Council approves $1.25M Water Resources Development Grant for Stony Creek wetland restoration

The Town of Nashville will pursue a Stony Creek wetland restoration project after the council approved execution of a $1.25 million Water Resources Development Grant agreement.

Corey told the council the project was funded in full and described the scope: create flood‑storage wetland and bioretention areas, install a bioswale, remove invasive species and restore native vegetation across roughly 6.2 acres to increase flood water storage and mitigate downstream flooding. Staff said the grant shows a $1,960,000 project cost and lists a $655,000 match, but that figure represents funds already spent on property purchase, prior grant receipts and partner contributions rather than new town cash.

“Earlier this calendar year the council had approved two resolutions in support of an application...we were recently notified that our project was funded in the full amount of $1,250,000,” Corey said. Staff also noted an additional $25,000 donation from Duke Energy toward the project.

Council approved execution of the grant agreement and heard that design and construction oversight will return to council for review. Staff said the project timeline aims to complete construction components in year one and monitor native species and site performance over the following two years; an environmental engineer will be engaged to finalize design before construction begins.

Next steps: staff will finalize a design contract, return to council with construction plans and manage grant reporting and timelines required by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality grant agreement.