The new bioretention cell at Lake Tomahawk is funded in part by the stormwater utility fee, grant support, and volunteers through a partnership with RiverLink. The total dollar value of the project is almost $50,000. The project will treat water from the adjacent parking lot reducing pollution, sedimentation, and the temperature of the water before it enters Lake Tomahawk. This project is called for in the Upper Swannanoa River Watershed Management Plan. Engineering took place in 2021 and construction is anticipated to take place in March of 2023.
The Town’s Stormwater Program partnered with non-profit RiverLink to engage residents in a workshop on April 15, 2023 to plant the bottom of the rain garden, adding to the riparian seed mix of native grasses that was installed on the slopes. The rain garden will capture and filter stormwater runoff from the parking lot, removing pollutants and cooling the water before it enters the lake and the Swannanoa River. This project was called for in the Upper Swannanoa Watershed Management Plan which identified projects to improve water quality for the Swannanoa River.
The bioretention cell, or rain garden, between Lake Tomahawk and the parking lot to its east is now complete.
