Success Story: Managing Stormwater with Wetlands
New Bern project grows natural stormwater resilience while improving native ecosystems
Project Purpose
The City of New Bern wanted to reduce the impact of larger rainfalls that had caused major flood damage. In partnership with the State of North Carolina and NC State University, New Bern completed the Jack Smith Creek Stormwater Wetlands. The project aimed to improve the quality of the water that flows from nearby land into Jack Smith Creek, reduce the impact of nuisance flooding and protect and preserve existing wetlands along the waterway.
Quick Facts
- The Jack Smith Creek Stormwater Wetlands project is a multi-use park that helps manage flooding and protect water quality.
- The project features more than 38 acres of wetland, including 25 acres of planted stormwater wetlands, 10 acres of preserved wetlands, more than two acres of enhanced wetlands and one acre of newly created wetland.
- The City of New Bern used a conservation easement to gain access to the land.
- At the time of project completion, the Jack Smith Creek Stormwater Wetlands was the largest artificial wetlands site in North Carolina.
- The wetlands are designed to capture and treat runoff from over 1,000 acres of commercial and residential land.
Spotlight on Equity
The Jack Smith Creek Stormwater Wetlands is near vulnerable populations. Nearby neighborhoods are home to many Black or African American residents, residents who do not speak English well, families and elders in deep poverty and households without cars (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2013). The project reduces the risk of street flooding and property flooding for these residents, restores natural habitat in their neighborhood and provides access to green space.
| Key Info | |
|---|---|
| Location | New Bern, N.C. |
| Estimated Costs | $2,600,000 |
| Published | March 1, 2024 |
| Project Contacts |
|---|
| Avery Smith Stormwater Superintendent, Public Works Department City of New Bern smitha@newbernnc.gov (252) 639-7501 |
| George Chiles Director of Public Works City of New Bern chilesg@newbernnc.gov (252) 639-7501 |
| Related Resources |
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- The City of New Bern contacted the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) about water quality and stormwater issues.
- In 2004, the City and the NC DEQ Division of Mitigation Services (then called the Ecosystem Enhancement Program) began searching for land that experienced frequent flooding to place a project. They found a location with no residents and few structures.
- They used a conservation easement process to access the land.
- In 2007, New Bern engaged other partners, including the Stormwater Engineering Group from the NC State University (NCSU) Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. The academic partners informed the design of the 51-acre site by collecting and analyzing wetlands and stormwater data.
- New Bern hired a contractor to construct the stormwater wetland. The contractor began construction in 2009 and completed their work in 2012.
- In 2013, project partners finished the final plantings, marking the project’s completion.
- The City kept the public apprised of the project through local media and press releases throughout construction.
- The City assumed all management, monitoring and stewardship functions following project completion.
- In 2018, the regulatory monitoring period closed.
The design applies numerous innovations to maximize capacity. For instance, the wetlands use a “multi-cell, labyrinth approach” that directs stormwater runoff by using small dams (called "weirs") and culverts to maximize water quality improvements that promote biodiversity. A pump moves roughly 1,000 gallons of water per minute (GPM), with emergency activation up to 40,000 GPM. The pumps allow New Bern to use the stormwater wetlands for flood control. In addition, the project was part of the NC DEQ Division of Mitigation Services’ Nutrient Offset Program. The site’s 140,000 native wetland plants filter excess nutrients from the water before it reaches the Neuse River. Ultimately, the elevation of the wetlands plays a key role in how much river surge the project can control.
- The total project cost was $2.6 million (2012 dollars), including $1.4 million for wetland restoration work and $300,000 for the easement.
- The City of New Bern dedicated at least half of one employee’s time for project management, ongoing monitoring and maintenance costs.
- The North Carolina Land and Water Fund (then known as the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund) supported the project financially.
City of New Bern, NC DEQ Ecosystem Enhancement Program, NCSU Department of Biological and Agriculture Engineering Stormwater Group
- Upon completion, the Jack Smith Creek Stormwater Wetlands were the largest artificial wetlands in North Carolina.
- The site captures stormwater from more than 1,000 acres of residential and commercial properties. The project features more than 38 acres of wetland, including 25 acres of planted stormwater wetlands, 10 acres of preserved wetlands, more than two acres of enhanced wetlands and one acre of newly created wetland.
- Monitoring showed that the project managed water quality and stormwater as intended.
- The site is now a popular park and public recreation area.
- PBS’s “AquaKids” featured the project when discussing the importance of wetlands and the benefits they provide.
Project managers mentioned that new regulations require “full delivery” for wetland enhancement projects funded by the NC DEQ Division of Mitigation Services. This means that NC DEQ now requires similar projects to be managed and delivered via a bidding process, so NC DEQ is no longer able to provide project management as the agency did in this case.
U.S. Department of Commerce. (2013). Populations at Risk: New Bern, NC Census Tracts 9606, 9608, 9605.02. Retrieved from Headwaters Economics: https://headwaterseconomics.org/par
U.S. Department of Commerce. (2019). Neighborhoods At Risk: New Bern, NC. Retrieved from Headwaters Economics: https://nar.headwaterseconomics.org/