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Kraut Creek restoration project awaits phase approval |
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Monday, 28 July 2008 |
by EMILY MELTON
Intern News Reporter
Four years ago, an Appalachian State University faculty member gave her students an assignment.
Her students were to create a project outline of the restoration of Kraut Creek.
“So many people took interest in the assignment,” said Dr. Jana E. Carp, geography and planning assistant professor, “that the Kraut Creek Committee just seemed like the logical thing to form.”
The Kraut Creek Committee is a group of community members who are working to restore the creek.
“My passion has always been to restore nature in urban environments and I saw Kraut Creek as a great opportunity to do that,” said Carp.
 Significant erosion on the banks of Kraut Creek near the street in front of Varsity Gym is visible to passerbys. Photo by Alisha Park
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Because a sauerkraut factory used to dump its waste in the creek, its foul odor gave it its name.
The creek has experienced depletion ever since then.
Erosion, the displacement of water along its natural path, has caused the creek to flood and damage asphalt.
“The creek actually runs under the Café Portofino and Raley Hall parking lots through a pipe,” said Carp.
Carp said the creek will affect many Boone businesses.
Carp recognizes, however, returning the creek to its natural path may cause the loss of parking spaces.
“But economic studies have shown that people spend more money in areas of towns that have natural features,” said Carp.
Patrick A. Beville, university design and construction engineer and
project manager of the Kraut Creek project, explained the restoration
of the creek is based on the cooperation of several Boone landowners.
“The business owners who own property where the creek runs must give
their consent in order for the committee to restore the area,” said
Beville.
The creek is roughly a mile and a half long.
It runs through 19 different properties and 15 different landowners.
Because the project is a volunteer effort, Beville said it could easily
take up to ten years to complete depending upon the cooperation of the
affected landowners.
“If we can return the creek to a living system, while keeping it
aesthetically pleasing, we can only benefit the community,” said
Beville.
The first phase of the project, the construction of a rock retaining
wall between Café Portofino and the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, was
completed July 27.
The Kraut Creek Committee, along with the National Committee for the
New River, is currently waiting for approval of a grant to begin the
next phase of the project.
The next phase will include the restoration of the creek located at
Jimmy Smith Park and behind Varsity Gymnasium at River Street.
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