After receiving a dam assessment for the pond on town-owned property off Legion Road, Chapel Hill says it plans to convert the area into a constructed wetland.
In a memo sent to Town of Chapel Hill staff on May 31, the Durham-based engineering consultant Tetra Tech shared its report reviewing options for addressing safety issues with the three-acre Legion Pond’s dam, as the local government prepares to develop the land at 1714 Legion Road. Based on how reduced pond would need to be to meet North Carolina-set safety standards, the group recommended building a wetland area as a smaller water feature — which Chapel Hill Town Manager Chris Blue said his staff will pursue.
Tetra Tech’s assessment came just more than one year after an initial report of the site done by Garrett & Moore, which determined the dam is classified as a “high hazard” to the surrounding area because of its poor condition. The engineers told the town council members that the stream flowing south from the pond presents a significant danger to the surrounding communities if the pond’s dam were to fail, with anticipated damages exceeding $200,000 from any flooding. To bring the man-made water feature up to compliance with state laws, the town will need to drain the pond to identify its water source and then either repair or remove the dam.
Based on those two options and the pond’s condition, the Tetra Tech report said Chapel Hill would either have to significantly lower the height of the dam and reduce the pond size, or eliminate the dam entirely and build a smaller wetland. Factoring in the flooding impact, cost analysis, and considerations requested by town staff, Tetra Tech recommended the constructed wetland option — with the water feature also reaching 14 out of 14 additional benefits Chapel Hill asked to be considered in the assessment, like opportunities for environmental education and chances for biodiversity.
An example of a constructed wetland Tetra Tech included in its report to Chapel Hill about Legion Pond’s hyrdology, dam integrity and options moving forward. (Photo via Tetra Tech.)
The pond at 1714 Legion Road was man-made in the 1960s. Several consultant and town staff studies have confirmed its earthen dam is in poor condition and presents a hazard to nearby residents if it were to break.
The pond was a central point of discussion during the town’s years-long consideration of what to do with the 36 acres of land it purchased from the local American Legion in 2016. During passionate public comment sessions, town halls and community workshops, people often pointed to using the pond and its surrounding field as a de facto park for passive recreation. Ultimately, the town voted in December 2022 to formalize 27 acres of the land as a park — combining it with the neighboring, 10-acre Ephesus Park — and reserving 8 to 9 acres fronting Legion Road for town-owned affordable housing. At the time, town officials said the dam’s failing condition was a key determinate for the site’s layout and use, before the 2023 report from Garrett & Moore further confirmed it would have to be rebuilt or eliminated for any sort of development to be possible.
The staff memo circulated on May 31 said the town will now enter the design and permitting phase, with Tetra Tech handling each. That process is set to take between six to nine months, according to the town — and the goal is to complete a constructed wetland by the end of 2025 to better support Chapel Hill’s application for a federal low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) to aid the planned affordable housing. The memo added that during the design and permitting phase, Tetra Tech will complete an endangered species assessment and staff will coordinate with the local New Hope Bird Alliance to address any wildlife and plant relocation.
More details about the long-term project and history of the Legion Road property can be found on the Town of Chapel Hill’s website.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story had the incorrect name of the New Hope Bird Alliance. The local group recently changed its name from the New Hope chapter of the Audubon Society, and this piece has been updated to reflect the correct title.
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The Legion Post 3 acre pond is an asset to the surrounding community and will be a great loss. Many people from the surrounding neighborhoods and beyond enjoy walking around it and seeing the array of species who live in and near the water source. Many evenings a week locals fish for fun and have quiet peace, surrounded by nature – which is becoming more and more difficult to find in this section of SE Chapel Hill. Where the town greenlit multi-story, multi-unit complexes and thousands of apartments have been added on the Chapel Hill side plus on the Durham side of the line, in just the last 2 to 3 years. The Legion Post is the largest in-tact greenspace in this area of town with the highest density and growing. It’s a shame to take away the access to greenspace the future affordable housing residents would have and the current long-standing Chapel Hillians who have loved this space for decades. The value of the pond for the communities’ enjoyment and peace compared to a minor swamp land/wetland is not dollar for dollar.