Story by Matt Young | September 9, 2010 | Tags: Black Creek, Education, Environment, west cary middle
Flooding on Black Creek after hurricane Hanna in 2008.
Cary, N.C. – Rain gardens are the rage. Simply put, they are gardens built in spaces that are situated so that they collect rain water from surrounding areas. Add native plants to the mix and you’ve got a very eco-friendly 21st century garden. But the goal is more serious than just a display of flora.
Eye on the Environment at West Cary Middle
Two new rain gardens were recently installed at West Cary Middle to reduce storm water runoff and pollution flowing into the neighboring Black Creek.
An inaugural event will take place on Friday, September 10 at 2:30 p.m. at West Cary Middle School. It will feature National Geographic Emerging Explorer Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the legendary French deep sea pioneer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and is sponsored by the Black Creek Watershed Association (BCWA) in partnership with NC State University and the Town of Cary.
Black Creek – Impaired
From the Black Creek Watershed Association web site: The Black Creek watershed is 3.3 square miles in area and is located in north Cary, NC. The watershed stretches from downtown Cary to Crabtree County Park near I- 40. The creek discharges to Lake Crabtree, a flood control reservoir on Crabtree Creek.
Highly urbanized, the watershed is nearing build-out with a combination of high density residential, commercial, and institutional development. Classified C, Nutrient Sensitive Waters (NSW), Black Creek is on the 2004 NC 303d list with impairment for aquatic life and potential sources listed as urban runoff/storm sewers.
Black Creek is considered impaired by the State of North Carolina and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meaning it does not support the aquatic life that should live in a NC piedmont stream. Last year, the EPA awarded a grant that allowed the BCWA to start restoring the health of the creek.
Middle-Schoolers Showing How It’s Done
The West Cary Middle School rain gardens are the first watershed improvement projects implemented by the BCWA and will be used as a demonstration model for the community.
The two new rain gardens at West Cary Middle will help reduce flooding on the campus, provide an outdoor classroom for the students and make the areas more attractive.
Black Creek photo by LateralusNC via a Flickr Creative Commons license.
