ARCADIS is providing stream restoration services to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Wetlands Restoration Program (NCWRP), an innovative, proactive, and non-regulatory program designed to restore streams and riparian areas throughout the State. NCWRP is a non-profit agency that is dedicated to the long-term success of improving the water quality of North Carolina's tributaries and rivers and restoring wetlands via mitigation projects such as the Murphy Farm site. ARCADIS provided environmental and engineering design as well as construction inspection services to NCWRP for their recent Murphy Farm Stream Restoration project located in Louisburg, North Carolina.
Running through the middle of the property owner's 32-acre farm, the stream had degraded and eroded significantly over the years due, in large part, to the torrential rain events associated with hurricanes Fran and Floyd and unrestricted cattle access. ARCADIS engineers and biologists redirected approximately 1,200 linear feet of the stream from its existing straight and deep path to a more natural flow that resulted in serpentine meanders and step pools. To return these original characteristics to the stream, ARCADIS used more than 800 tons of rock to design "rock vanes" that were strategically placed at precise points across the stream to improve the hydraulic flow and reduce shear stress. The steep banks were graded and expanded to form gentle slopes to the water. The newly graded banks were covered with yards of a specialized fiber cloth under which riparian vegetation was planted to grow through the fiber and stabilize the banks and prevent future erosion. Trees will be planted along the banks during late fall to further enhance the structural integrity of the bank system.
Project Benefits:
Through ARCADIS' engineering and design of the Murphy Farm Project, the stream was returned to a state where bank erosion and sedimentation will be minimized, thus reducing the amount of silt and debris that would otherwise find its way to the Tar-Pamlico River. By grading, seeding and planting the streambanks, a newly restored ecosystem will be able to flourish once again. The restored stream also helps the property owner comply with new rules that are designed to reduce nutrient loading into the Tar-Pamlico River.
