News

Creek restoration under way at Park at Flat Rock

Construction is under way to restore Dye Creek at the Park at Flat Rock.

By Lightning Reports, Published: April 13, 2024

Construction is under way on a major restoration project to bring Dye Creek, which runs through the middle of The Park at Flat Rock, back into a natural and healthy state.

Decades before the park was established by the Flat Rock Village Council, Dye Creek was “straight channeled,” destroying its natural flow and shape. The creek, which crosses eight park acres, is rapidly deteriorating, causing extensive bank erosion and trail washouts. The restoration project will also help improve water quality and create a healthy ecosystem for fish, birds and other wildlife.

“The current construction that is going on right now is just the grading and rerouting and re-carving of the creek and stream channel,” park director Michael Dages said in a news release. “That phase will probably take about a month, and the rest should be done by June.”

The restoration will make Dye Creek healthier with less erosion and better water quality. “It will be a better habitat for birds, amphibians, fish and wildlife within the park,” Dages said. “We’re also looking to see better flood mitigation.”

The $475,000 project is funded by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the Community Foundation of Henderson County and the Flat Rock Park and Recreation Foundation, a nonprofit created by the Village Council in 2013 to support projects in the park. For more information, contact Dages at 828-435-0397.