TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Adam Lindsay, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Sheila Thomas-Ambat, Public Services Director
Alicia Lanier, Stormwater Project Manager Special Projects
DATE: June 23, 2025
RE:
Title
Approve the Watershed Master Plan Overview and Final Deliverables for Carvers Creek, Bones Creek, and Cross Creek
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Supports Goal 3: City Investment in Today and Tomorrow, through the Strategic Objective 3.1: To enhance City street connectivity, traffic flow, and stormwater systems.
Executive Summary:
Staff seeks the City Council’s consent to accept the final deliverables for these watershed studies: Carvers Creek, Bones Creek, and Cross Creek.
The proposed solutions for the Carvers Creek watershed were presented in detail to the City Council at the April 7, 2025, Work Session under agenda item 6.01 and approved to include in the CIP. College Lake Dam evaluation was also presented to the council under agenda item 6.01 at the April 7, 2025, Work Session and the dam redesign and re-build option was approved to include in the CIP.
The proposed solutions for the Bones Creek and Cross Creek watersheds were presented in detail to the City Council at the May 6, 2024, Work Session under agenda items 4.07 and 4.08. Both agenda items were approved to include all proposed solutions in the CIP.
Background:
The Watershed Master Plan program was initiated in FY 2019 to provide a comprehensive City-wide evaluation of the flooding issues in Priority 1 areas and to develop proposed solutions. The first watersheds completed for this round of Priority 1 studies included Little Cross Creek (with Little Cross Creek Pilot), Beaver Creek 3, Cape Fear 2, Rockfish Creek, and Blounts. Final deliverables for the Little Cross Creek (with Little Cross Creek Pilot), Beaver Creek 3, Cape Fear 2, and Rockfish Creek watersheds have been submitted and accepted by Council at the September 25, 2023 meeting under agenda item 7.02, and for Blounts at the May 28, 2024 meeting under agenda item 7.0A3. Additionally, proposed solutions for Beaver Creek 2 and Little Rockfish Creek 1 watersheds have been presented to council and approved at council sessions on Feb 3, 2025 under agenda item 6.01 and May 6, 2024 under agenda item 4.08, respectively.
The final deliverables for Carvers Creek, Bones Creek, and Cross Creek have been reviewed and accepted as complete by staff.
Overall, 364 proposed solutions have been approved for the CIP at a current estimated total cost of $1.16B.
The Carvers Creek watershed covers 16.6 square miles of the city, and 1.58 square miles have been studied. Through the studies, 18 proposed solutions have been developed for an estimated total cost of $69,000,000 which includes the College Lake Dam improvements. These proposed solutions collectively mitigate 3 miles of impacted lane length, 12 road-crossing risks, 772 disconnected structures, and up to 23 impacted structures.
The Bones Creek watershed covers 20.97 square miles of the city, and 2 square miles have been studied. Through the studies, 20 proposed solutions have been developed for an estimated total cost of $65,000,000. These proposed solutions collectively mitigate 7.0 miles of impacted lane length, 10 road-crossing risks, 8 disconnected structures, and up to 105 impacted structures.
The Cross Creek watershed covers 17.8 square miles of the city, and 4.4 square miles have been studied. Through the studies, 83 proposed solutions have been developed for an estimated total cost of $386,600,000 which includes the downtown channel improvement project representing $50,000,000. These proposed solutions collectively mitigate 54.7 miles of impacted lane length, 286 road-crossing risks, 36 disconnected structures, and up to 163 impacted structures.
Issues/Analysis:
Budget Impact:
No budget impact.
Options:
1. Council provides consensus to approve the final deliverables for the following watershed studies: Carvers, Bones, and Cross Creek.
2. Council does not provide consensus to approve the final deliverables for the following watershed studies: Carvers, Bones, and Cross Creek; and remands back to staff with additional guidance.
Recommended Action:
Council provides consensus to approve the final deliverables for the following watershed studies: Carvers, Bones, and Cross Creek
Attachments:
Final CRV Report - 2025.06/ Kimley Horn
Bones Creek Watershed Study Report_sealed/ Gradient, PLLC, HDR Engineering Incl of the Carolinas
CRO Final Report (rev20250617)/Hazen Sawyer
FD for Consent Carvers, Bones, Cross Creek.ppt