DuPont Forest, in Transylvania County, garnered a $xx million grant by the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, one of the largest single investments in the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina. Angie Newsome/Carolina Public Press
DuPont State Forest, in Transylvania County, garnered a $16.6 million grant by the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, one of the largest single investments made by the program  in the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina. Angie Newsome/Carolina Public Press

The Clean Water Management Trust Fund, which since its inception in 1996 has distributed more than $200 million in grants in the region and more than $977 million statewide, has seen its funding fall by nearly 90 percent in the past two budget cycles and faces an even deeper cut this year.

Below is a list of the largest mountain-area projects funded by the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, total grants from the fund and the total amount leveraged and spent on the projects overall (with additional funding from other sources). For information on additional, smaller projects also aided by the fund, see the fund’s website.

Avery: 23 projects

$9,969,685 CWMTF; $25,558,744 total spent on projects

2012 — acquisition, Grassy Ridge Tract, Martin Creek, $599,905

2010 — acquisition, Humpback Mountain Tract, Harris Creek, $1,310,000

2008 — acquisition, Rhyne Tract, North Toe River, $2,450,000

2006 — acquisition, Powdermill Creek Tract, North Toe River, $1,070,000

2001 — restoration, Linville River, Sloop Dam removal, $465,000

Buncombe: 31 projects

$17,319,965 CWMTF; $38,234,929 total

2012 — restoration, Asheville-Craven Street watershed improvements, French Broad River, $400,000

2004 — acquisition, Reems Creek Headwaters, $4,120,000

2001 — restoration, Swannanoa River, $1,508,000

Cherokee: 11 projects

$5,973,400 CWMTF; $13,624,533 total

2012 — wastewater/septic improvements, Valley River watershed, $175,000

2008 — acquisition, Andrews Water Supply Watershed, Beaver Creek, $1,627,000

2007 — acquisition, Murphy, Marble Creek, $2,462,000

2001 — restoration, Valley River, $400,000

Clay: 5 projects

$2,848,190 CWMTF; $3,594,960 total

1998 — restoration and improvements, Brasstown Creek, $2,571,470

Graham: 4 projects

$4,186,950 CWMTF; $7,437,900 total

2008 — acquisition, Miller Tract, Eller Mill Creek, $2,362,000

2007 — septic System Replacement Project, Stecoah Creek, $560,000

2001 — restoration, trout buyout, Santeetlah Lake, $1,250,000

Haywood: 22 projects

$9,528,827 CWMTF; $37,998,300 total

2006 — Pigeon River Buffer Project, $350,066

2000 — stream restoration/ stormwater improvements, Lake Junaluska, $677,555

1998 — acquisition, Lake Logan, $3,800,000

Henderson: 40 projects

$21,795,503 CWMTF; $85,341,699 total

2005 — acquisition, World’s Edge Tract, Pool and Wolf Creeks, $3,900,000

2004 — acquisition, Schenk Tract, Green River, $5,141,000

2000 — county wastewater collection system, $500,000

2010 — restoration, Ochlawaha Bog, Mud Creek, $119,400

Jackson: 19 projects

$16,064,067 CWMTF; $40,214,658 total

2008 — Tuckasegee River wastewater treatment plant upgrades, $1,500,000

2006 — acquisition, Webb Tract, Cedar Creek, $2,369,000

2006 — acquisition, Plott Balsam Mountains, Fisher Creek, $3,580,000

2005 — Tuckasegee wastewater collection system rehabilitation, Cope Creek, $1,225,000

2003 — Dix Gap Creek collection system, $353,000

1997 — Tuckasegee wastewater collection system, $1,200,767

Macon: 23 projects

$9,397,417 CWMTF; $22,374,919 total

2007 — Mill Creek septic hookups, Highlands, $728,000

2006 — acquisition, Slagle Farm Tract, Cartoogechaye Creek, $612,000

2005 — acquisition, Needmore expansion, $727,000

1997 — stream and wetlands restoration, Little Tennessee River, $3,885,000

Madison: 8 projects

$2,157,661 CWMTF; $4,272,701 total

2007 — acquisition, Hornstein and Eidus Tracts, French Broad River, $139,000

2000 — Marshall stream restoration/ bank stabilization, French Broad River, $338,598

1997 — wastewater revolving fund/failing septic systems, $1,028,063

McDowell: 19 projects

$10,428,500 CWMTF; $21,421,601 total

2010 — acquisition, Wildcat Mountain, Catawba Headwaters, $1,341,000

2006 — Marion wastewater regionalization/ discharge elimination, Corpening Creek, $3,000,000

2005 — acquisition, CSX Tract, Catawba River, $936,000

2000 — Old Fort wastewater/sewer rehabilitation, Catawba River and Mills and Curtis Creeks, $400,000

Mitchell: 5 projects

$5,199,842 CWMTF; $9,784,907 total

2010 — wastewater/septic, high school connection, Spruce Hill, North Toe River, $752,842

2008 — acquisition, MER Equity Tract, Rose Creek, $4,215,000

Polk: 10 projects

$3,327,577 CWMTF; $9,138,652 total

2008 — restoration, North Pacolet River restoration, $1,582,087

1999 — Tryon wastewater/sewer rehabilitation, Howard Street extension, $660,490

Rutherford: 15 projects

$13,863,000 CWMTF; $50,202,592

2010 — acquisition, Weed Patch Mountain, Buffalo Creek, $1,776,000

2008 — acquisition, King Tract, Hickory Nut Gorge, $3,579,000

2006 — acquisition, Chimney Rock State Park, Fall Creek, $1,533,000

2005 — restoration, cattle exclusions, Broad River tributaries, $480,000

1997 — acquisition, Rollins Tract, First Broad River, $4,200,000

Swain: 6 projects

$8,841,900 CWMTF; $23,302,250 total

2004 — wastewater, marina waste management, Fontana Reservoir, $325,000

2002 — acquisition, Needmore Tract, $6,660,000

2002 — acquisition, Bryson City, Lands Creek, $1,531,000

Transylvania: 29 projects

$22,203,769 CWMTF; $43,211,189 total

2012 — acquisition, DuPont State Forest connector, Reasonover Creek, $387,269

2010 — acquisition, East Fork of the French Broad headwaters, $1,000,000

2004 — acquisition, Brevard, Brackens and Brushy Creeks, $1,037,000

1999 — acquisition, DuPont State Forest, Little River, $16,600,000

Watauga: 54 projects

$12,742,572 CWMTF; $35,713,574 total

2008 — Kraut Creek urban stormwater demonstration improvements, $136,000

2002 — Watauga and Wilkes counties, straight pipe elimination, $338,000

2002 — acquisition, Boone Fork Creek, $3,350,000

1999 — restoration and stormwater improvements, Watauga River, $880,000

Yancey: 9 projects

$2,325,000 CWMTF; $6,153,605 total

2004 — acquisition, Popper Tract, Price Creek, $1,534,000

2006 — acquisition, Wilburn Tract, South Toe River, $611,000

Source: N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources/Clean Water Management Trust Fund

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Kirk Ross was the former capital bureau chief for Carolina Public Press. To contact the Carolina Public Press newsroom, email info@carolinapublicpress.org.

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