Project Implementation and Strategic Partnerships

In 2024, Blueprint staff began implementing projects in six priority basins with the $96 million appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly. To implement projects efficiently and responsibly, DEQ established project partnerships with fellow state agencies and local governments. By supporting the ongoing flood resilience work of North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM), the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF), the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), the Division of Water Resources (DWR), local governments and other state agencies, the Blueprint’s investments made possible the implementation of 73 projects totaling more than $34 million in grants and allocations. 

Flood Resiliency Blueprint implementation project map

To date, the Blueprint has also committed an additional $9.8 million in investments in support of 9 projects alongside the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) and local governments. 

Looking forward, the Blueprint program is building the capacity and infrastructure to directly fund and manage resilience projects. At the same time, DEQ continues outreach to communities and state agencies to establish additional project partnerships and accomplish overlapping flood resiliency goals. 

2025 Strategic Partnerships

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The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint is partnering with the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) to provide $1.1 million for three flood risk reduction projects located in Dunn, Clyde and Smithfield. In total, the projects will restore more than 1.29 miles of stream and 50 acres of floodplain as well as retrofit a pond to reduce flooding. The Flood Resiliency Blueprint’s grant funding supports the North Carolina Land and Water Fund’s 2025 grant cycle.

The following projects are supported by this funding:

  • Stony Run Corridor Restoration Project: The Carolina Wetlands Association will restore 0.81 miles of stream and 45 acres of floodplain wetlands along Stony Run in Harnett County. The effort will reconnect the stream to its floodplain, stabilize eroding banks, remove invasive species and reestablish native vegetation to improve water quality, reduce flooding and enhance wildlife habitat. The restored corridor will be permanently protected under a conservation easement and will provide new recreational and educational opportunities for Dunn residents. Award: $270,500.

  • Pigeon River at Clyde Flood Resiliency Project: The Haywood Waterways Association will restore nearly 0.48 mile of stream and 5.3 acres along the Pigeon River within the Town of Clyde to reconnect the river to its floodplain, increase flood storage and reduce erosion. The project will stabilize eroding banks, enhance river-bank habitat and complement nearby Land and Water Fund–supported efforts such as Rivers Edge Park to create an interconnected, 10-acre flood storage system that provides long-term resiliency, improved water quality and new open space and recreational access for the community. Award: $210,500.

  • College Pond Retrofit Project: The Town of Smithfield will retrofit an existing stormwater pond to reduce flooding in the Spring Branch Watershed and Neuse River Basin. The town will install real-time controls to improve water storage and floating wetlands (platforms planted with vegetation) to remove pollutants, while providing educational opportunities for local schools and universities. The work builds on the Spring Branch Resiliency Plan and complements other flood reduction and water quality projects in downtown Smithfield. Award: $658,351.   

The Blueprint is working with North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) to implement infrastructure projects to reduce flooding and associated damaged. DEQ is providing over $3.9 million for three NCEM projects that will target flooding in Greenville, Fayetteville and Sanford.

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 Flood Resiliency Blueprint is working with the DEQ Division of Water Resources to award $6 million in grants to help reduce flood risks across the state. These grants are awarded to 11 projects in the river basins of the Cape Fear, French Broad, Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, and Lumber rivers.  

The following flood risk reduction and floodplain protection projects are supported through the partnership: 

Cape Fear River Basin

  • The Town of Apex will restore approximately four-tenths of a mile of stream channel, plant streambank vegetation, and add 5 acre-feet of floodplain water storage along Beaver Creek adjacent to the Apex Nature Park. This project is being awarded $1.4 million.

French Broad River Basin

  • Yancey County Soil and Water Conservation District will restore approximately 1,000 linear feet of stream channel and add 8 acre-feet of floodplain water storage in a Hurricane Helene-impacted residential area through an effort known as the “Cattail Creek Flood Resiliency” project. This project is being awarded $100,000.
  • The Land of Sky Regional Council will restore approximately eight-tenths of a mile of stream channel, plant 2.75 acres of streambank vegetation, and add 11 acre-feet of floodplain water storage along the French Broad River in a Hurricane Helene-impacted residential area of Madison County through the “Rollins and Fortner Hollow Riverbank Restoration.” This project is being awarded $789,000.
  • The Southwestern Commission will restore approximately half a mile of linear feet of stream channel, plant 2.6 acres of streambank vegetation, and create 6 acre-feet of floodplain water storage along the Pigeon River in a Hurricane Helene-impacted urban residential area of Haywood County through the “Town of Clyde Flood Resiliency” project. This project is being awarded $110,000.

Lumber River Basin

  • The City of Lumberton will install two culverts, restore approximately 100 linear feet upstream of the proposed culverts, and construct a vegetated bioswale to store and treat stormwater runoff from a drainage area along a frequently flooded portion of Linkhaw Road in Robeson County through the “Linkhaw Road Flood Mitigation” project. This project is being awarded $748,000.

Neuse River Basin

  • The City of Wilson will excavate two existing stormwater ponds and install a real-time control system to increase water storage capacity by 10 acre-feet and proactively manage pond water levels in a historically flooded residential area of Wilson County through the “Jetstream Park Ponds Flood Resiliency” project. This project is being awarded $395,000.
  • The Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District will restore approximately 200 linear feet of degraded stream and add 325 cubic feet of floodplain water storage in an urban residential corridor in Wake County through the “(unnamed tributary) to Walnut Creek Stream and Floodplain Restoration” project. This project is being awarded $70,000.
  • Durham County will restore approximately one-third of a mile of channel plant 1.6 acres of streambank vegetation and install a bioretention area and four bioswales to create 1 acre-feet of water storage volume along Little Lick Creek within the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park. This project is being awarded $600,000.
  • The City of Wilson will construct a 1.4-acre stormwater wetland to receive stormwater from three outfalls that drain stormwater runoff from a 29.5-acre highly impervious watershed containing the City’s Operations Center. This project is being awarded $324,000.

Tar-Pamlico River Basin

  • Dare County will install two bioswales and associated culverts within the NCDOT right-of-way to create flood storage and to treat approximately 1.8 acres of stormwater drainage along a frequently flooded portion of N.C. 12 through the “Hatteras Village Stormwater” project. This project is being awarded $65,000.
  • The Town of Nashville will restore approximately 48 acres of floodway property, construct two nature-based stormwater control measures, and plant 38 acres of streambank vegetation to add approximately 31 acre-feet of water storage along the floodplain of Stony Creek in Nash County. This project is being awarded $1.25 million.

2024 Strategic Partnerships

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The Blueprint is working with the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) to implement flood reduction and floodplain protection projects. DEQ is allocating over $9 million to 15 NCLWF projects that will provide an estimated 465 acre-feet of flood water retention, or 152 million gallons, during flood events. 

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.

The Blueprint is providing funding to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Division of Soil and Water Conservation Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP) to implement stream debris and sediment removal projects. DEQ is allocating over $4.7 million to 32 StRAP projects that will help communities across North Carolina prevent flooding during large storm events.  

This effort benefits communities preventing future flooding, restoring streams and reducing the risk to life and property. The Blueprint’s contribution supplements the StRAP program funding and supports 32 projects, six projects in the Cape Fear River Basin, two projects in the French Broad, six projects in the Lumber, five projects in the Neuse and 13 projects in the Tar-Pamlico. 

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