The U.S. Forest Service is looking to repair damages brought upon some of its recreation areas in the Cherokee National Forest by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
According to a project letter from the Forest Service, the “North Zone Helene Recreation Recovery and Resilience Project” is proposed to “restore, repair, replace, reconstruct, relocate and improve recreation-related infrastructure within developed and dispersed public-use areas that were damaged during Hurricane Helene.”
Included in the mapping for the proposal is Horse Creek Recreation Area in Greene County, which sustained considerable erosion damage during Hurricane Helene in a portion of the recreation area where some work had been recently completed before Hurricane Helene.
Work began in late 2023 on several projects including the removal of a failing dam at the recreation area.
Although the project was mostly completed in July 2024, floodwaters scoured the stream restoration area where the dam had been removed. The ground at the newly created day use area, which was made through some earth moving, had not been able to fully settle before Horse Creek rose dramatically during Hurricane Helene. As a result, large chunks of the unsettled bank on both sides of the creek were washed away.
Rebar now sticks out from spots in the heavily eroded creek bank, presenting a public safety risk.
The repair and restoration of that damaged area in Horse Creek would be tackled through the planned U.S. Forest Service project, among several others.
Other improvement projects may also be on the horizon for Horse Creek through a partnership between Greene County and the U.S. Forest Service. The agreement is expected to provide access to grant funding for projects in the Cherokee National Forest in Greene County.
An event marking the new partnership was held Friday afternoon at the Horse Creek Recreation Area.
