Green Mesa | Conservation Easement

Located in Yadkin County NC

The Green Mesa Conservation Easement is a restoration project by Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) located within the Yadkin River Basin of North Carolina. This project focuses on stream restoration, enhancement, and preservation, generating over 3,300 Warm Stream Mitigation Units (SMUs) along five unnamed tributaries that ultimately drain into Deep Creek.

Historically, the site was heavily impacted by agricultural and livestock activities, leading to erosion, degraded streambanks, and a lack of riparian buffers. Without deep-rooted vegetation to stabilize the soil, nutrient and sediment runoff from nearby agricultural fields contributed to declining water quality in the watershed.

The Green Mesa project aims to restore over 9,000 linear feet of stream habitat by constructing a stable channel system, reconnecting the stream with its floodplain, and using bioengineering techniques to improve habitat stability.

The restoration process involves installing in-stream structures, backfilling abandoned channels, and implementing native vegetation plantings to establish a healthy riparian buffer. Additionally, livestock exclusion fencing will be installed to prevent further damage to the restored habitat. A key outcome of this project is the generation of riparian buffer and stream mitigation credits, which can be used by developers and municipalities to offset environmental impacts elsewhere in the region. The mitigation banking approach ensures that conservation efforts are both financially sustainable and ecologically beneficial.

Mitigation Partner