Help Restore the Swannanoa
Assessing the Damage
In July of 2025, RiverLink produced a detailed study of streambank damage and opportunities to establish more flood resilience along a 6.9-mile stretch of the Middle Swannanoa River. This section of river extends from the outskirts of Black Mountain through Swannanoa and downstream to the western side of Warren Wilson’s campus.
Thanks to funding from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, RiverLink contracted Wildlands Engineering to study the river’s current condition. The study looked at damage to natural features like riverbanks, plant buffers along the river (called riparian buffers), and nearby floodplain areas. The goal was to find ways to repair this damage and make the area better prepared for future flooding.
Do You Need Help with Recovery?
Landowners who are interested in grant funded riverbank restoration are encouraged to fill out this form in order to begin project site planning:
The total cost to fix the damage and make the river more flood-resilient is estimated to be between $10 and $13 million. To learn more about our damage assessment and proposed actions, view this report summary:
RiverLink is grateful for the support of CFWNC’s Emergency Disaster Response Fund, which made possible this critical step toward restoring and strengthening the Swannanoa River for future generations.