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5 <br />Stillhouse Creek Restoration Project <br />In early 2001, the local Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and <br />the USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) recommended repairing <br />the stream located behind the County governmental campus in downtown Hillsborough. <br />Stillhouse Creek, an Eno River tributary stream, had severe. erosion problems caused by the <br />increase in storm water runoff from the downtown watershed. Two of the primary concerns <br />were the erosion occurring at the culvert pipes that allow the stream to pass under Margaret <br />Lane and the severe erosion that was washing the stream bank soil away and eventually <br />would threaten the foundation of the Government Services Center building. These concerns <br />were brought to the attention of the County Commissioners, and with their approval, the <br />Stillhouse Creek Restoration Project was underway. <br />After discussions with county and MRCS engineers, "bioengineering' methods were <br />determined to be the best way to stabilize the stream and stream banks, and maintain a <br />natural stream setting. Bioengineering is the practice of using natural plants and vegetation <br />along the stream banks to stabilize areas. Large rocks or log weirs (small dams) were placed <br />in the stream at critical points, allowing the water to concentrate in the center of the creek, <br />reducing the erosion along the banks. Native trees and shrubs are planted along the restored <br />stream to help stabilize the stream banks and to filter out pollutants from the storm water <br />runoff and shallow groundwater before they reach the Eno River. Small vernal pools were <br />created along the stream to promote aquatic habitat and to help filter out storm water runoff. <br />The restoration proj ect was completed in May 2006, and will be protected in perpetuity <br />through a conservation easement agreement between Orange County and the State of North <br />Carolina. The project was funded entirely by the State's Ecosystem Enhancement Program, <br />part of the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The design, construction, <br />and implementation were competed by the Orange Soil and Water Conservation District, the <br />NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and the USDA-Natural Resource Conservation <br />Service. The conservation easement agreement will be administered by the Orange County <br />Environment and Resource Conservation Department. <br />Over 500 plant species were planted along the restored creek, including the following: <br />Swamp Sunflower <br />Black-eyed Susan <br />Purple love grass <br />Spicebush <br />Silky dogwood <br />Winterberry <br />Blue False Indigo <br />Arrow arum <br />Duck Potato <br />Sycamore <br />Tulip Poplar <br />River Burch <br />