Nebo, NC – August 6, 2020 – Starting August 10, Mortimer Campground on the Pisgah National Forest will temporarily close for major construction of a bridge to replace the low water crossing of Thorps Creek, which flows through the campground.
The new bridge will eliminate a fish barrier and provide safe access to the back loop of the campground, which is often cut off during heavy rainfall that floods the low water crossing.
The bridge replacement is part of a U.S. Forest Service initiative in partnership with Trout Unlimited to improve water quality, and native and wild trout habitat in the Wilson Creek Watershed. Other watershed restoration projects will reduce sedimentation, improve fish passage for native trout, and collect water quality data through citizen science.
Depending on construction timelines, the campground may remain closed for the rest of the season. Mortimer Campground is located northwest of Lenoir in the Wilson Creek Watershed in Caldwell County, NC.