Buncombe County -- May 19, 2026: In a major expansion of Western North Carolina’s long-term environmental recovery, the state is deploying more than $1.2 million to establish massive, natural flood containment systems in both Buncombe and Transylvania counties.
The investments, finalized today by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), mark the first time either Swannanoa or Rosman has directly tapped into the state’s multi-million dollar Flood Resiliency Blueprint fund. Together, the two distinct projects will carve out nearly 9 million gallons of natural, emergency water storage capacity while stabilizing miles of damaged mountain waterways.
Restoring the Riverfront: Swannanoa’s New 1.6-Million-Gallon Shield
Down in Buncombe County, regional conservation non-profit RiverLink is taking the helm of an $822,780 initiative specifically targeting a 4.45-acre tract of land along the Swannanoa River.
The site, which bore the brunt of catastrophic washing and erosion during Hurricane Helene, will undergo extensive structural re-engineering. Crews will reshape the terrain to form a functional floodplain wetland complex, essentially giving high-flow river surges a safe place to expand and lose velocity before hitting vital infrastructure.
Targeted Protection: By generating 1.6 million gallons of dedicated emergency storage, the re-graded parcel is designed to directly intercept high-water threats to Old Highway 70 and adjacent low-lying communities downstream.
Natural Stormwater Buffers: The layout incorporates specialized native plantings and bioswales to filter heavy runoff, alongside targeted stabilization for a localized, highly vulnerable tributary stream.
The Big Picture: RiverLink plans to transform the engineered green space into a community asset over time, weaving in educational components, walking corridors, and controlled public river access.
Headwaters Protection: Rosman’s Sweeping 30-Acre Agricultural Reclamation
Further up the basin in Transylvania County, a parallel $450,000 grant has been cleared for Conserving Carolina. The land trust will manage a major 30-acre restoration footprint located on former agricultural fields right at the headwaters of the French Broad River.
Because this site sits so high up in the river system, absorbing volume here provides immense relief to everyone downstream.
Massive Volume Retention: The expansive tract will be re-engineered with specialized "flood benches" capable of holding an immense 7.1 million gallons of overflow during extreme weather events.
Shielding Essential Infrastructure: Slowing the river down at this critical junction provides immediate defense for downstream properties, most notably safeguarding the Rosman Community Park and the town's primary wastewater treatment facility.
Major Habitat Reconstruction: This location will anchor the collective environmental goals of the state grant, completely rebuilding 3,000 linear feet of tributary streams and restoring three full acres of native wetlands to drastically cut down on downstream sediment pollution.
Shifting Toward Science-Backed Safety
Prior to today's announcement, the state's Blueprint program had already poured more than $8.8 million into 16 distinct safety and mitigation projects scattered throughout the French Broad River Basin.
"We're excited to partner on these much-needed projects, which will complement ongoing recovery efforts, build resilience and help reduce the costs and disruptions caused by future floods," noted Flood Resiliency Blueprint Program Manager Stuart Brown.
Funded via a $96 million legislative appropriation from the General Assembly, the Blueprint initiative relies heavily on localized data and advanced mapping tools to build physical, nature-based defenses across six major state river basins, ensuring mountain communities are rebuilt to withstand the next generation of severe weather.s.