Governor Stein, DEQ Announce $5.7M for Flood Resilience Projects in the French Broad River Basin
RALEIGH – Today in Woodfin, Governor Josh Stein announced $5.7 million in grants from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint to reduce flood risk in the French Broad River Basin. The announcement includes eight projects that will create new floodwater storage, restore and reconnect floodplains, relocate facilities and infrastructure out of harm’s way, and improve water quality.
“Rebuilding western North Carolina after Helene means rebuilding stronger and smarter to prepare for future storms,” said Governor Josh Stein. “These grants not only rebuild and restore the French Broad River Basin but also help protect the surrounding communities so generations of North Carolinians can live in safety.”
The Flood Resiliency Blueprint previously funded $3.16 million for eight projects dedicated to long-term flood resilience in the French Broad River Basin in 2024 and 2025. Overall, the Blueprint has now funded 81 projects totaling more than $40 million.
“Communities throughout our mountains were devastated by Helene, and we know that storms are becoming more intense and more frequent throughout North Carolina,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “These Flood Resiliency Blueprint projects will make communities less vulnerable to future flooding in the French Broad River Basin and will help save lives, homes, and businesses. We appreciate the General Assembly’s strong support of the Flood Resiliency Blueprint.”
The NC Flood Resiliency Blueprint is the state’s science-based and stakeholder-driven initiative designed to support the planning, evaluation, and implementation of flood resilience strategies. It is the largest statewide flood mitigation investment in North Carolina history. The Blueprint equips local governments, the state, and supporting organizations with data, tools, and processes to guide strategic investments to reduce flood risk, fund priority projects, and address gaps in mitigation efforts. The program will deliver a set of projects and funding strategies to reduce flooding, lessen damage, and strengthen communities’ ability to recover quickly from future disasters.
As directed by the NC General Assembly, the Blueprint invests in community-identified priority flood mitigation projects across the Cape Fear, French Broad, Lumber, Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, and White Oak river basins. The NC General Assembly provided a total of $96 million for Blueprint implementation projects.
Governor Stein and DEQ Assistant Secretary for Resilience Kathie Dello announced the following projects today:
Town of Woodfin Riverside Park Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Improvements: Woodfin’s Riverside Park is a linear park located between Riverside Drive and the French Broad River. During Hurricane Helene, the park and adjacent roadway experienced significant flooding damage. Woodfin’s ongoing expansion and improvements for the park have provided an opportunity to integrate flood resilience in several forms, including riverbank stabilization and erosion control measures (boulder toe walls, bank stabilization, silt curtains, stone check dams, and temporary protection measures), stormwater infrastructure (bioretention cells, underdrains, stormwater wetlands, and pocket wetlands), grading and native plantings, and the enhancement of public access structures to withstand periodic inundation. These improvements will reduce riverbank erosion during high-flow events, improve the absorption of rainwater into the ground, slow peak flows, expand flood storage, and prioritize public safety. This award supports Woodfin’s Strategic Priorities (2025) and stormwater management goals of the town’s Comprehensive Plan (2024).
Town of Clyde Downtown Floodable Riverfront Park: This project will transform 1.08 acres of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) buyout properties into a public floodable park space along the Pigeon River. This project is planned as part of an integrated suite of resilience-building projects in downtown Clyde that will support local businesses, provide new recreational opportunities, and help define Clyde’s post-Helene identity. The floodable park will direct and contain flooding, reduce damage to adjacent roads, and improve the water quality of storm runoff with native-planted zones. This project aligns with the priorities of the Town of Clyde Land Use Plan (2012) and Pedestrian Master Plan (2012).
