SCOR Stream Restoration and Riparian Area Reclamation Projects

Greenville County has been awarded an ARPA-Funded Stormwater Infrastructure Program (ASIP) grant through the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) to establish a riparian forest and perform a restoration along the Reedy River watershed.

*This bid includes two separate projects at separate locations*

The Little Creek Stream Improvement and Riparian Area Reclamation project is intended to establish a riparian forest and perform a restoration along previously acquired floodplain buyout properties within the Reedy River watershed. It is a tributary in the upper Reedy River watershed. Near the confluence of Little Creek with the Reedy River, a group of multiple properties were acquired as part of Greenville County’s floodplain buyout program in 2010 to reduce flood risks near the intersection of Plano Drive and Vinson Drive. The proposed project consists of a 6.5-acre reforestation effort, and a one-sided (1,000-ft) and two-sided (400-ft) Priority 2 and 3 stream restoration.

The North Chastain Stream Restoration and Riparian Area Reclamation project is intended to establish a riparian forest and perform a restoration along previously acquired floodplain buyout properties within the Reedy River watershed. The proposed project is contained on County-owned property and consists of a 5.5-acre reforestation effort, a 600-ft Priority 2/3 (as categorized by the USACE) stream restoration of an unnamed tributary, and single-sided 600-ft Priority 3/4 stream restoration of Langston Creek.

The stream restoration work may include bank grading with the help of soil lifts, coir matting, turf reinforcement matting, boulder walls and bank toe treatments (toe rock, toe wood, and boulder toes(s)). They will also include the installation of instream features such as cross vane(s), boulder/constructed riffle(s), stream drop(s), j-hook vane(s), and single arm vane(s). Additionally, these projects may include re-routing or daylighting of streams.

** Notice to Proceed (NTP) contingent on all pending permit approvals **

Much of the property around these projects was acquired as part of Greenville County’s floodplain buyout program in 2010, when the County acquired properties to reduce flood risks in the area. The proposed projects include a mix of instream improvements and other stormwater BMPs designed to improve water quality, reduce nutrients, improve ecological function in the watershed that is part of a larger, multi-organizational effort to improve water quality and facilitates future expansion of the trail system in the Reedy River Watershed.

By stabilizing streams and restoring it’s surrounding vegetation, streams become much less likely to erode, and by reducing velocity and sediment loading, reduce the risk of downstream problems. Additionally, reforesting the areas along streams help to further bolster a stream’s resistance to erosion. In general, reforesting also reduces stormwater volume, reduces pollutant loadings, and increases ecological diversity. The County believes the combination of these practices will help to protect and restore its waterways, reduce flooding and risk to infrastructure, and increase its resiliency well into the future.