Port Royal wetlands restoration enters design phase after federal funding hold

Beaufort County has entered the design phase for restoration work at the Arthur Horne Wetlands between Camelia Road and Ivy Lane in Port Royal, shifting design financing to the county’s Stormwater Utility Fund after federal funding was put on hold.

The county announced the change on July 8, 2026. The current action covers design work, not construction. Engineering, coordination with local, state and federal agencies, and permitting must still occur before a construction timetable can be established.

A damaged 17-acre wetland

Arthur Horne is a 17-acre wetland system in a Port Royal neighborhood that once functioned as stormwater mitigation. County records say Hurricane Matthew damaged the area in 2016. Downed trees and debris interrupted the intended water-flow path, and the wetland has not recovered its former function.

The county’s Stormwater Management Utility Board described the project in June 2025 as a two-phase effort. The first phase would restore drainage. A later phase could add a public-facing amenity, but the minutes described those features as possibilities rather than final commitments.

Design funding comes from stormwater revenue

County staff applied for a federal grant in 2021 to cover design and construction costs. With those federal funds now on hold, Beaufort County says Stormwater Utility Fund revenue will pay for the project’s design. The announcement does not say that local stormwater money will cover the full project or future construction.

In December 2025, the Stormwater Management Utility Board recorded that the county had issued a request for qualifications and selected Black & Veatch as the engineering firm for design. The minutes said the firm was working with Procurement to secure a contract; they do not establish that a final contract had been executed.

Goals include drainage and habitat

Beaufort County says the intended outcomes include restoring stormwater function, reducing pollutants and the risk of flooding in the area, and improving native habitat. Stormwater Manager Taylor Brewer described the project as an opportunity to address drainage while creating habitat and a possible community amenity.

Ducks Unlimited is an official project partner. Earlier board minutes mentioned a possible pathway around the wetlands, a former dock-related amenity and potential certification of the pond as a duck impoundment. Those ideas remain under consideration and should not be treated as approved park improvements.

Residents will have another public-input opportunity

The county says it is planning a community meeting for area residents, neighbors and other stakeholders. No meeting date had been announced in the available county record as of August 3, 2026.

For Port Royal residents, the immediate change is that a long-planned wetland restoration project has moved into design. The next concrete steps are expected to involve engineering, permitting and agency coordination. The final design, total project cost, construction schedule, federal-funding status and any public-access features remain unresolved.

Sources

• Beaufort County: Future Arthur Horne Wetlands Park Enters Design Phase