There are only two dams on the New River. The Corps has a huge flood control dam on the New above Hinton which doesn't have the many undesirable ecological features associated with huge drawdown reservoirs. The Bluestone Reservoir seems to be one worthwhile project that brings real benefits to the state. The second dam is below Hawks Nest and is run by Union Carbide in conjunction with the tunnel bypass. Appalachian naturalist Maurice Brooks has written of the New River as a means of introducing plant species into the state from more southerly regions-the Catawba rhododendron, Carolina silverbell, sweet gum and Spanish oak to name a few.
Water willow fills the shallow waters near the shore in great profusion during the summer.
Many other plants not common to other parts of the state may also be seen. Waterfowl are common on the upper reaches. The New is one of the state's most significant treasures, but only the whitewater paddler can see it all. This is a long stretch of predominantly flat water interspersed with a few ledges and occasional mild rapids in an isolated valley far from civilization. It is occasionally run as an overnighter.