Wetlands – Henderson County Heritage
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This wet area in a lawn would quickly revert to a beautiful and biodiverse wetland if mowing were to cease.
History When I first moved to Henderson County, I participated in a class cosponsored by the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce and Blue Ridge Community College. We learned all about Henderson County in the Vision class.
One of the first Vision classes was a history class. The local historian who taught us began her class with this statement, “Henderson County began as a hill in the middle of a swamp.” We were informed that Judge Mitchell King donated fifty acres of land for the formation of the county seat in 1841. She went on to explain the historic courthouse sits on the site of the original building in town, the original post office.
Much of Henderson county is in or adjacent to a floodplain.
The hill was the only dry spot around. Everywhere else was boggy wetland. It is said that people in Edneyville could not come to Hendersonville if it had been raining because Chimney Rock Road would be under water.
Today Now Chimney Rock Road/Four Seasons Boulevard has been raised above the normal flood plain. Most of the expansive wetlands that bordered Bat Fork Creek, Mud Creek, Clear Creek, Crab Creek, the French Broad River, etc. have all been channelized, drained and developed. Now where there used to be swampy wetlands there are farms, neighborhoods and shopping centers. It is difficult for some people to imagine there being a wetland where a grocery store sits now.
Heavy rains from tropical storms over the last decade have flooded roads and areas like Jackson Park frequently. Since the devastation of Hurricane Helene, wetlands and floodplains are getting more attention. In some areas the hydrology (movement of water through the landscape) has changed. There are springs where there were none before.
The fact is many springs and wetlands succumbed to the plow and the bulldozer long ago. In some cases they reemerge after decades to create wet spots and sunken areas in lawns and farms. I have been to look at several suspected springs and newly sunken areas at people’s homes.
Wet Areas So, what do you do if you have a wet area in your landscape? If the wet area is directly under or next to your home, then you should consult with a landscape professional to consider building drainage infrastructure. If the area is not damaging your home, I suggest allowing the area to revert to wetland.
A wetland is an area where soil water is near the surface often. Some wetlands are permanent and often we refer to these as swamps. Other wetlands are ephemeral meaning they are wet when the weather is rainy. In Henderson county we usually get regular rains so wetlands stay wet most years.
Native plants are constantly spreading their seeds. There are dormant seeds in soil. Once a person stops maintaining an area, it will grow up in native plants. If the area is dry it will form a meadow. It the area is wet, it will form a wetland. Native trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, rushes, etc. will quickly find their way into your new wetland. Eventually wildlife will begin to use the area and in no time you will have a functioning wetland ecosystem thriving in your landscape.
Once the lawn maintenance crew stopped mowing this area, wetland plants sprung up. Now these areas are being used by all sorts of wildlife!
Native Wetland Plants If you want to be more intentional, you can plant your favorite native wetland plants. There are many beautiful native plants that you can choose from. Shrubs include Virginia sweet spire Itea virginica, Winterberry Ilex verticillata, Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis. Trees include Willow Salix nigra and River Birch Betula nigra. Grasses and sedges include Rush Juncus effusus and Sedge sp. Carex pensylvanica.
Returning as much of our managed landscape to a natural state using native plants is good for the environment. Wetlands benefit birds, turtles and other animals. Native plants feed and shelter wildlife. If we all created a little bit of natural habitat our world would be a better place in many ways.