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New
Hanover County Tidal Creeks Program The
program’s accomplishments include the purchase of Airlie Gardens,
a 70-acre garden with nearly 4000 feet of riparian buffer, as an
educational site, an outdoor laboratory and a focal point for the
community in the development and implementation of our estuarine water
quality program. Cost of
Acquisition: $11,500,000 CWMTF
Contribution: $2,000,000 Airlie
Water Quality Education Programming:
Includes Airlie Rain Garden, K-12 education program, Bradley Oaks
Overlook (tidal marsh boardwalk with interpretive signage), establish
Environmental Education Advisory Committee, 8th grade
hydrosphere curriculum field trip program, 15 minute video highlighting
water quality issues has been aired on government TV and featured on local
cable shows. Cost of
programming: $177,100
CWMTF Contribution: $0 Purchase
of the Peterson Properties: 5 Contiguous properties along Pages
Creek with approximately 17 acres and 4000 linear feet of creek frontage.
The property will be preserved as riparian buffer and used for
passive recreation and environmental education.
Cost of acquisition: $1,571,969
CWMTF Contribution: $1,564,314 Purchase
of the Skipper Property: 13.65
acres of riparian buffer along the Foy branch of Futch Creek, the
county’s most pristine creek, in northeastern New Hanover County.
The site will remain vacant as a vegetative buffer to the tidal
creek. Passive recreational uses such as hiking and bird watching
will be permitted. Interpretive
signage highlighting the property’s important role in filtering storm
water runoff, protecting habitat and water quality will be placed along
walking trails. Cost of
acquisition: $1,177,925
CWMTF Contribution: $1,146,620 Purchase
of the Dobo property: 16
acres of vacant land in the Hewletts Creek watershed, an otherwise built
out watershed. The land has been made available to the City of Wilmington
and their Storm water Services Division for the construction of a
retention facility serving a sub-basin of approximately 800 acres and over
1500 homes. The facility will
aid in controlling flood waters and filtering runoff before it flows into
Hewletts Creek which was recently closed to shellfishing.
The program is paying for the design of the water quality
improvements. Cost of
Acquisition: $608,050
CWMTF Contribution: $0 (request
has been made for reimbursement) Cost
of Engineering: $240,000 Purchase
of the Johnson Tract and restoration/enhancement of a wetland and
stream: ˝ acre Property on Howe Creek
Restore wetland which would function to filter storm water runoff
from a rapidly urbanizing Middle Sound Loop Road neighborhood.
Acquisition Cost: $200,366 CWMTF
Contribution: $200,366 Cost
of Restoration to date: $24,000 Smith
Property Stream Restoration (formerly known as Trask/High property) project
involves both stream and wetland restoration within a proposed residential
subdivision that has already been given preliminary site plan approval.
Property owner is donating approximately 3.5 acres conservation
easement to CWMTF. Restoration
work has been completed. Pine
Valley Country Club:
Stream restoration and stabilization of approximately 1000 linear feet of
channelized stream draining into Hewletts creek.
Numerous educational presentations to the club’s membership
resulted in increased awareness of their contribution to runoff and water
pollution. Cost of
Restoration: $151,921 CWMTF
Contribution: $151,921 Creating
and airing of 5 Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) utilizing
UNCW’s communications department and local TV stations.
The 30 second PSA’s focus attention on the following issues:
pet waste (2), litter, fertilizer usage, and washing cars on grass. Total Cost: $11,000 Cost
to CWMTF: $0 Community
Conservationist (and other support for New Hanover County Soil and
Water Conservation District): Fund
position with the New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District.
Appraisal for YWCA property. Survey
for Hewletts Creek Greenway Properties.
Total Cost: $40,000 cost to CWMTF: $0 Creation
of a BMP guide for lawn care in riparian buffer areas.
5000 copies of the guide were printed and distributed freely to
local landscaping companies, hardware stores, libraries and garden
centers. Total Cost:
$8,000 Cost to CWMTF: $0 The program recently
entered into a project with a local neighborhood group, the “Friends of
Hewletts Creek” to study the effect of Tidal flow on water quality in
that creek. The objective of
this partnership is to create awareness of water quality issues
associated with development and improve the quality of the creek’s water
through education, BMP’s and buffering. Study Costs: $16,000 Cost
to CWMTF: $0 Final Acquisition project: Duckhaven Golf Course: this property is approximately 150 acres at the juncture of three mile branch and clear run branch creeks. The creeks combine to form Bradley Creek. Bradley Creek is perhaps New Hanover County’s most impaired tidal creek. The 150 acre property is slated for development. The program is negotiating with the property owners to buy as much land as we can afford with our remaining grant money. Currently the local firm, Worsley Real Estate Company is doing a market analysis to help narrow down fair market value for us to begin our negotiations. We hope to be at the table with the developer by the late part of June to nail down our site and for final appraisal. We estimate that we can purchase between 6 and 10 acres. In addition to being a valuable riparian buffer, we think the land may be suitable for BMP installation to treat runoff from an adjacent development with a basin size of approximately 70 acres.
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