RiverLink has purchased five acres along the Swannanoa River and secured an $822,780 state grant for work aimed at reducing flood impacts. The former Woodmen of the World property, just upstream of the Whitson Avenue bridge, is part of the nonprofit’s recovery work two years after Hurricane Helene.
The purchase is complete, while removal of the damaged building and infrastructure remains ahead. RiverLink plans to use the Flood Resiliency Blueprint grant from North Carolina’s environmental agency to improve the land’s ability to slow stormwater during major storms.
The acquisition begins a longer effort to work with willing property owners at multiple sites along the Swannanoa. RiverLink also supports using the FEMA Buyout Program to convert qualifying flood-prone properties into permanent green space, with restoration and long-term stewardship guiding its conservation work…