The Wildlife of Murphy NC

When you come to Murphy NC, it’s common to wonder, “what kind of wildlife will I see?” It’s a great question and our area offers some wonderful wildlife.

Elk in the Smoky MountainsThe Famous: Yes, we have elk that are famous. Introduced in 2001, the National Park Service brought 25 elk to their new home in the Great Smoky Mountains. Later in 2002, another 27 were introduced. Today, there are an estimated 150-200 animals that are great to watch – and impressive to say the least. They’re herd animals always on the move and are never more than a short trip away and are commonly just North of Cherokee.

The Common: Our most common large animals you’ll see in your yard if your blessed enough to own a home in Murphy NC are deer and turkey. Many folks feed their deer and turkey in their back yard. Bucks, does, hens, and toms are great to watch and truly give you peace when you watch them.

The Small: We have the usual suspects like squirrel, raccoons, possums (who are made famous at Clay Logan’s Brasstown NC Possum Drop) , chipmunks, ground hog,  and a few others.

Are there bear in Murphy NC? Yes! There are. I’ve been here for 10 years and only seen two for a very brief moment. Jessica, my wife, is born and raised right here in Murphy and she doesn’t recall even seeing one! The fact is, you have little to concern yourself with. You’ll virtually never see them unless you go looking for them. Black bears are largely shy and do not want to be concerned with people. You’re more likely to see them as cabin decorations than to see them in real life.

What else could I see in Murphy NC? You can even find coyotes, bobcat, fox, swine, ground hog, skunk, and wolf (if you’re lucky! They’re endangered). All these are a rare treat to see.

Think you’ll enjoy the wildlife? We do! Want to own a home in the mountains of Murphy NC? We can help! Search our listings or contact us and let us know what we can do to help. Feel free to call – we’re here for you.

John Poltrock – Call The Poltrock Team – REMAX of Murphy NC – www.MyMurphy.comJohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496 – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team

The Nottley River of Murphy, North Carolina

The Nottley River  in Murphy, North Carolina is unique since it a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) river. It is small and very clean. Nottley Dam is about 4 miles upstream, and development on the river is well managed. This means muddy runoff is not a problem and quickly runs clean after a rain. Despite increasing population on much of the river, most of the riverfront property is amazingly private. It is a great river with lots of opportunity to fish, relax, and even invest in real estate right on the river itself.

Wildlife on Nottley River
Because of the stable climate in the Murphy, NC area,  wildlife is abundant along the banks of the Nottley River. [Click the link for information on each animal provided by Wikipedia]  Beaver and otter are seen in addition to raccoon, opossum, groundhog, turkey, and deer. A gorgeous selection of birds can be seen throughout the year. Indigo buntings stay all summer along with tiny hummingbirds. Goldfinches can be found all year long and put on a beautiful show. Titmouses, bluebirds, house finches, and wrens are here all year along with chickadees. There are many bright red cardinals, which also happen to be the state bird of North Carolina. There are also two kinds nuthatches. Junkos are a nice addition in the winer as well are the geese and ducks that fly into local lakes. There are red-breasted and pileated woodpeckers, and in May, there are even some migrating cedar waxwings.

 

Fishing on Nottley River

For the trout fisherman, the Nottley River has a special interest. It is not stocked, but supports quite a population of wild rainbow trout, which is unique to our area. The spawn is in April. Access to the river is limited and there is little to no pressure of over fishing. Significant hatches of small grey caddis (sizes 16-18) occur in March to April and caddis (all day) and baetis mayflies (sundown) hatch all summer. Use this link for details of water releases from the TVA dams.

What Creates the Nottley River?

The Nottley River flows from Lake Nottley, which is a dam controlled lake formed by the TVA. It flows roughly 40 miles and spills in to Lake Hiwassee in Murphy NC.Murphy NC Area River Basins

Chances of Flooding on the Nottley River

Since Nottley River is dam controlled by the TVA, the chances of flooding are virtually non-existent. It has had extensive flood studies on the surrounding land on the River, and the annual chance of flood hazard is 0.2% chance according to the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Information System. With less than a 1% chance of flooding, the Nottley River is a very safe river to own real estate on compared to many of the others.

Real Estate on Nottley River

There are a lot of opportunities to own both homes and land with Nottley River frontage. One of best aspects of Nottley is your river property actually runs to the centerline of the river – meaning you actually own part of the river itself.

We have a Nottley River Front development in Murphy NC with several river front lots and all interior lots have river access from the common area. We would be happy to search for both homes and land for you and email them directly to you. Please use our Murphy NC Dream Home Finder and we’ll do the work for you!

You are also welcome to use our Murphy NC and Cherokee County MLS Homes and Land Real Estate Search function to see what’s available right on your computer.

John Poltrock, Certified Residential Specialist – www.MyMurphy.com – Email at JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call us Toll-Free at 1-866- Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496

Your Order’s Ready! Nottley River Lots Coming Right Up! – A previous post with some of this information