Using nature-based solutions to protect a vulnerable population center from increased flood and storm water intensity.
Conway, South Carolina: $2.17 Million
History
One of the oldest cities in South Carolina, Conway is a racially diverse coastal plain town just inland from the ocean. Part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area, Conway is prone to floods due to increasingly intense storms and hurricanes.
Project Description
Chestnut Bay is a proposed 7.8-acre, constructed stormwater wetland that will be located at the former sit of Freeman and Godfrey Avenues. It will detain and retain runoff from the project watershed during storm events, and will have a permanent pool depth ranging between 12 and 18 inches. During storm events, the Bay will be able to temporarily store an additional 1 to 1.5 feet of water, bringing the total maximum depth to roughly 3 feet.
A community park centered on the constructed stormwater wetland at Chestnut Bay will provide the city with another central public asset. The proposed park takes what is currently unused property associated with catastrophic flood impacts and converts it into a public space that provides amenities that enhance and enrich the surrounding community. A floodplain restoration project in the immediate vicinity of Chestnut Bay is aimed at directly restoring the form and function of Crabtree Swamp and its floodplain using a nature-based solution. The city of Conway anticipates the involvement of several categories of partners in this project such as private engineers, contractors and universities. One such partner has been The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina.