KELLY — Activity is expected to increase in the next three weeks by the Wilmington engineering firm hired by Bladen County to help move toward permanent repair of this community’s earthen dike.
Weather permitting in that timeframe, drilling will be done by Catlin Engineers and Scientists. The company has already established field targets, had an aerial survey, and planned locations for the cone penetration testing.
Property owners have been contacted where access is needed to perform drilling.
The dike had been breached over the years by individuals and vegetation. Spots were damaged by logging, all-terrain vehicles, and in some places trees grew where they should not.
During the flooding from Hurricane Florence in September 2018, water went through some of those man-made breaches in addition to going over the top of the 14.3-mile earthen structure that extends into Pender County. Dozens of residents were evacuated by special vehicles capable of getting through high water, and by helicopters that carried them to Kinston.
The dike had been built to protect the community following a flood in 1945 caused by an offshore tropical storm. Florence caused the Cape Fear to rise to its highest levels since. Two elements of the agreement for the dike included that it be maintained by a commission district in a pact with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and a special tax requested to fund that district was approved by the county commissioners in the 1960s.
Over time, the dike was not fully maintained and led to its weakening. Taxing the community also stopped.
And, when the commission district didn’t keep its end of the agreement, it was removed from the auspices of the Corps.
The goal now is to regain service by the Corps. It will not take it back without permanent repairs made.
The county commissioners, led by Charles Ray Peterson, have sought to help. They believe their best bet for the multi-million dollar repair is to be chosen for an innovative readiness project. To do that, they need the proposed repair plan Catlin is producing.
The IRT, if granted, would be carried out by military reservists as part of their training.
The dike has already had all 17 breaches fixed by Southern Landscaping of Columbus County. That work cost approximately $30,000 and was paid for with the tax money still in an account for the original Lyons Swamp Drainage and Levee District.
The N.C. Wildlife Commission provided a one-time fix to flood gates. A $25,000 gift from Four County Electric Membership Corp. made that possible.
The N.C. Wildlife Commission provided a one-time fix to flood gates. A $25,000 gift from Four County Electric Membership Corp. made that possible.