Fayetteville public works crews

began clearing debris from a privately owned creek in the east Fayetteville

basin this week in hopes of preventing future flooding.

One of the larger items was

a work shed that had washed into the creek during the floods last June,

noted City Engineer Don Easterbrook. Crews also found an old tailgate

from a passenger truck.

The creek eventually flows

into Nash Creek, passing by Circle Drive and other areas that experienced

flooding problems in June.

City Manager Joe Morton said

the crews didn't have access to the entire unnamed creek but they

were using easements that were already on record. The City Council decided

the work needed to be done quickly and was feasible due to the creation

of the new stormwater utility that will fund similar stormwater drainage

improvements in the future, Morton said.

Because of environmental regulations,

there is little the city can do except remove debris that piles up in

the creeks and causes a hazard, Easterbrook said.

Debris in area creeks was at

least partly to blame for the flooding in June when a significant amount

of rainfall was received overnight. Homes in the east Fayetteville area

and Weatherly Walk Apartments were hard hit in the June flood along with

areas on the west side of town near Pye Lake.

City officials are also working

with the owners of Pye Lake to help develop a plan to make sure the faulty

dam gets some temporary repairs for now, Morton added. Later, crews will

evaluate what steps need to be taken to improve the dam on a long-term

basis.

Officials from the state Safe

Dams program have determined the dam is in danger of being breached during

periods of heavy rain - which could put at least one resident in

danger of being killed.

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