Item:
Title
Approval of Budget Ordinance Amendment No.26BCC058 Recognizing a $240,000 Grant from the NCDEQ Division of Water Resources to the Stormwater & Erosion Control Program for the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park Stream Restoration Project
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: March 9, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No.26BCC058 recognizing a $240,000 Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant from the NCDEQ Division of Water Resources (DWR) to the County Stormwater & Erosion Control Program for the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park Stream Restoration Project. The Board is also requested to authorize the Manager to enter into a contract with DWR to accept the grant funding.
In FY 2025, North Carolina received $1.5 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for competitive funding of watershed restoration projects under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. The highest priority of the North Carolina- Nonpoint Source Program is to fund projects that target waters of the state assessed as impaired from nonpoint source (NPS) pollution and published in the most recent edition of the state’s List of Impaired Waters. Little Lick Creek, which flows through the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park, is on that list.
The Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park Stream Restoration Project was identified in the County Stormwater Nutrient Management Strategy as a potential project for compliance with the Falls Lake Nutrient Management Rules. The project consists of approximately 1,700 linear feet of stream restoration and a bioretention pond to treat stormwater on the property. The stream restoration project will remove sources of nitrogen and phosphorous from streambank erosion - helping the County meet the nutrient requirements of the Falls Lake Rules - while also reducing flooding impacts to residents of Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park. Education and outreach are also a significant component of the project.
The total estimated project cost is $2.1 million. The County previously applied for and received a $400,000 Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments (LASII) grant from the North Carolina Division of Water Infrastructure to cover the planning efforts for the Whispering Pines project. The County also received $500,000 from the Division of Soil and Water’s Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP) and $600,000 from DWR’s Water Resources Development Grant program. In total, for the $2.1 million dollar project, the County has received over $1.7 million in grant funding - over 80% of the total cost.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This agenda item supports Strategic Plan Goal 4: Environmental Stewardship and Community Prosperity. More specifically, it supports the objective of improving water quality and reducing flooding hazards to residents.
Resource Persons: Ryan D. Eaves, PE, Stormwater and Erosion Control Division Manager; Taylor Dunning, Grant Administrator; H. Jay Gibson, PE, Director of Engineering and Environmental Services
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No.26BCC058 recognizing a $240,000 Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant from the NCDEQ Division of Water Resources (DWR) to the County Stormwater & Erosion Control Program for the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park Stream Restoration Project. The Board is also requested to authorize the Manager to enter into a contract with DWR to accept the grant funding.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________