Stimulus money flows to South Darlington Watershed Project

DARLINGTON — For decades, south Darlington residents and businesses have faced severe flooding after heavy rains. Ditches regularly overflow, causing damage to property and creating unhealthy living conditions. Finally, some help has arrived.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the South Darlington Watershed Project will begin to take flight with more than $1 million from the federal government.

“When you work on something 20 years and it looks like it’s going to take place, I don’t have words for that,” Darlington County Councilwoman Wilhemina Johnson said during a community open house Thursday at Darlington County Library to showcase the project. “If anywhere down the line I’d given up, it might not have happened.”

The project affects 128 homes, six businesses, 160 acres of cropland and nearly 30 state and county road crossings in the 2,290 acres south of U.S. 52 Bypass, west of U.S. 52 and east of S.C. 340. More than 5 miles of drainage will be improved in an effort to properly convey storm water and protect lives and property.

“It took many agencies coming together to be at where we are now,” Johnson said. “We have some money in place. It’s just wonderful that it’s going to happen.”

Partners for the project include Darlington County Soil & Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Darlington County, as well as state government and landowners.

“These were designed to be community projects, and the state also has a role to play,” Darlington County Planning Director Doug Reimold said. “(State) Sen. (Gerald) Malloy has been really helpful at the state level.

“We’re very thankful for the stimulus,” Reimold said. “Not to say we wouldn’t have found funding in other areas, but there were more challenges.”

The county is undertaking a portion of this project in areas where the county already had land rights or easements to start work immediately.

The next steps include getting easements from property owners and coordinating with S.C. Department of Transportation and utility companies.

“The main thing is that it’s going to be jobs,” Johnson said. It’s expected 31 jobs will be created or saved with the planning, design and construction of the project.

Thursday’s open house was the first four scheduled throughout the project. Another will be in March when the final project design is complete. A groundbreaking ceremony and the start of construction are slated for September 2010 with construction complete in February 2011.

The project aims to enhance the safety and quality of life for south Darlington’s residents and business owners by reducing the risk of flood damages. It will reduce maintenance and repair costs because of standing water, improve water quality and prevent damage to septic systems, which is a major health concern. A greenway, riparian buffers and shrubs will be added, too. Additionally, the nesting and brood rearing habitat for quail and other ground nesting birds will be improved.

“We try to arrive at the least cost alternative with the minimal environmental impact possible and still provide the appropriate benefits,” said Eric Fleming, an engineer working on the project.

The federal watershed program has been used by communities for more than 50 years. Projects under the program provide water supplies, manage animal waste, manage agricultural water, reduce flood damages and control soil erosion. For more information, visit http://www.sc.nrcs.usda.gov and http://www.recovery.gov online.