Serving people, wildlife and ecosystems through improved fish passage
In North Carolina, the Cape Fear River serves people and wildlife, making its water quality and water quantity of the utmost importance. The Cape Fear River Basin contains many different aquatic ecosystems but urban and agricultural runoff affect the river as a valuable water resource. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' projects, which include B. Everett Jordan Lake, three locks and dams, and dredging operations provide water supply, flood control, water quality, navigation, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation.
The locks and dams, which serve multiple purposes, are also a barrier for diadromous fish attempting to reach historic spawning grounds. To help with fish passage on Lock and Dam 1, the Corps completed a rock ramp fishway in 2012. The Corps and its partners, including The Nature Conservancy, are assessing the potential for modifying the rock ramp passage, and potential fish passage structures on the other two locks and dams.