LET'S TALK ABOUT CREEKS
STORMWATER CREEKS ARE ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
and they need our help
STORMWATER CREEKS
The City of Raleigh has a network of stormwater creeks that serve us by managing rainfall events, nurturing lush ecosystems with diverse wildlife, and providing us with calm, beautiful pockets of neighborhood wonder.
These quiet connectors of our neighborhoods gently weave together flourishing wildlife corridors & habitats, dutifully bracing to absorb & mitigate the expected rise in destructive, unpredictable floodwater volumes & velocities.
980+ miles of streams, creek, ditches, and other open channels are on privately-owned property. An additional 190+ miles of waterways are on City-owned properties. *
Approximately 75% of streambanks are considered to be experiencing high, very high, and severe erosion. *
Unchecked erosion & outdated policy, along with the onset of rapid development, are compounding ecosystem & streambank destabilization. In spite of that...
OUR CREEKS (MUST) PERSIST
THE SITUATION:
RALEIGH HAS GROWING PAINS
OUR (COLLABORATIVE) GOAL IS TO BECOME A RESILIENT "SPONGE" CITY
Resiliency of our stormwater creeks requires thriving green spaces along our many waterways to provide interwoven root systems, robust canopies, and diversity of plant life to functionally absorb excess floodwaters & recover from severe rainfall events.
To properly maintain stormwater creeks, riparian buffers must remain intact and we must expect our waterways to require ongoing restoration and re-engineering over time.
Raleigh must enact policies that acknowledge stormwater creeks as critical utility systems & proactively conserve land adjacent to waterways as runoff & flood mitigation spaces.
Reducing infill development & impervious surfaces on properties directly adjacent to stormwater creeks, we can begin providing relief to the compounding problems of streambank erosion which destabilize neighborhood environmental resiliency.
For generations, we have not recognized the inherent value of stormwater creeks, leaving them in varying states of neglect in a "set it and forget it" mentality, allowing unchecked erosion and permanent riparian buffer loss all throughout Raleigh.
PERPETUATING RESILIENCY
It takes a village to
raise a creek
RALEIGH'S FINAL FRONTIER
Let's shift perspectives away from neglecting our creeks and begin taking action for restoration of our natural neighborhood resources.
We must adapt & collaborate with residents, property owners, businesses, students, volunteer organizations, and the City of Raleigh to step up and share the responsibility for our creek ecosystems.
Raising community awareness about stormwater creeks & wildlife ecosystems enable broader recognition of streambank health & the necessity of riparian buffers.
Engaging with neighborhoods to seek out community green spaces, connect segments of riparian buffer, and establish expectations of ongoing creek restoration & educational programs cultivates Raleigh's kinship of creek stewards.
Each creek is different & each approach of restoration reflects the needs of every community, creating wonderful opportunities to discover the hidden spaces along stormwater creeks.
OUR CREEKS ARE (INCREDIBLY) UNIQUE
RaleighCREEKS is a non-profit organization collaborating to address longer, connected segments of stormwater creeks throughout our neighborhoods, working to identify keystone community spaces for ongoing habitat & streambank restoration, and inspiring stewardship & awareness of our natural creek ecosystems.
By establishing neighborhood hubs, steeped in education about our stormwater creek ecosystems, we help diversify how we learn to become stewards of our connected backyard wildlife habitats, inspire rising generations of creek enthusiasts, and collectively cultivate neighborhood environmental resiliency.
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