Opportunity

The Cypress Creek watershed sits in southern Franklin County in the Tar River Basin. The creek contributes high quality waters to the Middle Tar River Aquatic Habitat, one of the highest priority Natural Heritage Area sites in the state. Growth from nearby Wake County is expanding northward, threatening land resources and water quality. Franklin County hired Unique Places to create a watershed plan for Cypress Creek that will protect these critical resources.

Unique Places’ Expertise

Unique Places evaluated land within the watershed to determine its potential for acquisition and protection through the conservation funding and land trusts. The company focused on growth management strategies, assessing Zoning and Subdivision/Land Development ordinances and identifying opportunities for Transfer of Development Right (TDRs), agricultural zoning and conservation subdivision design. We also created a multidisciplinary team to assist with hydrologic engineering. This team examined opportunities for stream and wetland restoration, riparian buffer protection and restoration, water quality management, and mitigation banking potential.

• In partnership with Franklin County, Unique Places organized a public meeting to launch the project and generate citizen enthusiasm and awareness about the watershed planning process for Cypress Creek and its importance as a model for Franklin County.
  
• Unique Places developed of a Watershed Plan for the Cypress Creek Subbasin Watershed, which includes project goals, methodology, summary of public involvement, summary of assessment results, conceptual plan of selected large Best Management Practices (BMP), and an atlas that includes a map and table summarizing the BMP opportunities in the subbasin.
  
• Staff presented the plan to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and assisted Franklin County with plan implementation.
  

Conservation Benefits

• The plan will provide for water quality protection in the Tar River Basin, which is experiencing development pressure, high population growth and increased drinking water needs.
  
• It will also build on the $15 billion investment made in the Tar/Cypress Hike and Float Recreation Area, which has been a Franklin County priority for 10 years.
  
• The plan will facilitate farmland protection as well as protection of historic and cultural sites.
  
• It will provide additional protection for the Tar River and its State Significant Natural Heritage Aquatic Habitat.

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