MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Mecklenburg County is currently hosting Creek Week, a week-long initiative led by Stormwater Services to educate residents about the importance of local water management.
The program highlights the efforts required to keep the county’s waterways clean and functional.
Stormwater Services manages more than 3,000 miles of creeks and streams throughout Mecklenburg County.
The agency works to maintain these systems to protect local infrastructure and ensure the water remains safe for the community.
Proper management and restoration of these waterways help prevent catastrophic flooding and manage pollution from urban runoff.
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Taylor Mebane-Chever, a representative for Stormwater Services, said many residents may not realize how close they are to these water systems during their daily routines.
“A lot of people don’t know that they’re probably driving over it or walking over it,” Mebane-Chever said.
The initiative focuses on showing residents where their water comes from, where it goes, and what it carries with it.
Pollution management is a primary focus of the week, as officials track how street-level debris enters the environment.
Mebane-Chever emphasized that anything left on the ground eventually reaches the water supply through the storm drain system.
“Anything that’s on the ground that doesn’t get cleaned, it’s gonna end up in a storm drain and end up in our creek and could potentially end up in our drinking water sources,” Mebane-Chever said.
Beyond litter removal, the county utilizes stream restoration to manage water volume and prevent erosion.
This process involves stabilizing creek banks with plants and grasses to slow down water flow.
Mebane-Chever explained that in urban areas, these systems must handle significant amounts of runoff that can lead to rapid changes in water levels.
“So when the streams take on all that water, they rise really quickly,” Mebane-Chever said.
Restoring these systems allows the land to better absorb water from impervious surfaces like concrete, parking lots, and roadways.
Mebane-Chever said this management is essential for keeping water in the natural ecosystem rather than in homes or businesses.
“When they are restored like this, and when they have the capacity to take on the water that they need, absorb the water from these impervious surfaces like concrete from all these roadway structures, parking lots, buildings, it keeps that water in the ecosystem and not in our buildings and in our homes,” Mebane-Chever said.
Creek Week continues through Saturday. Stormwater Services will conclude the initiative by hosting the Big Spring Clean, a county-wide volunteer event to remove trash and debris from local creeks.
VIDEO: FEMA funds new warning sirens along Caldwell County creek after Helene disaster
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