driving the hellbender to make a speedy (for a hellbender) escape.
I could not witness this complex, surprising and beautiful scene without awe. I also could not witness it without imagining a trackhoe running through it. The guidelines issued by the NC Wildlife Resource Commission last month were created to protect scenes like this. The guidelines, featured in last month’s STCF newsletter, emphasize the importance of large wood, trees and shrubs on streambanks to provide habitat and food for animals. They recommend operating heavy equipment from streambanks when possible and minimizing heavy equipment use in streambeds everywhere in WNC, but especially in high quality habitat areas. Felix and Tal commented today that the South Toe’s high quality habitat areas that were marked in red on the NCWRC’s map are limited to the areas where their personnel have direct observations of threatened or endangered species, but that these same species are present everywhere along the South Toe River. This river is an incredible treasure, and it needs our protection!
Watching this scene at the river today made it clear how impossible it would be to find and relocate every hellbender in debris removal areas. It seems that entire communities of fish depend on the nests of keystone species like river chub and stonerollers. This recovering ecosystem cannot afford to be trespassed by heavy equipment during the critical spring and summer period of regrowth and reproduction.
As reports have emerged about damage caused by over-zealous riparian debris removal operations in other areas of WNC, the need for ongoing vigilance to protect the South Toe River has been highlighted. Please read on for additional information about debris removal operations in Yancey County.
~ Jessica Ruegg, South Toe Steward
*Our New Name!
First of all, about our name. STCF was originally established as a fund under the umbrella of the Community Foundation of WNC in order to raise money and aid conservation partners to conserve land in the South Toe Valley. But as stated on our website, we have always been more than just a fund: we are a network of people who fiercely love this river valley and its forested mountains working to protect and preserve its wild nature. For the past several months, the board of STCF has deliberated over what kind of organization we want to be going forward. Simply put, we want to continue doing what we do: organize and fundraise for conservation partners, organize volunteers to keep our rivers clean and our forests healthy, and educate residents and visitors to this valley on how we can all be stewards of this ecosystem.
We have begun the transition to becoming our own non-profit, and Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development has agreed to be our fiscal sponsor while we undergo this metamorphosis. We have chosen the name South Toe Stewards because we believe it reflects who we are – we invite all of you to join us as stewards of this wondrous valley. We are still an all-volunteer organization, so please be patient as we slowly change the name on the website and share a new logo (coming soon!).
-Tal Galton, South Toe Stewards co-founder and board member
River Celebration at Carolina Hemlocks on April 13th!
Great Work with Great Partners!
Damon and Alma Rouse came out for a Saturday rivercane rhizome harvest day on Lower White Oak Road in Celo.
River cleanups are ongoing. The Beacon Network, our partner in cleanup since the beginning, received a large grant that has allowed them to take the lead on organization, communications and supply-procurement for weekly Sunday afternoon clean ups and Saturday morning rivercane harvest events. Thank you, Jared, Miguel, Kiera and Jake!
Several volunteers have been taking care of the rhizomes and some of them have sprouted new shoots, indicating they are ready for planting.
The first planting is scheduled to take place this Saturday, May 2nd, at Green Toe Ground. Please visit this form if you are interested in volunteering at future cleanups, river cane planting days, or if you are a landowner who wants help restoring your river or stream banks.
Debris Removal Operations Updates
Andrea Leslie, Mountain Habitat Conservation Coordinator with NC Wildlife Resource Commission, said that Yancey County’s rivers are fortunate that County officials elected to work with Southern Disaster Recovery, since SDR has shown receptivity to working with NCWRC’s guidelines for high quality habitat areas. SDR has agreed to give Andrea and her NCWRC colleague Luke a week’s notice so they can remove endangered and threatened animals for the duration of work at the site.
River and stream debris-removal timeline
According to Phil Jennings, SDR's head of operations for Yancey County, FEMA has announced it will stop reimbursing for debris removal operations on July 1, 2025. Debris removal on the Cane River is nearly complete south of Highway 19 and ongoing north of the highway. SDR and its subcontractors are still waiting on approval for debris removal plans for the North Toe and South Toe Rivers. He expects those operations will take place during the month of June.
Consider Opting Out of Waterway Debris Removal!
If you own river or stream-front property 1000 feet upstream or 50 feet downstream from “critical infrastructure,” like state-owned bridges and culverts, debris removal plans likely include accessing the waterway through your property.
Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Riverkeeper with Mountain True, said that landowners in other counties have successfully removed their property from the waterway debris removal schedule by contacting their county managers.
If you pursue this option, or would like more detailed information about what to expect when waterway debris removal operations begin in the South Toe River, please contact Jess Ruegg at 828.675.2767 or jjruegg@gmail.com.
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