THE CITY OF NORFOLK’S OHIO CREEK WATERSHED PROJECT

Contact:

Norfolk's Chesterfield Heights and Grandy Village neighborhoods have been selected to participate in a transformational coastal improvement project. This $112 million project will reduce flooding, improve public spaces and ensure these communities thrive for years to come. The Ohio Creek Watershed Project is part of Norfolk’s Resilience Strategy and supports its three goals: design a coastal community capable of dealing with the increased risk of flooding, create economic opportunity by advancing efforts to grow existing and new industry sectors, and advance initiatives to connect communities, deconcentrate poverty and strengthen neighborhoods.

The Ohio Creek Watershed includes two residential, predominantly African American neighborhoods with civic leagues and a strong community identity, including historic Chesterfield Heights with over 400 houses on the Historic National Register and Grandy Village, which includes a public housing community with more than 300 units. The Ohio Creek Watershed experiences tidal and precipitation flooding. Only two roads access the community. One road is completely impassable during regular nuisance flood events. Residents have expressed concerns about being cut off from the rest of the city. Residents have also expressed concerns about shoreline erosion that exacerbates river flooding and prevents recreational activity. To address these challenges, the project is exploring various landscape and hardscape options to improve flooding, public access to the waterway and connections to the rest of the city.