Chapel Hill Watershed Master Planning

Ardurra partnered with the Town of Chapel Hill on multi-year watershed planning and stormwater infrastructure initiatives across the Booker Creek watershed, including Cedar Fork, Lower Booker Creek, Eastwood Lake, and Crow Branch subwatersheds. The work included full watershed inventory, field assessments, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, water quality analysis, retrofit screening, capital improvement, and maintenance planning. The assessment culminated in the Town's first formally adopted Stormwater Maintenance Improvement Program and Capital Improvement Plan for the Lower Booker Creek Watershed. Public outreach, GIS integration, and sustainable stormwater solutions were central to the program, resulting in a prioritized roadmap for long-term resilience and regulatory compliance. As a trusted advisor, Ardurra executed the design and implementation of high-priority projects, including the Booker Creek Road Culvert and Booker Creek Basin Park. Ardurra continues to support Chapel Hill with GIS database updates, outfall analyses, maintenance prioritization, water quality improvement strategies, public engagement, subwatershed planning, and implementation.

Key Highlights:

• Completed full watershed inventory with stream assessments, outfall stability analyses, and infrastructure condition assessments using mobile data collection tools that automatically populated the GIS database
• Developed detailed hydrologic and hydraulic models evaluating approximately 28,000 linear feet of stormwater system, along with a watershed-scale water quality model and Jordan Lake nutrient tools
• Delivered the Town's first integrated Stormwater CIP and MIP with custom condition assessment protocols and risk-based prioritization for pipes, culverts, and channels
• Designed and implemented Booker Creek Road Culvert replacement and Basin Park, delivering flood reduction, stream stabilization, and recreational amenities

The program provided Chapel Hill with a prioritized roadmap for stormwater infrastructure improvements and established formal maintenance and capital planning processes to support long-term resilience, regulatory compliance, and environmental stewardship across multiple watersheds.