Pigeon House Branch Watershed

About Pigeon House Branch

The Pigeon House Watershed covers over four square miles in and near downtown Raleigh and is one of 36 watersheds in the city. The watershed is bordered on the south by Hillsborough Street and New Bern Avenue, on the east by State Street and Bennet Street, on the west by Oberlin Road, and on the north by Fairview Road and Whitaker Mill Road.

Pigeon House Branch begins near the Village District, follows Capital Boulevard and joins with Crabtree Creek at Crabtree Boulevard and N. Raleigh Boulevard. Flows eventually reach the Neuse River.
Cemetery Branch is the largest tributary to Pigeon House Branch
Over the years, the main stem of Pigeon House Branch has undergone extensive channelization, realignment, and confinement in underground concrete box culverts or walled channels to address historical flooding and erosion problems.

Stormwater System

A section of Cemetery Creek that runs under ground. This images shows a stone block culvert near Elm Street, built in the early 1800's. — A section of Cemetery Creek runs through a stone block culvert near Elm Street, built in the early 1800's.

Stormwater infrastructure, like culverts, pipes and drains, help safely collect and carry stormwater runoff into the creek when it rains. Water can also flow through the system under roads, driveways, and bridges before it reaches creeks.
Pigeon House watershed contains some of the City’s oldest stormwater infrastructure, dating back to the early 1800s.
There are over 75 miles of stormwater pipes and streams in this watershed. Approximately 28 miles are maintained by the City. The remainder are located on state, county, or private property.

Watershed Map

Zoom into the map to see the location of the stormwater system and some recent stormwater projects. Raleigh Stormwater maintains the areas in yellow. Click the three lines on the map (upper right corner) to see what the icons mean.

Projects in the Watershed

We completed a study of the Pigeon House Branch Watershed and identified stormwater projects that would reduce flooding, improve water quality, and protect the community. View the Watershed Projects Map (PDF). Below are active or completed projects that came from the watershed study.

Watershed Study

The Pigeon House Branch Watershed Study was completed in 2024. From the study, we created a watershed plan that will help us make informed and strategic decisions about stormwater projects planned over the next several decades.

Work During the Study

Checked streams and creeks for erosion
Inspected stormwater pipes and drains
Tracked water flow to find predicted roadway, structural, and yard flooding.
Analyzed water quality to identify common pollutants

We hosted three public meetings and received public observations and feedback in our online survey.

Resources

Pigeon House Watershed Study Fact Sheet (PDF)

Aging Stormwater Infrastructure Map (PDF)

Stream and Riparian Buffers Map (PDF)

Contact

Barbara Moranta, PE
Planning and Asset Manager
barbara.moranta@raleighnc.gov
919-996-3976

Department:: Engineering Services

Related Services:: Find Your Watershed

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