Construction to restore 3,550 feet of Lick Creek began in February and was completed in June of this year. This stream restoration project began at the bridge off Olive Branch Church Road and proceeded east for 3,550 feet towards the controversial Falls Lake. The project’s design, permitting and construction were funded through two Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) grants totaling $636,000. There was additional funding secured ($35,500) by the Soil and Water staff through the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative (UNCWI) for the transaction cost of the three conservation easements that were donated in perpetuity. The Durham Soil and Water Conservation District will hold and monitor these easements to assure compliance.
This section of Lick Creek had significant vertical instability problems (incision and bank slumping) which elevated sediment levels downstream to the sum of 230 tons/year.
Sediment is a significant pollutant to water quality and aquatic habitat. The restored channel is a tributary that flows into Falls Lake, and eventually the Neuse River. Channel incision and bank erosion had compromised the adjacent riparian buffer that was located mostly within an open pasture and forested area and within an area that is becoming an urban dominated watershed. As in most cases rarely yield stable stream systems. The subdivisions and impervious surfaces located upstream have significant runoff that contributed sediment through overland flow into the tributary, since there was not adequate groundcover and root density. In addition to stabilizing bank erosion and vertical instability, the project also added a greater than 50 feet of herbaceous and riparian buffer and a permanent conservation easement (approximately 13.6 acres) on each side of the stream to help capture and filter the overland runoff from the site. Water quality is expected to continue to improve as the riparian buffer matures.
In June of this year a tour was conducted for Durham County’s State Legislator’s, some local official and state resource representatives.
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Unnamed Tributary to Lake Michie- Restoration Project completed
In the spring of this year the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District completed this stream restoration project on 1,950 feet located on Mr. Gerald Thacker’s farm, north of Bahama. This Unnamed Tributary is just up stream from one of Durham’s drinking water supplies, Lake Michie. The project was funded through a Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant ($275,000) and the overall cost of the project was $313,000. The District hire Baker Engineering firm to design, layout and observation of the project and Riverworks was contracted for the construction. The project success was elevated by the cooperative manner in which Mr. Thacker worked with the District. Also, he donated a conservation easement (7.76acres) that will remain as such for perpetuity.
The project’s original goal was to improve water quality, stabilize vertical incision and lateral migration, reduce sediment runoff, exclude livestock from accessing the stream channel, establish a large vegetated riparian buffer, and but not lest provide habitat. This was accomplished by lowering the floodplain along the upper reach and raising the streambed along the lower reach while using several types of in-stream structures that provide adequate habitat for aquatic organisms, as well as stability. The incorporation of wood with j-hooks and steps provided better habitat for the aquatic organisms. Wood logs were used as part of the arms of the j-hook instead of boulders. By utilizing the on-site debris the finished product’s appearance resembled a more natural one. Since construction, the stream has had a few low to medium discharge events, but only one bankfull event has reached the floodplain. The channel was the most venerable to erosion and instability the day that it constructed because the vegetation had not rooted at that point. As of today the channel has had no problems during any rain events and given the vegetated cover that now exist chances are it will not.
The District has showcased this project on some of its tours and the landowner has repeatedly expressed his approval of the project.
