From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Biologists recently found native smallmouth bass and russet darters upstream of the Lake Craig Dam in the Swannanoa River for the first time in more than a century, according to a report Sept. 29 by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Key discoveries include the following:

• The cause: Floodwaters from Tropical Storm Helene partially washed out the century-old Lake Craig Dam in Asheville, creating an opening that removed a barrier to fish passage.

• The species: Researchers from the NCWRC and Warren Wilson College documented smallmouth bass and russet darters swimming into upstream habitats naturally.

The ecological impact was as follows:

• Russet darters: These fish are very sensitive to pollution, so finding them upstream shows that water quality is improving.

• Smallmouth bass: They support freshwater mussel life cycles (which filter the river) and tolerate warmer post-storm water temperatures better than cold-water trout.

• Next steps: The City of Asheville decided not to repair the damaged structure and, instead, plans to remove the remaining parts of the 1924 dam entirely to keep the river flowing freely. Originally constructed in 1924 as a combined bridge and hydroelectric dam, the structure was severely compromised by Tropical Storm Helene on Sept. 27, 2024.