The City of Asheville is beginning an assessment and inventory of its stormwater system, a critical step toward evaluating current system information and building a more comprehensive, reliable picture of the
system.
The assessment will help the City identify asset conditions, prioritize maintenance, recommend capital improvement projects, identify areas of localized nuisance flooding and identify erosion areas that need stabilization.
Phase one of this project will focus on the Town “Nasty” Branch watershed, from the branch’s headwaters on Beaucatcher Mountain to where it drains into the French Broad River near Lyman Street (View map of the neighborhoods in the assessment area).
Field work is expected to start on March 23 and wrap up by the end of June. Additional future assessments will incorporate other watersheds over several years until a City-wide comprehensive inventory is complete. City staff will reach out to neighborhood groups with further updates as work is scheduled, and residents will be asked to avoid parking over storm drains and manholes during the work.
The assessment’s impact to residents and businesses is expected to be minimal. Some lane closures may be necessary, but no road closures or detours are expected. Small crews from the city’s partners, Ardurra or Colliers Engineering & Design (CED), will work in the right-of-way along drainage infrastructure. Crews will be looking into manholes and inlets, taking measurements, photos, videos, and GPS readings. Crews will wear high-visibility vests and Ardurra or CED-branded items. City staff may also accompany the crews.
This assessment project is funded at $900,000 by a combination of the City’s Stormwater Utility Fee and a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).