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.
“North Carolina is experiencing stronger and more frequent storms,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “DEQ’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint invests in local projects that will help reduce flood risk and make our communities less vulnerable to damaging flooding from events like Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal.”
“The North Carolina Land and Water Fund is once again excited to join with DEQ to further our common goal of making the state more resilient to future flooding events,” said Will Summer, executive director of the NCLWF. “The NCLWF always has more excellent projects than we can fund, and this partnership allows us to meet more of those community needs and get DEQ funds on the ground faster – it’s a win-win.”
The Flood Resiliency Blueprint’s grant funding supports the North Carolina Land and Water Fund’s 2025 grant cycle. As directed by the North Carolina General Assembly, the Blueprint continues to allocate $76 million in funding to support flood mitigation efforts in the Cape Fear, French Broad, Lumber, Neuse, Tar Pamlico and White Oak river basins.
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.
About the North Carolina Flood Resiliency Blueprint
In 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly directed the DEQ to develop a statewide Flood Resiliency Blueprint. The Blueprint serves as the backbone of NC’s flood resiliency planning and is based on the best available science, stakeholder engagement and sound decision-making to develop projects. At the heart of the Blueprint is an online decision support tool to help local governments, agencies and non-governmental partners develop, evaluate and prioritize resilience actions as well as plan and marshal funding to implement those priorities. The Blueprint supports a wide array of potential actions such as floodplain restoration, stream debris removal, elevation of utilities, stormwater controls and policy changes. The Blueprint will make North Carolina more resilient to flooding by funding projects that limit flood extent and severity, allowing communities to recover more quickly and limit future risk as storms become more frequent and severe. DEQ has funded 73 Blueprint projects statewide totaling more than $34 million, including the projects that are being announced this week.