News

Ask Matt ... how does Helene river cleanup work?

An SDR sub-contractor removes debris from the French Broad River in Horse Shoe. [MATT MATTESON/Hendersonville Lightning]

By MATT MATTESON, Published: March 9, 2026

Q. Who is picking up logs and trees in the French Broad River and how are they doing it?

Hurricane Helene uprooted a massive number of trees and logs in Henderson and Transylvania County and washed them downstream. Ten months after the flooding, Raleigh launched a program called NC SMART (State Mission Assigned Recovery Task), which now operates in 18 WNC counties. One difference from our first tree removal project is that this one is operated by the state’s Emergency Management Division. These are the guys who concern themselves with search and rescue, hazardous material risk and cyberattacks. NC SMART targets debris on private property but also debris in and along 33 river miles in Henderson County. This program is less visual than the first removal effort where we all could all see mountains of logs and piles of chips.

There are only a few places along the French Broad River where one can observe the operation. In late January, we found a sub-contractor pulling out logs from the river in the Horse Shoe area using an excavator mounted on a small barge. The crew was hired by SDS, the same people with the big black trucks we saw hauling broken trees and stumps.

Since NC SMART is not a Henderson County-driven project, we contacted Justin J. Graney, chief communications officer with the North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) in Raleigh to see how the project works. Graney explained that the contractor is provided a list of debris sites which are checked out and approved by FEMA officials. All debris deemed eligible can be removed and the cost reimbursed. A river monitor in a pontoon boat tells the sub-contractor where to go on the river. Debris is pulled out, sometimes cut to size, and deposited along the river. Debris Tech, an independent company, estimates the haul (logs and branches) in lineal feet. The debris is later hauled off and chipped.

“More than 1,000 debris points have been worked to date in Henderson County,” said Graney. “Work is still being performed with no timeline for completion established yet.” One major difference with the SMART program is that the state makes the payments to the contractor, which makes it easier on counties that have small budgets.

Looking up and down the river, one can notice some large trees still submerged. Graney said that the ultimate decision to remove may have to do with safety or environmental issues. “The underlying concern is the flood mitigation component,” said Graney. “Debris left in the river changes its natural flow.”

Under North Carolina law, a navigable river, the land beneath, and yes, fallen trees, are owned by the state. Such waters are available to the public for fishing, swimming and boating, regardless of private property along the riverbanks. Taking advantage of this law, 10 years ago The Lazy Otter Outfitters began renting canoes and kayaks and offering tours down the French Broad. Co-owner Matt Evans closed his shop in 2024 for a new business venture but not due to the storm.

“There was definitely debris from Helene, but it wasn't completely blocked anywhere in the county, even right after the storm,” said Evans, who still owns the property on Banner Farm Road. “Here, the river is wide enough that a single tree isn't likely to create a full blockage, but we're still rural enough for a natural wilderness feel for paddlers.”

The Lazy Otter is not actively being marketed but Evans said he is open to selling or leasing the site which boasts direct access to the Ecusta Trail corridor.

We would be remiss if we did not mention that river clean-up is not restricted to state agencies. Just one example is MountainTrue, an established WNC environmental group, that works with local outfitters to organize volunteers to clean up debris in and along the French Broad River.