Flood Study To Look At Cabin Creek In Bath County

Millboro, VA – Residents in Millboro feel that flooding from Cabin Creek has been more severe in recent years and asked Bath County for help in finding out why. Along with Bath County Administrator Bonnie Johnson and County Planner Sherry Ryder and Supervisor Carol Hardbarger, the Millboro district representative, has spearheaded an effort to study Cabin Creek.

About a dozen homes are affected pretty severely by flooding in Millboro. It could also impact the post office and some businesses. Residents who live near the creek came to the County to ask for help in preventing a repeat of the 2006 flood, the result of a large storm. That flood cost the Buckingham Branch railroad about $100,000 in repairs to the tracks that run through Millboro.

In this time of tight budgets, Hardbarger has received and is continuing to look for grants, in kind donations and volunteer help, since there’s no money is the county’s budget to help with the Cabin Creek project. A $10,000 planning grant from the National Wildlife and Fisheries Fund paid for a stream walk and helped with organization. Numerous local, state and national agencies have also helped.

In March almost four miles of Cabin Creek was assessed during a stream walk conducted by the Center for Watershed Protection. Bath County staff, high school students, natural resource agencies and Millboro residents participated. The stream walk was done to find out what features along the stream may be causing more severe flooding.

At a recent meeting recommendations from the stream walk were announced. In the short term, the Center for Watershed Protection suggested assessing culvert capacity, unclogging culverts, repairing erosion by stabilizing banks and planting vegetation and removing debris and sediment. Long term recommendations within ten years include working on floodplain management and mapping, developing a watershed plan, reducing the flow upstream, increasing the channel capacity and flood proofing properties.

A grant application has been submitted for funding to hire an engineer to do an environmental study for a watershed plan. Hardbarger said competition for the grant is stiff and she expects to receive an answer in September or October.