Battleship gets $400,000 grant to address flooding problem

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Clean Water Management Trust Fund has awarded Battleship North Carolina a grant of up to $400,000 to address flooding using nature-based infrastructure.

According to a news release, grant funds will be for the Living with Water project, which aims to restore more than 800 feet of shoreline and 2 acres of wetlands to reduce regular flooding at the Battleship site and improve water quality in the Cape Fear River.

“This innovative approach protects Battleship facilities and access for visitors, while also protecting and restoring the natural habitat of the area,” said Captain Terry Bragg, Executive Director of the Battleship.

Data from the National Weather Service’s tidal gauge near downtown Wilmington shows an extraordinary rise in flooding events starting in the 1970s, with the greatest increase happening since 2000. Living with Water is a multi million-dollar plan to mitigate the risks posed by ongoing flooding by mimicking the natural environment of the Battleship site on Eagles Island.

The Clean Water Management Trust Fund’s grant will support the Living with Water plan as it moves forward with a sustainable design to protect the Battleship and its place in the coastal Cape Fear River watershed.