Craven Street Watershed
The Craven Street Improvement Project was a public infrastructure project that occurred in conjunction with the City of Asheville, RiverLink, and New Belgium Brewing Company. The project included realignment of Craven Street, improved pedestrian transportation, stormwater management and water quality improvement in Penland Creek that bisects the New Belgium property.
RiverLink received $400,000 in grant funding from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund to support the construction of numerous stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) that include stream enhancement, stormwater retention, and low impact development practices, all with the goal to improve the water quality in the stream and the French Broad River.
The Craven Street project aimed to capture and treat the first inch of stormwater from the neighborhood through a variety of stormwater quality mechanisms. This included bioretention areas, bioswales along the roadway, rain gardens in parking lots, and constructed wetlands throughout the site. The project, completed in spring 2017, has improved the stream corridor through bank stabilization, native plantings, and contouring of the stream bank. Additionally, New Belgium is capturing rainwater for irrigation purposes. These stormwater improvements will capture and treat rainwater before entering the stream, reduce erosion, and reduce the volume of stormwater runoff. In addition, kiosk signs were placed on-site to aid in public education about the restoration project.