Chapter 4 Habitats
Oconaluftee, and Cheoah rivers. Impoundments include Fontana, Nantahala, Calderwood, Cheoah, Santeetlah, Glenville, Bear Creek, Cedar Cliff, Wolf Creek, Tanasee Creek, Ela, Emory, and Sequoyah. Land use in the basin is about 90% forested, 5% urban or developed, 3% agricultural, and less than 1% each of grassland and wetland (MRLC 2011; Jin et al. 2013) . Land ownership in the basin is more than 50% publicly owned, with much of that lying within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Nantahala National Forest. The Needmore Game Land (about 4,600 acres) is a recently acquired tract along the Little Tennessee River in Macon and Swain counties and is managed by the NCWRC. The Qualla Boundary Cherokee Indian Reservation covers portions of the Oconaluftee and Tuckasegee watersheds. Much of the higher elevations are within the National Forest and National Park; however, development on private holdings in higher elevations has increased in recent years. Development is presently greatest in the valleys and along the major waterways. 4.5.10.2 Aquatic Resource Conditions Surface waters of the state are assigned a classification that carries standards for protecting the best intended uses of that water. Classification categories include aquatic life, recreation, fish consumption, and water supply. There are more than 14,410 acres of freshwater impoundments and 2,490 miles of freshwater streams in the basin that have been classified by NCDEQ for best uses (NCDEQ 2025f,g) . The NCDHHS has issued a statewide fish consumption advisory for certain species due to high levels of mercury contamination (NCDHHS 2025) . Some waterbodies in the basin have supplemental classifications such as HQW or ORW because they either have excellent water quality or they are a significant resource to humans or wildlife (NCDEQ 2025f,g) . The requirements for classification as an ORW are more stringent than those for a HQW and in some circumstances, the unique characteristics of the water and resource require that a specialized management strategy be developed (NCDEQ 2025f,g) . Another supplemental classification is NCDEQ’s trout water (Tr) designation, which protects freshwaters for natural propagation of trout and survival of stocked trout on a year-round basis (NCDEQ 2025f,g) . This is not the same as the NCWRC’s designated Public Mountain Trout Waters, which are waters that support trout and are open to public fishing. The basin contains some of the highest quality waters in the state, with many high-elevation trout streams supporting native Brook Trout.
The following table summarizes the most recent totals for freshwater supplemental classifications in the basin.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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