Town of Black Mountain to give away free trees for stormwater mitigation

Pilot program features native species adapted to area soil conditions

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September, 23, 2022

The chionanthus virginicus, commonly known as the American fringetree, is one of five native species that will be available, Oct. 15, in a giveaway designed to help residents with stormwater mitigation. Public domain image/Wikimedia Commons

A pilot program through the Town of Black Mountain Stormwater Utility will promote the environmental benefits of native flora while offering free trees to local residents. 

The giveaway, which will be held at 304 Black Mountain Avenue, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, will feature five species, each adapted to area soil conditions. 

Sixty trees, including tag alder, serviceberry, river birch, red twig dogwood and American fringetree, all in three-gallon pots, are available for adoption, while supplies last. Recipients are limited to one tree per household. 

The program, which could continue with adequate public interest, is the latest community outreach initiative by the utility, according to Stormwater Technician Anne Phillip. 

“We wanted to think of ways to provide information and education about how to mitigate stormwater on your private property, while also providing programs people can engage with,” Phillip said. “In addition to our workshops teaching about rain gardens, storing stormwater in rain barrels and repairing eroding stream banks, we also wanted to offer a program where we can give people something concrete. These are trees that can help directly with stormwater mitigation, and their benefits will only grow over time.”

The species, she added, do well in well-drained or boggy environments.  

“These trees will pull water up from the soil through evapotranspiration, as they grow,” said Phillip, who consulted with members of the Black Mountain Beautification Committee on the project. “While they’re not meant to go into a pond or standing water, if there is a boggy area in your yard, it will be good for the tree and the tree will handle more and more stormwater runoff as it gets older.”

The town established a stormwater utility in 2021, after receiving a notice of violation from an N.C. Department of Environmental Quality audit the previous year. Compliance with the federal permit regulations is a requirement for all municipalities that operate a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, and Black Mountain created the utility to fulfill the requirements. 

While the majority of Phillip’s work focuses on maintaining that compliance, she regularly performs site visits with residents experiencing stormwater issues. 

“I can always look at what’s happening in the right-of-way, and often if it’s a clogged drain or culvert, I can put in a work order with public works,” she said. “But, often what I see is people experiencing stormwater runoff issues on their private property, which is something I can’t directly influence.”

The utility, which is paid for by residents through an annual tiered fee, is planning additional educational public outreach programs in the future. 

“There’s no date set, but in early November, we’re going to be putting in a bioretention cell, which is essentially a rain garden, on the east shore of Lake Tomahawk, between the parking lot and lake,” Phillip said. “That’s something people can sign up to participate in, plant some of the plants and learn about rain gardens in a more hands-on way.” 

For updated information on stormwater issues and events, and other town alerts, sign up for the town’s Notify Me system at townofblackmountain.org.