Summary
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners approved a five-year agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to install, operate and maintain a real-time monitoring station on the Neuse River at the Richardson Bridal Crossing with initial payments up to $108,000.
Johnston County commissioners voted Oct. 20 to approve a five-year agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to install, operate and maintain a stream-monitoring station on the Neuse River at the Richardson Bridal Crossing.
The measure authorizes initial installment payments that total up to $108,000 and covers the installation, maintenance and operation of the monitoring station by the USGS. The agreement will provide real-time, hourly river data and can be configured to provide more frequent updates during flood events, county staff said.
Why it matters: County staff said the gauge will fill a gap between two existing gauges — one at Clayton and another at Goldsboro — and will help hydrologic models account for major tributaries (Swift Creek, Middle Creek, Black Creek upstream and Mill Creek, Moccasin Creek and Little River downstream) and a large wetland area near the site. Officials said the data will inform decisions about wastewater discharge, future water intake operations and emergency response during floods.
Public utilities director Kim Rainier told commissioners that the gauge is “really close to our proposed lower reduced water intake” and that USGS has long wanted to study flow dynamics in the area but lacked funding. Rainier said the gauge will produce “real time hourly data, and they can increase that during flood events,” and that Richardson Bridal is “one of the first ones that closes in our area during flood events.”
Cost and long-term operations: Rainier said the five-year agreement includes installation and monitoring but projected longer-term annual operational costs after year five were not provided in the packet. Rainier said the county expects to renegotiate or extend the agreement after five years and that the project is funded from the county’s enterprise fund for now. Commissioners discussed that if a future water plant is developed, operational costs from the gauge likely would be incorporated into that plant’s operating budget and used to manage withdrawals between the river and local quarries.
Commission discussion and outcome: Commissioners and staff discussed the value of the data for public safety and rescue operations during floods. Commissioner Sherman moved approval. After a second and brief discussion the board voted in favor; the motion carried.
What’s next: Once the agreement is signed and federal operations resume, USGS will order equipment and begin installation. Rainier said data would be available as soon as the gauge is installed.
