From abstract: Data were collected at three sites on the Black River near Dunn, North Carolina, to define the effects of channel excavation on water-quality characteristics and on ground-water levels in nearby areas. Background data were collected at a site upstream from the 5-mile-long excavated reach. Changes in hydrologic characteristics were determined from data collected before, during, and after the construction period 1976-81. Significant changes occurred in shallow ground-water levels, streamflow velocities, water temperatures, dissolved oxygen, and suspended sediment; little or no change occurred in pH, dissolved solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, and bacteria.