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Soil & Water outlines Moxon Creek rehab plan and farmland-preservation pipeline after lost RCPP award
Summary
Greg Walker of the Johnston County Soil and Water Conservation District briefed commissioners on Round 2 stream-restoration funding for Moxon Creek and a pipeline of farmland-preservation easements. He said the district has assembled roughly $800,000 for design and preconstruction work on priority laterals and described a multi-project easement
Greg Walker, representing the Johnston County Soil and Water Conservation District, told the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 4 that the district is moving into a second round of stream-restoration work on the Moxon Creek watershed and continues active farmland-preservation work despite losing an anticipated Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) award.
Walker said the Round 2 Moxon Creek effort has roughly $800,000 budgeted for survey, design, permitting and construction preparation. That funding package reflects several sources he cited during his presentation and will focus on lateral channels labeled 14, 11 and 7 on the district's watershed map. "We're working with $800,000 for our round 2, and we're gonna focus on lateral 14, 11, and and 7," Walker said, describing priorities for stabilization and bank work to reduce flooding and drainage problems in Selma and Pine Level areas.
He showed maps indicating the Moxon Creek system comprises about 22.4 miles of main and lateral channels draining roughly 7,400 acres. Walker said some grade-control structures have been lost to storms and time, and urbanization has increased stress on the channel system, so the district is taking a phased approach to repairs.
On farmland preservation, Walker said the district had pursued a large RCPP award last year (about $12 million) that was later pulled back by USDA, which stalled parts of the pipeline. He reported several easement transactions are ready to close if USDA resumes reviews and that the district currently has federal and state match funds identified for multiple projects. Walker described a pipeline of additional parcels (over 2,100 acres mentioned for signed contracts and many more in interest) and said the voluntary agricultural district has grown from about 25,000 acres in recent years to nearly 28,000 acres under enrollment.
Walker asked commissioners to remain ready to commit local matching funds if the state or federal opportunities reappear and to note that USDA staffing changes have delayed some closings. Commissioners thanked the district and asked follow-up questions about meeting schedules and next steps for landowners interested in preservation.
