Overall, the restoration of the UT to the Cape Fear on Methodist has proven to be a success, meeting each of the established project goals. The University demonstrated great foresight in pursuing stream restoration to provide long-term protection of the surrounding campus infrastructure using a nature-based solution.

The University was committed to restoring the stream channel and floodplain ecosystem to a natural equilibrium condition with healthy riparian buffer to be protected by a permanent conservation easement. As the project is centrally located within on-campus residence halls, sports complexes and athletic fields, the restoration project is highly visible to not only students, faculty and staff, but also the public through hosting of tennis, baseball and golf sporting events. A pedestrian bridge approximately bi-sects the project and serves as the primary access to the Methodist University Golf Course.

The project reach receives runoff from approximately 220 acres of urban watershed that is largely undetained and untreated as development pre-dates implementation of state or local stormwater rules. Prior to project implementation, the UT was significantly impaired, characterized by severe incision from eroding streambanks due to head cutting following watershed land use changes and stormwater inputs. The incised stream was vertically and horizontally unstable from worsening rill erosion and bank failures and had begun to threaten adjacent campus infrastructure.

The project is located in the inner coastal plain region of North Carolina, which is characterized by sandy soils with rolling topography. The stream is a sandbed system located in a confined valley about 25 feet below its terrace slope. Pre-project, the channel had begun to over widen and re-form a smaller channel, however, the formed channel lacked bedform diversity due to the high sediment loads contributed from upstream sources. Additionally, a large headcut approximately 15 feet high had formed within hardpan clay material. A significant boulder cascade structure was installed at this location, providing needed grade control at the start of the project reach.

The restored stream was designed to have natural channel dimension, pattern, profile, substrate and vegetation based on reference stream data in the watershed. The stream was connected to the surrounding forested floodplain using a “Priority Two” approach of grading the floodplain so that bankfull stage (incipient flooding) was at the elevation of the newly graded floodplain terrace with sufficient flood prone area width to dissipate hydraulic energy during bankfull and greater flood events. This geomorphic condition will be sustained by increasing sinuosity to reduce stream slope, thereby reducing bankfull shear stress and velocity. The streambed was supplemented with natural riffles and cascades, including rock and logs for habitat diversity and grade control. The streambanks and surrounding floodplain were planted extensively with native riparian vegetation.

Project Goals

• Protect campus infrastructure (dorms, parking lots, pedestrian bridge, etc.)
• Reduce streambank erosion and channel instability
• Create a flood-prone area
• Re-establish native riparian vegetation
• Improve in-stream habitat

One of the project goals was to improve and create in-stream habitat, which will be sustained through the incorporation of log j-hook grade control structures and root wads on the outside meanders bends to trap leaf packs and other woody debris. Success of live stakes and juncus plugs will ultimately provide shade cover for portions of the restored channel and mitigate high water temperatures. Constructed riffles and scour pools provide bedform diversity and opportunity to increase dissolved oxygen improving overall water quality of the project reach. A measurable water quality benefit is the significant sediment load reduction that will no longer be transported into the Cape Fear River immediately downstream. The entire restored reach in addition to 770 linear feet of channel upstream were placed in an 11-acre conservation easement to be protected in perpetuity.

Overall, the restoration of the UT to the Cape Fear on Methodist has proven to be a success, meeting each of the established project goals. The University demonstrated great foresight in pursuing stream restoration to provide long-term protection of the surrounding campus infrastructure. Ultimately, this project is a successful example in the use of nature-based solutions to provide improved hydraulic and ecological function to North Carolina’s surface waters.