Wetlands Restoration
Every so often, a member will come by our office and ask when we’re going to clean up the scrubby plants and trees on the edge of our property on Highway 24 in Newport.
The answer is, we’re not.
The vegetation surrounding the Highway 24 property is part of a restored, manmade wetland that helps filter and clean runoff in Jumping Run Creek, which drains into major shellfish waters within Bogue Sound and is important to the health of our coastal environment.
The project, a partnership between CCEC, government and universities, began with research in 1997 that showed nearby shellfish waters were suffering from bacterial pollution.
CCEC offered up a 3-acre easement for development of the wetland project to restore Jumping Run Creek, which flows into Bogue Sound, a part of the White Oak River Basin. For nearly 10 years, the wetland area has flourished and has served to store and filter stormwater runoff from roads and development that upset the natural balance of shellfish waters.
This area treats upstream drainage from more than a third of the watershed.
The cooperative’s participation in the project demonstrates our commitment to environmental stewardship and our willingness to partner in projects that have a meaningful, positive impact on our community.
Since 2000, when the planting of native vegetation was completed, the area has not only become a microcosm of many native Eastern North Carolina plants, but also home to a variety of animal species.
With such abundant and accessible flora and fauna, the area is ideal for environmental education classes and anyone interested in learning more about the importance of wetlands to our environment and our economy.
Funding Agencies
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources — DWQ 319 Program
North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund
North Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program
Research Participants
North Carolina State University: School of Design
Biological and Agricultural Engineering: Water Quality Group
North Carolina Sea Grant
Duke Marine Lab
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources— Shellfish Sanitation Section
We welcome you to come take a tour of the wetlands area. The restoration project serves as a natural classroom for the study of flora and fauna associated with a wetland area and to see the environmental benefits of wetlands.
For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Director of Community Relations Bill Ward at 252.727.2251 or by email at billw@ccemc.com.