Little River, Goldsboro Dam, NC

American Rivers recently received funding through Fish American Foundation’s partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study alternatives for the Goldsboro Dam on the Little River in North Carolina. The Little River, in the Neuse basin, is one of the healthiest rivers in eastern North Carolina and was named as on of America’s Most Endangered Rivers in 2010. It provides high-quality spawning habitat for a number of diadromous (migratory) fish, including shad, herring, striped bass and American eel; it also supports a high diversity of resident fish and rare mussel species, including two federally-listed endangered mussels.

In the past, three dams have been removed from the Little River to improve habitat and open access for migratory fish: Cherry Hospital in 1998, Raines Mill in 1999, and Lowell Mill in 2005. Removal or reconfiguration of the Goldsboro Dam, which blocks fish migration during low flows, would strongly support these efforts.

The Goldsboro Dam currently provides an emergency water supply for the City of Goldsboro. The goal of American Rivers’ study is to select an alternative—removal or reconfiguration of the dam— which both restores the natural functions of the river and maintains the City’s emergency water supply. Results from this study will help to inform priority dam removals around the Southeast that have a water supply component.