In 2021, the Town of Carrboro collaborated with neighborhoods in the Bolin Creek Watershed to apply for a Section 319 Non-Point Source Pollution Control Grant. The grant was selected for funding by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) and Carrboro's Town Council passed a resolution accepting the grant in January 2022.
The grant has provided federal funding in support of:
- Stabilizing eroding ephemeral channels and adjacent areas. Land use in the Bolin Creek watershed is dominated by single-family residential neighborhoods; erosion concerns are a driver of water quality issues in the watershed.
- Providing educational outreach to neighbors and other interested partners. Project Partners (North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension, Friends of Bolin Creek, and others) will plan for and offer educational workshops for neighbors and interested residents on how to better protect the health of streams and manage stormwater on their properties.
- Adding native vegetation to streambank and eroded areas. An additional grant through the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District supports purchasing plants, mulch and other strategically chosen vegetation to re-plant eroded areas and prevent further erosion.
- Showing what is possible with community collaboration. With the support of 5 Homeowners' Associations, 2 universities, 2 independent agencies, a nonprofit and a school teacher, this project will show that a common goal can be achieved with support from the community.
Strategy and Timeline:
A focus was piloting the new and innovative "Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance" practice.
Work on the grant began in the Spring of 2022 and has proceeded per the following timeline:
- 2022:
- Contracted for engineering design
- Planned for/began public education workshops and actions by HOAs and homeowners
- Determined and executed necessary agreements between project partners
- 2023:
- Completed engineering design (winter/spring)
- Released construction bid; executed construction contract (spring/summer)
- Complete construction (fall)
- 2024:
- Initial plantings
- Replacement plantings, workshops
- Planning for long term maintenance
- Grant closeout
Partners:
The following partners generously supported the grant with contributions of cash, in-kind matching, and professional services, including volunteer time, contractual services or consultation, intern hours, the development of educational workshops, and additional grants support.
Grant Partners Bolin Forest HOA (Phase II) Bolin Creek HOA Forest Court HOA Town of Carrboro Orange County Planning & Inspections Department OWASA NC Cooperative Extension Friends of Bolin Creek UNC EcoStudio Carrboro High School
| Professional Partners Kris Bass Engineering Fluvial Solutions Sungate Design Group Other Government & Nonprofit Partners NC Department of Environmental Quality US Environmental Protection Agency Urban Sustainability Solutions
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Further Reading:
For more information, check out a PDF slideshow of a community meeting given in December 2021 to partner HOA members. Also be sure to read more about Bolin Creek and all the watershed restoration efforts at the Carrboro's Creeks webpage.
