The BCWA is a group of citizens in Cary, NC who work together to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation in Black Creek, a small urban watershed in the Neuse River Basin. Buoyed by the popularity of the Black Creek Greenway, the BCWA works with community members and organizations to protect and improve the creek through education and installing green infrastructure (sustainable storm control measures) including bioretention, wetlands, and rainwater harvesting. Their work is coordinated by WRRI in partnership with the Town of Cary, NCSU Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and citizens of the watershed, and is funded by grants and partner cost sharing. The Black Creek is listed by the state as impaired due to excessive stormwater runoff and associated pollutants. Their work to engage partners to install these watershed improvement projects, and to monitor improvements in the watershed is ongoing.

Rainscaping

• Learn how to reduce runoff and pollution

Partners

Current and former BCWA partners include:

• Town of Cary
• NC Cooperative Extension Wake County Center
• NC Division of Water Resources
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Natural Learning Initiative, NCSU College of Design
• Center for Human and Earth Restoration
• Kingswood Elementary School
• Discount Tire

• Accreditation Commission for Health Care
• Beechtree HOA
• Clemson University
• Northwoods Elementary School
• Lake Crabtree County Park
• Silverton HOA
• Windchase at Beechtree HOA
• Harvest Church

• NCSU Department of Horticulture
• Cary Rotary
• Wessex HOA
• Buckhurst West neighborhood
• Young Marines of Raleigh
• West Cary Middle School
• NCSU College of Natural Resources