A historic site on the Yadkin River will get close to $200,000 from the state to officially open to the public.

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday announced in a news release that The Clean Water Management Trust Fund would contribute $187,000 to acquire 13 acres on the Yadkin River in Davidson County and adjacent to Interstate 85. The 13 acres includes the former Fort York Historic Site, where Confederates defeated Union forces in April 1865. The battle, which centered around a railroad bridge, took place three days after the civil war ended.

The news release said the plans for the site include reopening the property to educate people about the history of the fort.

“The effort to provide clean drinking water, conserve natural areas, and preserve our past is critically important for both current and future generations,” said Bryan Gossage, the trust fund’s director. “I’m pleased that resources will be provided to these great projects that protect North Carolina’s natural and cultural resources.”

The Clean Water Management Trust Fund helps finance the state’s natural resource needs, including land conservation and protection of surface water quality, the news release stated. The trust fund is financed through the state budget and part of annual license plate receipts.

One of the largest contributions announced Friday included $1 million to conserve 324 acres of land and protect water quality in Cabarrus County along the Rockey River and Mallard Creek. Plans for the money’s use include additions to the Carolina Thread Trail, a 15-county regional greenway. The news release stated that Catawba Lands Conservancy expects the project will protect 82.9 acres of riparian corridor, or riverbank, and 1.9 miles  in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.

The Clean Water Management Trust Fund has funded $7.13 million in Rowan County projects since 1996. Past projects include: wastewater projects in Landis and Salisbury; the acquisition of three plots of land near the Yadkin River and a mini-grant for Shaver Farm on the Yadkin River.

The largest Rowan County project, paid for through the trust fund, was the acquisition of land in Kannapolis on near Second and Sloan creeks. The trust fund paid $2.52 million for the Kannapolis project.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246