North Buffalo Creek Restoration at Revolution Mill

Before
After

Quickfacts:

  • 2,000 linear feet of streambank stabilized; riparian buffer; 3.18 acres protected conservation easement area
  • This urban stream restoration project will be highly accessible, serving over 100 commercial companies, 200 apartment residents, and 750 daily visitors—numbers set to grow as the property is redeveloped with mixed-use additions like a hotel and more apartments, with most visitors crossing pedestrian bridges and enjoying views of the project and its signage.
  • Environmental & Habitat Restoration:
    •  Plantings and stream improvements will enhance wildlife habitat, complementing nearby Audubon Society natural area, and improve water quality.
  • Health & Social Benefits:
    • The project will provide a recreational destination on the Latham Park Greenway, connecting low-income residents to green spaces and offering health benefits.
  • Economic & Educational Impact:
    • The project supports local businesses, attracts investment, and fosters educational opportunities through nature interpretation and university research, while preserving local history.

September 2019 – July 2023

​​In partnership with the Self-Help Ventures Fund, Kris Bass Engineering, and the City of Greensboro, PCC oversought the design, permitting, and implementation of a river corridor restoration project at the Revolution Mill complex. The project restored 2,000 linear feet of North Buffalo Creek, featuring in-stream structures visible from three pedestrian bridges.

The restoration transformed a neglected, polluted waterway into a healthy urban stream, reversing over a century of environmental degradation caused by the former mill, which opened in 1898 and closed in 1982. North Buffalo Creek, draining much of Greensboro, is on the 303(d) list for contamination, including nutrients, turbidity, and fecal coliforms. This project provides a unique opportunity to restore the creek in partnership with a single property owner and serve as a model for further restoration in the watershed.

Location:

North Buffalo Creek as it flows through the Self-Help Revolution Mills property between Yanceyville St and Revolution Mill Drive in Greensboro, NC

Waterway Restored: North Buffalo Creek; (WS-V, NSW) part of Reedy Fork, Haw River, Cape Fear River Basin; 303d impaired waters listed

Partners:

  • Self-Help Ventures Fund
  • City of Greensboro (Stormwater, Parks & Rec)
  • Kris Bass Engineering 
  • Backwater Environmental
  • University of NC Greensboro
  • Draper Aden Associates/TRC 

Funding: $718,574 

  • NC Land & Water Fund (formerly NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund) to PCC
  • City of Greensboro
  • Weaver Foundation 
  • Tannenbaum- Sternberger Fnd 
  • NC State Association RC&D Flood Reduction
  • Self-Help Ventures Fund