Residents and anglers urge limits on Army Corps debris clearing in Macon County rivers

Multiple Macon County residents and river users criticized recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers debris‑removal work and called for stricter local oversight at the Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting on May 13.

Speakers at the meeting said contractors hired for post‑storm debris removal have been taking large volumes of woody material from stream channels, cutting leaning but living trees, and otherwise altering habitats that residents and local biologists said are essential to fish and bank stability. The speakers urged the county to narrow the scope of removal, consult local environmental experts and require full permitting and oversight of contractor work.

"This down wood is not trash. It's essential habitat," said Jason Love, a resident who described how logs and root wads slow water, create backwater pools and provide food and shelter for fish and aquatic insects. "Numerous studies show that more wood equals more fish," Love added.

Zach Tallent, a lifelong resident and educator, told commissioners that…