MOUNT AIRY, N.C. – Work has already begun on a $3.2 million project to stabilize a three-mile section of the Ararat River, which neighbored settlements dating back to the 1800s.

In recent years, erosion has been a threat, displacing up to 15 feet of bank and an estimated 8,300 tons of dirt a year.

"We were worried about it getting into our sewer lines that parallel the river and an old landfill that's near the river," Public Services Director Jeff Boyles said. "We're hoping they're going to get finished more quickly.”

The project is taking a more natural approach than a previous one in the mid-80s that left a rock berm and concrete wall along the river.

"This technique is called natural channel design," said Will Harman, with Cary's Baker Engineering, that designed the project. "We look at natural streams and try to mimic the processes that we see how streams work in nature."

That process includes using boulders to divert eroding currents.
"We're making the center of the channel a little deeper and taking that material and putting it on the edge to narrow and stabilize the channel," said Harman.

Crews are also using rolls of organic material to stabilize the banks. In addition to improving water quality, there's also a recreational component.

"We'll be developing an environmental park, as well as canoe launches along the project," said Parks and Recreation Director Catrina Alexander.
There will also be nature trails and a greenway.

Officials said the project wouldn't have been possible without property owners granting easements and help from the non-profit group Pilot View.