Wake County Open Space Program...Greener Ways to Cleaner Water

Open Space: Water Quality
In Wake County, 27 acres of land are converted from a natural landscape to a human-built environment each day; that is one acre per hour. This growth and development is crucial to Wake County's economy, but County
leaders know it's important to strike a balance by preserving open space at the same time.

Wake County's open space program began in the late 1990s. So far, a total of 1,800 acres worth $23.1 million have been acquired, with more than half in partnership with other cities and towns, state agencies, nonprofits and individuals. Some of this funding came from a voter-approved bond referendum in 2000 for $15 million.

The program is focused on preserving land within four critical watersheds (Falls and Jordan Lakes, Swift Creek and Little River), 40 miles of stream corridors within these watersheds, and the Mark's Creek area in eastern Wake County.

 Open Space Accomplishments
  • Partnership with the City of Raleigh to preserve 160 acres in the Swift Creek corridor, between Lake Benson and Lake Wheeler. This area is important to water supply and quality.

  • Purchase of 116 acres with the Town of Cary on White Oak Church Road; this is in the important Jordan Lake Watershed.

  • The pastoral 117-acre Joyner Farm, purchased with the Town of Wake Forest.

  • Future site of a municipal park with connections to the American Tobacco Trail, purchased with the Town of Apex (Holleman tract).

  • The 45-acre Clark Property, which will provide for watershed protection and future recreational amenities for town residents for generation to come, purchased with the Town of Wendell.

  • A 252-acre parcel, in partnership with the State of North Carolina, to expand Clemmons Educational State Forest into Wake County. This area will protect water quality, provide recreational opportunities and be used as a research area by North Carolina State University.

  • Protection of the Mark's Creek Rural Lands Initiative, a watershed that straddles the Wake and Johnston County lines. This effort has been spearheaded by the Trust for Public Lands and the Triangle Land Conservancy. Wake County has provided 50% of the funding for 357 acres of open space.

Open Space
Frequently Asked Questions

Environmental Stewardship
Open SpaceWake County has crafted a strong Environmental Stewardship Agenda to protect our drinking water and ensure that citizens tomorrow enjoy the same quality life we enjoy today. The Agenda focuses on water and air quality, open space preservation, solid waste disposal and recycling, and environmental health and education.

Major plans that are being implemented include:


  • Comprehensive Open Space Plan: For the first time, citizens have worked together on a countywide open space plan. This "greenprint for the future" knits together the County's open space plan with those of all 12 Wake County municipalities. This unique plan provides for open space protection in ways that are close to home, such as greenway linkages and neighborhood parks.

  • Watershed and Growth Management Plans: These plans address growth issues, including the critical matter of watershed protection and setting priorities for purchases under the County's open space plan.