Trail Fork Site Visit for Stream Crossing Improvements

On Saturday, May 8th, 2021 a small group of Cherokee Chapter members were escorted by Jeff Wright, the southeast coordinator for TU, to visit the Trail Fork stream in Cooke County. The purpose of this site visit was to see the twin culverts that are being replaced with 2 bridges. Funding for this improvement is provided by the Tennessee license plate grant program, the Cherokee Chapter of Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and the Cherokee National Forest and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The new bridges are both planned to be of steel construction covered with wood planks. The Wolf Creek bridge will be 55 feet long and the Trail Fork bridge will be 50 feet long.

Below is a view of the area from 3000 feet, the first valley seen is where Trail Fork creek is located.

Below are the upstream and downstream views of the existing culvert. One of the culverts is not carrying water and the culvert metal is very rusted. There is also erosion of the road over the culvert.

Construction on the new bridges will start by the end of this year and will improve both the local wildlife habitat as well as area drainage.