Town of Canton Park Street River Access and Stormwater Improvements: Canton’s Park Street project will provide new community amenities designed with flood resilience in mind. The Haywood Waterways Association will lead the project, located directly along the Pigeon River in Canton and the Hellbender Regional Trail. The new park will provide Haywood County’s first public river access point, along with new walking trails and flexible open space. The one-acre floodable park will be designed for stormwater treatment and flood storage, supporting the goals of the town’s Stormwater Management Plan (2020), the Canton Land Use Plan (2022), and the Upper Pigeon Flood Risk Reduction Plan (2024). This project continues the town's history of long-term investments in public access, stormwater improvements, and flood resilience.
Town of Canton Chestnut Mountain Floodplain Restoration: The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will lead the restoration of just over four acres of land in the floodway of Hominy Creek. The parcel is located directly upstream of and adjacent to the entrance to Chestnut Mountain Nature Park and along U.S. 19/23 (Asheville Highway). This property has experienced major flooding impacts four times in the past 25 years. Its restoration will protect U.S. 19/23 from flooding, reduce damage at the entrance to the public park, and provide approximately six acre-feet of flood storage. The parcel will be added to Chestnut Mountain Nature Park, enhancing recreational and ecological benefits in the region, and it will support the Chestnut Mountain Master Plan (2020) and Canton Land Use Plan (2022).
Town of Canton Property Acquisition to Support School Relocation: Haywood County Schools has proposed to relocate vulnerable school buildings and sports facilities out of the floodway. The relocation is informed by a 2025 engineering study and an alternatives analysis in the Upper Pigeon Flood Risk Reduction Plan (2024). This award will help fund the acquisition of a suitable parcel for the school buildings and facilities relocation, supporting a safer, more flood-resilient future for the community. County school-owned parcels currently located in the floodway will be repurposed for future flood resilience efforts, including flood storage.
Town of Black Mountain Veterans Park Floodplain, Wetland, and Green Infrastructure Complex: Veterans Park will host three interconnected projects to create a cohesive system that reduces local and downstream flood risk, reduces erosion, treats stormwater runoff, and enhances long-term resilience. Veterans Park is located in the Swannanoa River Corridor, which has experienced repeated and severe flood damage, most recently during Hurricane Helene (2024). Because the park is bisected by Interstate 40, the Town of Black Mountain will collaborate with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), aligning with the recommendations of the Swannanoa Flood Risk Management Study (2004). Improvements will include flood benching (the creation of a “shelf” where water can spread out safely from the main channel), constructed wetlands, natural stormwater infrastructure, and stream restoration.
City of Hendersonville Lower Mud Creek Floodplain Restoration Phase I: Hendersonville is leading the Lower Mud Creek Floodplain Restoration Project, focused on reducing flooding and restoring natural floodplain functions in one of the city’s most flood-prone areas. The 27-acre floodplain and stream corridor is being restored to increase floodwater storage capacity, reduce flooding damage in nearby neighborhoods, and improve water quality and habitat. The community will also be able to enjoy recreational trails and open space on the site. This award will support construction, administration, and invasive species removal. This project is consistent with the City of Hendersonville Comprehensive Plan (2024).
City of Hendersonville Municipal Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements: Hendersonville will upgrade and relocate undersized stormwater infrastructure that has caused flooding in pervious storms, threatening public safety, private property, and public roads. This project is consistent with the City of Hendersonville Comprehensive Plan (2024).
In 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly directed the DEQ to develop a statewide Flood Resiliency Blueprint. The Blueprint serves as the backbone of NC’s flood resiliency planning and is based on the best available science, stakeholder engagement, and sound decision-making to develop cost-effective projects. At the heart of the Blueprint is an online decision-support tool to help local governments, agencies, and non-governmental partners develop, evaluate, and prioritize resilience actions as well as plan and marshal funding to implement those priorities. The Blueprint supports a wide array of potential actions such as floodplain restoration, stream debris removal, elevation of utilities, stormwater controls, and policy changes. The Blueprint will make North Carolina more resilient to flooding by funding projects that limit flood extent and severity, allowing communities to recover more quickly and limit future risk as storms become more frequent and severe.
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