How waterways are faring one year after Helene

The immediate aftermath of a storm calls for caution when it comes to floodwaters. What do we know about the waterways that flooded a year ago and how they're doing now?The Nolichucky and Watauga watersheds and tributaries were most affected by Helene in Northeast Tennessee.Recreation on the waterLucas Gragg, Carter County EMA deputy director, said the agency is encouraging people to get back out on the water, while keeping an eye out for any remaining debris."[The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency] did a really good job working with contractors to get the waterways cleaned: the Doe, the Watauga, and all the tributaries around them that feed into them," Gragg said."But there's still going to be little ones and twos that pop up. Sticks, stumps, those types of things. So we really encourage boaters, swimmers, rafters, to just be mindful that yes, they cleaned them up really well, they look 100 times better, but there's still a chance of something being in the water."In Unicoi County, the U.S. Forest Service has not yet granted rafting companies permits to do business along the Nolichucky Gorge.Unicoi County EMA Director Jimmy Erwin said almost all storm debris are removed from river, so it is a lot safer than it was six to eight months ago."With the Nolichucky River being our big tourist draw with the rafters and rafting companies, we want to get those rafters and get the people back on the river as soon as possible in a safe manner," Erwin said.Individuals can go out onto the Nolichucky, but should do so at their own risk, Erwin said, whether they're swimming, tubing or rafting. He also said they should always be accompanied by another person and use a life jacket."The river has changed dramatically. Some places are wider, some places are more narrow," Erwin said. "Going forward, it'll be the rafters learning the river over and just being safe on it."Those rafters include emergency responders and search and rescue teams."Use caution. The area that they may have been riding the river all their lives has changed," he said.The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency echoed those thoughts when it comes to recreating on the water. In a statement to Six Rivers Media, the agency said it urges anyone boating, wading fishing or paddling in flood-affected areas to use caution."River and stream channels may have changed significantly, and hidden obstacles could pose risks. If you can't see a clear path ahead, stop and assess before proceeding," the statement said.Gragg also emphasized keeping an eye on any changes to the nature of the rivers and its tributaries, too."When you have a major storm or hurricane like we had, the rivers are going to change in some shape form or fashion," he said."One hydraulic that might have always been here for the last 10 years is probably not there now. One rock that you've always had to fish around may not be there now."Water qualityThe TWRA shared that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation conducted water sampling in rivers impacted by the flooding. They said the results showed water quality has returned to pre-Helene conditions.TDEC lifted water contact advisories it issued after Hurricane Helene on Oct. 2, 2024 in January.The Oct. 2 advisory included the Nolichucky, French Broad, Pigeon, Doe and Watauga River watersheds. TDEC said the advisories were "issued out of an abundance of caution and had not been based on any specific water quality data," after the storm's flooding.Other organizations also conduct their own water sampling in the area and work with other local groups to do so. MountainTrue is a North Carolina-based nonprofit that's been in contact with local groups like the Nolichucky Outdoor Recreation Association and the Nolichucky Watershed Alliance to conduct water sampling, organize cleanups, paddling and outreach events."One thing the hurricane has done is brought people together. New groups have formed, which has been really cool to see how they've been able to mobilize and really be impactful since then," said Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Riverkeeper at MountainTrue, who also oversees the Nolichucky.The data from their regularly scheduled water sampling is catered toward recreational monitoring, which focuses on bacteria levels. That data goes into Swim Guide, a portal where watershed groups across the world can upload water quality data they've collected.Testing for bacteria levels is a regular occurrence for groups like MountainTrue that try to provide safety information around water recreation, whether or not a flooding disaster has happened.Bacteria testing is in addition to testing for toxins and pollutants, which TDEC tests for after severe flooding, when septic systems, industries or fuel systems could have flooded the waterways."The waterways cleared pretty quickly of the heavy kind of intense toxins, diesels, and petroleum [post-Helene]," Alsobrook said."There were spots where the sediments held on to a little bit of those, but those typically degrade in time and in the sun. And those levels were so small, we weren't worried about that."Alsobrook said when it comes to bacteria pollution, river systems are so dynamic that cleanliness depends on where you access the waterway."Look at the color of the water, if it's that chocolate milk color. You might want to go somewhere else or wait a day or two for things to settle out," she said.Andy Hill is the High Country director and Watauga Riverkeeper for MountainTrue. He said the storm amplified their work around water quality monitoring, which was especially important for communities and people like Hill who rely on well water.Their group offered free well testing after Helene in partnership with local health departments."Helene exposed some vulnerabilities in our aging infrastructure and things like wastewater treatment plants, septic systems," Hill said.He also said they've seen rapid improvements in water quality since the storm.Fish consumptionShort-term flooding isn't expected to significantly affect levels of contamination in fish tissue, according to the agency — but people should still abide by any fish consumption advisories that were in effect before the flooding."TDEC has no reason to believe fish consumption is unsafe," the TWRA said in a statement.However, any pre-existing fish consumption advisories remain in effect and can be viewed online on TDEC's website.The TWRA said fish collections for contaminant testing are planned through the fall at the Douglas, Fort Loudoun and Boone reservoirs."Southern Appalachia's people take a great deal of pride in where they live. There's a real sense of place here," Hill said."Communities and individuals, they really rally around the river and treat it with respect and reverence and take care of it. So we've seen remarkable recovery and investment."Jorgelina Manna-Rea is a Report for America corps member covering environmental issues for Six Rivers Media.Hurricane Helene's flooding drastically changed the nature of the Nolichucky River, according to the river guides who know it well:"Our once old friend, the Nolichucky, the one we had known for years, a wise old river that knew where to send her waters and had a strong sediment bed smoothing out her energy was gone," Trey Moore wrote in a blog post for American Whitewater on Oct. 2 about paddling on the river after Helene to assist with search and rescue."The new Nolichucky was presenting as a baby river, a young and energetic beast that we knew would be throwing all kinds of tantrums while she decided what to do with her energy, rolling rocks around, bouncing off of bedrock and slipping through abundant sieves and siphons in every boulder pile."