The first available funding from the new Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments (LASII) program has been released, awarding grants to local governments for projects that will improve or create infrastructure for controlling stormwater quantity and quality. The funding offered in this round is a portion of $2.3 billion appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly from the state’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other sources, and funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Black Mountain received the maximum amount of funding a municipality could be awarded. The Town of Black Mountain received $5 million in ARPA LASII funding for the Swannanoa Floodplain Project identified in the Stormwater Master Plan Update: 2.5 North Bank of the Swannanoa River from Hwy 9 to I-40 near Community Gardens. The project will mitigate flood risks within the project area and downstream, reduce the erosive forces along the south bank, and provide for water quality treatment during the more frequent storms.
