Background
Restoration efforts continue in the polluted Burnt Mill Creek (BMC) Watershed as a result of leadership from citizens, businesses, local community leaders and state agencies.
A NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant was used in 2009 by City of Wilmington and NCSU to identify and design 3 more BMP retrofits, and to further investigate potential sources of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which along with excessive stormwater flows are the main impairing factors for Burnt Mill Creek. A resulting fact sheet about PAHs and how to reduce the risk of PAH pollution in urban waters is being published by Cooperative Extension. The designs for the 3 BMPs, including innovative street retrofit designs in the Bottom Neighborhood and a New Hanover High School parking lot retrofit, are posted on this site. Funding for construction is being sought.
This followed a USEPA (Environmental Protection Agency) grant used from 2004-2008 to install Best Management Practices (BMPs) and educate watershed residents.
BMPs have been installed at the Wilmington Family YMCA (pervious pavement, rain gardens), Stonesthrow Condominiums (stormwater wetland), and Port City Java’s corporate headquarters on Market Street (parking lot rain garden retro-fit).
A partnership was also formed with The Bottom Neighborhood Empowerment Association, a community advocacy group in the oldest part of the BMC watershed and Wilmington. At community workshops, citizens learned how to help beautify their neighborhood and reduce stormwater runoff pollution through the installation of backyard rain gardens and rain barrels. On the BEG’s advice, the project team installed rain gardens in public spaces- large rain gardens and cisterns were installed at Gregory Elementary School of Science and Math and Williston Middle School,and rain gardens were installed at a local church, and at the Fannie Norwood Home. Community members were honored by the City of Wilmington at a ceremonyfor installing 36 rain barrels and 12 rain gardens throughout the neighborhood.
Restoration of the Burnt Mill Creek Watershed will move forward as more citizens and business owners step up to the plate to participate.
