Today, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), alongside its Division of Mitigation Services (DMS), took a significant step forward in addressing chronic flooding by initiating the Stoney Creek Watershed Flood Mitigation Pilot Project. The project, with a budget of $1.6 million, is sited on the campus of Wayne Community College (WCC) and aims to reduce flooding along Wayne Memorial Drive.
DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson, WCC President Patricia Pfeiffer, and other local stakeholders participated in the ceremony at WCC. This endeavor not only seeks to alleviate flooding but also aims to connect with the Reedy Creek greenway, offering educational benefits through its stormwater facility.
“It’s critical that we build, and rebuild, to be more resilient to devastating storms,” stated Secretary Wilson. “By planning and implementing natural infrastructure flood mitigation projects, we will help ensure Wayne County is a more resilient place for people to live, work, and raise a family.”
President Pfeiffer expressed optimism regarding the initiative’s effects. “We are pleased that the Flood Mitigation Pilot Project in the Stoney Creek Watershed will be located at Wayne Community College, helping to alleviate the flooding in the area,” she conveyed, highlighting the anticipated positive impacts on WCC and local businesses.
As the first demonstration site under the DMS Natural Infrastructure Flood Mitigation Program, established by the NC General Assembly in 2020, this project involves constructing a stormwater wetland and detention basin. It will capture campus runoff, slowly releasing it to mitigate water volume and peak flows, thereby reducing flooding.
This pilot project will inform further expansions of natural infrastructure methods in North Carolina. DEQ plans to initiate more such projects in 2025 and 2026 with allocated funds of $8.5 million, aiming to combine ongoing and future initiatives to comprehensively address flooding in the Stoney Creek Watershed.
