Project Implementation and Strategic Partnerships

In Swannanoa, the Flood Resiliency Blueprint is awarding $822,780 to RiverLink, a regional nonprofit, to lead a flood resilience project on a 4.45-acre parcel along the Swannanoa River that was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. The project will slow flood waters and create 1.6 million gallons (five acre-feet) of flood storage to reduce flood risk along Old Highway 70 and in downstream areas. The project will use natural stormwater infrastructure like plants to capture and filter polluted runoff while stabilizing a small tributary stream of the Swannanoa River. The project will also provide economic, recreational and educational benefits to Swannanoa, which experienced some of the most destructive flooding from Hurricane Helene. The project site was identified as an opportunity for restoration and increased community resilience during field investigations for the 2025 Middle Swannanoa River Damage Assessment. 

In Rosman, the Flood Resiliency Blueprint is awarding $450,000 to Conserving Carolina, a nonprofit land trust, to lead a flood resilience project on 30 acres of former agricultural fields near the headwaters of the French Broad River. The project will slow flood waters, restore floodplains and create 7.1 million gallons (22 acre-feet) of floodplain storage along the French Broad River. This project will reduce flood risk and protect the downstream Rosman Community Park, wastewater treatment plant, and other infrastructure and properties. In addition, this project will restore 3,000 feet of tributary streams and three acres of wetlands, which will enhance water quality and ecosystem functions in the French Broad River. The site was identified as a high priority for floodplain and wetland restoration in the 2023 Upper French Broad River Basin Restoration Plan. 

To reduce regional flood risk, these projects will construct “flood benches,” which slow and spread out flood waters. This approach reduces the volume and velocity of flood waters in the main river channel, thus decreasing the potential impacts of flood events.  

In February 2026, Governor Josh Stein announced $5.7 million in grants from the Blueprint to reduce flood risk in the French Broad River Basin. Eight projects will create new floodwater storage, restore and reconnect floodplains, relocate facilities and infrastructure out of harm’s way, and improve water quality. 

• Town of Woodfin Riverside Park Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Improvements: Woodfin’s Riverside Park is a linear park located between Riverside Drive and the French Broad River. During Hurricane Helene, the park and adjacent roadway experienced significant flooding damage. Woodfin’s ongoing expansion and improvements for the park have provided an opportunity to integrate flood resilience in several forms, including riverbank stabilization and erosion control measures (boulder toe walls, bank stabilization, silt curtains, stone check dams, and temporary protection measures), stormwater infrastructure (bioretention cells, underdrains, stormwater wetlands, and pocket wetlands), grading and native plantings, and the enhancement of public access structures to withstand periodic inundation. These improvements will reduce riverbank erosion during high-flow events, improve the absorption of rainwater into the ground, slow peak flows, expand flood storage, and prioritize public safety. This award supports Woodfin’s Strategic Priorities (2025) and stormwater management goals of the town’s Comprehensive Plan (2024).  Award: $284,000 
• Town of Clyde Downtown Floodable Riverfront Park: This project will transform 1.08 acres of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) buyout properties into a public floodable park space along the Pigeon River. This project is planned as part of an integrated suite of resilience-building projects in downtown Clyde that will support local businesses, provide new recreational opportunities, and help define Clyde’s post-Helene identity. The floodable park will direct and contain flooding, reduce damage to adjacent roads, and improve the water quality of storm runoff with native-planted zones. This project aligns with the priorities of the Town of Clyde Land Use Plan (2012) and Pedestrian Master Plan (2012). Award: $401,226 
• Town of Canton Park Street River Access and Stormwater Improvements: Canton’s Park Street project will provide new community amenities designed with flood resilience in mind. The Haywood Waterways Association will lead the project, located directly along the Pigeon River in Canton and the Hellbender Regional Trail. The new park will provide Haywood County’s first public river access point, along with new walking trails and flexible open space. The one-acre floodable park will be designed for stormwater treatment and flood storage, supporting the goals of the town’s Stormwater Management Plan (2020), the Canton Land Use Plan (2022), and the Upper Pigeon Flood Risk Reduction Plan (2024). This project continues the town's history of long-term investments in public access, stormwater improvements, and flood resilience. Award: $450,000 
• Town of Canton Chestnut Mountain Floodplain Restoration: The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will lead the restoration of just over four acres of land in the floodway of Hominy Creek. The parcel is located directly upstream of and adjacent to the entrance to Chestnut Mountain Nature Park and along U.S. 19/23 (Asheville Highway). This property has experienced major flooding impacts four times in the past 25 years. Its restoration will protect U.S. 19/23 from flooding, reduce damage at the entrance to the public park, and provide approximately six acre-feet of flood storage. The parcel will be added to Chestnut Mountain Nature Park, enhancing recreational and ecological benefits in the region, and it will support the Chestnut Mountain Master Plan (2020) and Canton Land Use Plan (2022). Award: $470,000 
• Town of Canton Property Acquisition to Support School Relocation: Haywood County Schools has proposed to relocate vulnerable school buildings and sports facilities out of the floodway. The relocation is informed by a 2025 engineering study and an alternatives analysis in the Upper Pigeon Flood Risk Reduction Plan (2024). This award will help fund the acquisition of a suitable parcel for the school buildings and facilities relocation, supporting a safer, more flood-resilient future for the community. County school-owned parcels currently located in the floodway will be repurposed for future flood resilience efforts, including flood storage. Award: $2,000,000 
• Town of Black Mountain Veterans Park Floodplain, Wetland, and Green Infrastructure Complex: Veterans Park will host three interconnected projects to create a cohesive system that reduces local and downstream flood risk, reduces erosion, treats stormwater runoff, and enhances long-term resilience. Veterans Park is located in the Swannanoa River Corridor, which has experienced repeated and severe flood damage, most recently during Hurricane Helene (2024). Because the park is bisected by Interstate 40, the Town of Black Mountain will collaborate with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), aligning with the recommendations of the Swannanoa Flood Risk Management Study (2004). Improvements will include flood benching (the creation of a “shelf” where water can spread out safely from the main channel), constructed wetlands, natural stormwater infrastructure, and stream restoration. Award: $1,650,000 
• City of Hendersonville Lower Mud Creek Floodplain Restoration Phase I: Hendersonville is leading the Lower Mud Creek Floodplain Restoration Project, focused on reducing flooding and restoring natural floodplain functions in one of the city’s most flood-prone areas. The 27-acre floodplain and stream corridor is being restored to increase floodwater storage capacity, reduce flooding damage in nearby neighborhoods, and improve water quality and habitat. The community will also be able to enjoy recreational trails and open space on the site. This award will support construction, administration, and invasive species removal. This project is consistent with the City of Hendersonville Comprehensive Plan (2024). Award: $100,000 
• City of Hendersonville Municipal Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements: Hendersonville will upgrade and relocate undersized stormwater infrastructure that has caused flooding in pervious storms, threatening public safety, private property, and public roads. This project is consistent with the City of Hendersonville Comprehensive Plan (2024). Award: $356,000 

