Gov. Josh Stein announced $5.7 million in state grants for eight flood mitigation projects in Western North Carolina today. While speaking from the bank of the French Broad River in Woodfin, Stein said the funded projects will help reduce flood risk in the French Broad River Basin.
The eight projects will create new floodwater storage; restore and reconnect floodplains; relocate facilities and infrastructure out of harm’s way; and improve water quality.
The state grants are part of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint. The first-of-its-kind plan was initiated after the General Assembly directed the agency to develop a way to limit the impact of floods around the state’s rivers.
“ We know that there will be floods to come in the future. So we are making smart investments now to limit flood severity, enable communities to recover more quickly and to limit future risk,” Stein said at a press conference Monday.
Stein announced the projects at the future site of the Taylor’s Wave, an artificial wave for kayakers that is set to open in the summer. The wave is part of a larger project to rework the river corridor between Asheville and Woodfin that is partially funded by state grants.
“These are amenities that just make our lives better. And if you can do that and mitigate the risk of future flooding. That is a win-win,” Stein said.
The North Carolina General Assembly provided a total of $96 million for implementing Blueprint projects. So far, the state has spent just under half of that money.
“Flood resilience is best achieved through thousands of small, community centered projects that preserve the character of the places that we live, work and play,” Assistant Secretary for Resilience Kathie Dello said during the press conference Monday.
Haywood County Schools is one of the beneficiaries of the latest round of grants. It received $2 million to purchase land and relocate school facilities out of flood-prone areas. While the school board is still in the planning stages of finding suitable land, Haywood County Schools Assistant Superintendent Graham Haynes said the money will “put us in the right direction.”
“ I think viable land that is good to build on, that you don't have to do tons of grading [on] is somewhere around $100,000 an acre,” Haynes said to BPR. “Depending on what it is we decide that we're going to do will really depend on what that cost is gonna be.”
The projects are:
Woodfin Riverside Park Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Improvements: Woodfin’s Riverside Park will receive $284,000 for riverbank stabilization, erosion control measures, stormwater infrastructure and the structures to withstand periodic inundation.
Clyde Downtown Floodable Riverfront Park: The $400,000 grant will help the town construct a floodable park that can direct and contain floodwaters and reduce damage to nearby roads.
Canton Park Street River Access and Stormwater Improvements: The $450,000 in state grants will go towards a new park to provide Haywood County’s first public access point to the river, along with new walking trails and flexible open space. The one-acre floodable park will be designed for stormwater treatment and flood storage.
Canton Chestnut Mountain Floodplain Restoration: The grant money – $470,000 – will help restore just over four acres of land in the floodway of Hominy Creek.
Canton Property Acquisition to Support School Relocation: The $2 million award will fund the purchase of land to relocate vulnerable school buildings and sports facilities out of the floodway. Haywood County school-owned parcels currently located in the floodway will be repurposed for future flood resilience efforts, including flood storage.
Black Mountain Veterans Park Floodplain, Wetland, and Green Infrastructure Complex: The $1.6 million will go towards improvements that include constructing wetlands, natural stormwater infrastructure, and stream restoration, as well as flood benching, a process for creating a “shelf” where water can spread out safely. .
Hendersonville Lower Mud Creek Floodplain Restoration Phase I: This $100,000 award will support construction, administration, and invasive species removal on the 27-acre floodplain and stream corridor.
Hendersonville Municipal Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements: The $356,000 will upgrade and relocate undersized stormwater infrastructure that has caused flooding in previous storms, threatening public safety, private property, and public roads.
The eight new projects announced Monday bring the total in the region to 16. They are part of a statewide push – that now includes 81 projects – to make riverside communities resilient against flooding.
