News

Sound Rivers is partnering with the City of Washington again — this time on watershed restoration plan for Runyon Creek.

The plan will be funded by a $45,000 grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, announced this week. Other project partners include the Mid-East Commission and East Carolina University.

“The Mid-East Commission will start with an in-depth study of existing stormwater infrastructure around Runyon Creek, impervious surfaces and high-risk businesses that could be polluting factors,” said Sound Rivers Program Director Clay Barber. “Then we’ll gather all that data and send it N.C, State University Biological and Agricultural Engineering. The engineers will go through and look at the data, then come up with a review of best practices to solve current issues and future issues and some recommendations on top-priority projects to implement ASAP. It gives a them a really good overview of what they have in terms of infrastructure, issues and opportunities.”

A Nine-Element Watershed Restoration Plan in place opens the door to funding for stormwater projects, which are critical to decreasing pollution and flooding.

An earlier partnership with the same groups is supplying a watershed restoration plan for Jack’s Creek, another Pamlico River tributary that drains much of the City of Washington. Clay said the Jack’s Creek project is close to being handed off to the engineers at N.C. State.

Runyon Creek runs from the U.S. Highway 264 area, down to meet the Pamlico River at the bridge between Washington and Washington Park.