The following flood reduction projects are supported by this funding:

• The City of Greenville will implement drainage improvements and stream restoration at the East Firetower Road project. The flood resiliency project, located in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin, includes improving culverts and using nature-based solutions to mitigate flood risk to nearby communities. DEQ’s Blueprint is providing $1.5 million.

• The City of Fayetteville is tackling ongoing flooding near Eutaw Creek, a tributary to Little Cross Creek in the Cape Fear River Basin. The project will reduce flooding risk for a highly vulnerable residential area by improving culverts to alleviate upstream flooding. DEQ is providing $910,000 through the Flood Resiliency Blueprint.

• The City of Sanford will construct two box culverts and restore streams where Little Buffalo Creek crosses under Weatherspoon Street in the Cape Fear River Basin. The surrounding communities experience significant flooding during moderate to heavy rain events. The project will help reduce flooding and provide benefit to nearby residents and businesses. DEQ's Blueprint is providing $1.5 million.

The following flood reduction and floodplain protection projects are supported by this funding:

• North Carolina State University will construct and monitor two "water farming" projects on agricultural and silviculture lands, allowing farm managers to detain more 77 acre-feet of flood water while continuing to maximize crop and timber yields.
• The City of Durham will add flood control storage to a large stormwater management project on South Ellerbe Creek, enabling the stream and wetland complex to protect downstream neighborhoods by storing stormwater runoff from downtown.
• The City of Lumberton will acquire four floodplain parcels within its urban greenway corridor (the "Lumberton Loop"), remove structures and impervious surfaces, and reconnect the floodplain to adjacent wetlands, allowing for 32 acre-feet of stormwater to be detained, limiting flooding in nearby neighborhoods.
• Haywood Waterways Association will repair a portion of the Upper Pigeon River, restoring wetland function and storing 300 acre-feet of flood water upstream of downtown Canton.
• The City of Kinston will begin construction of Phase I of the Adkin Branch Flood Mitigation project, protecting health service facilities and a vulnerable neighborhood from flood waters.
• The City of Whiteville will begin construction of the Whiteville Stormwater Park, managing stormwater while providing public event space on the site of a former shopping center.
• The Town of Maysville will add a stormwater bioretention cell to manage 4 acre-feet of stormwater and address downtown flooding issues.
• The Town of Aurora will make nature-based improvements to a tributary of Bailey Creek, adding 4 acre-feet of flood water storage and limiting tidal flooding.
• The North Carolina Coastal Federation will repair a previously drained wetland along the Newport River, protecting 1,437 acres and managing 750 acre-feet of flood storage.
• The City of Hendersonville will restore portions of Mud Creek and its floodplains, protecting downstream areas from flooding and expanding city park areas.
• The City of Wilmington will restore urban portions of Hewlett Creek, reducing the frequency and severity of stormwater flooding in a large neighborhood.
• The Conservation Fund will protect 1,000 acres of floodplains and wetlands along Ashpole Swamp and transfer a total of 1,113 acres to the Lumber River State Park.
• Triangle Land Conservancy will permanently protect 400 acres of floodplain and wetlands on the 602-acre Lowgrounds property in Johnston County.
• NC Wildlife Resources Commission will permanently protect more than 2,500 acres of floodplains and wetlands in Robeson County to be managed as Game Lands.