Stream clean out begins this week
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 19, 2017 3:05 AM
A stream cleanout project will begin this week that is designed to help mitigate possible future flooding caused by storms and/or heavy rains.
A&K Grading Co. of LaGrange will begin work on a ditch on Old Mount Olive Highway near the First Congregational Church and continue to the Durham Lake inlet.
The crews then will begin at the outlet of Durham Lake and continue to Thoroughfare Swamp. Thoroughfare Swamp crosses U.S. 13 South at Hood Drive and then flows into Falling Creek.
A blue line stream on the west side of Hood Drive that feeds into Falling Creek will also be cleaned out.
Falling Creek will then be followed from Hood Drive, across Old Grantham Road and Stevens Mill Road, until it empties into the Neuse River.
The county has received $461,473 in grants for the work to remove storm debris left behind by Hurricane Matthew and Tropical Storms Julia and Hermine.
The total includes $223,961 from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Soil & Water -Stream Debris Removal Project, and $237,473 from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
The county awarded a $146,507.25 contract to A&K Grading in July for the first two phases of the project.
When Wayne County commissioners meet on Tuesday, Nov. 21, they will consider awarding a $364,795.45 contract to A&K Grading for the third phase of the stream debris removal project.
Also on Tuesday, the board will be asked to reject all bids for phase four because of a lack of funds.
The current cleanout work can extend up to and along the Neuse River, but not the river itself.
During commissioners' 17 session, Assistant County Manager Craig Honeycutt said the county has applied for and is waiting on nearly $400,000 in additional grant funding.
The project is being conducted by Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation.
Letters, including an agreement to allow access to private property along the waterways were sent to property owners.
The agreement allowing the access must be completed, signed and returned. If a property owner does not respond, or does not grant access, that section of the stream on the property will be bypassed.
"We need these letters returned ASAP so we can move forward with the project," said Ashley Smith, Soil Conservation coordinator/director.
Throughout this process, Wayne Soil and Water Conservation will be inspecting the process and reporting to the grant funders, she said.
It a snag-and-drag program and Wayne Soil and Water Conservation will be using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 1992 Woody Removal Guide, she said.
Only those log accumulations that are obstructing the flow of water shall be removed.
Minimal disturbance to stream banks is required, so hand-operated equipment -- such as winches, chain saws, shallow draft barge, or boat -- will be the first choice in removal.
The debris will be removed and placed 15 to 30 feet up the bank from the stream. Debris will not be hauled offsite in this process.
Beaver dams will be removed.
Goldsboro is currently getting things in order to bid out the segments of Stoney Creek that fall within the city limits, Smith said.
"Our office is calling landowners that we have contact information for who have not returned their letters," she said. "We are also working with Duke Energy to gain access to their property at the Neuse River for Halfmile Branch. Once we have permission from Duke Energy, we will be ready to start.
"For the above mentioned reasons, we will begin our project with the latter of parts one and two. Once Goldsboro is ready to begin, our plans are to move forward with Stoney Creek, but we are still in need of responses from Stoney Creek landowners especially the Combs Road to U.S. 70 Bypass portion."
The first part includes:
* Stoney Creek at Combs Road to the U.S. 70 Bypass.
* Stoney Creek at the U.S. 70 Bypass to Goldsboro city limits.
* Stoney Creek at the city limit to where city limit crosses West New Hope Road.
* Stoney Creek at Billy Branch to city limit crosses Royall Avenue.
*Stoney Creek off Slocumb to the Neuse River.
* Halfmile Branch.
* Ditch from First Congregational Church to Durham Lake.
* Outlet from Durham Lake to Thoroughfare Swamp.
The second part includes:
* Thoroughfare Swamp to Falling Creek.
* Falling Creek at U.S. 13 South to the Neuse River.
* U.S. 13 South blue line ditch to Falling Creek at Hood Drive.
A detailed map can be viewed at www.waynegov.com.