Five years ago, the waterway boasted water levels of several feet; now it sits at a few inches on dry days.

Last week, in her galoshes, Laws patrolled the creek in her Scotts Mill neighborhood, stopping to pull out a rubber bicycle tire. Nearby, soda cans and plastic bottles littered the banks.

The condition of Beaver Creek is due to one factor: urbanization.

While Laws points to commercial development as the main culprit, one town official said the root of the problem is more expansive.

"What is occurring in Beaver Creek is the cumulative impact of urbanization," said Public Works Director Tim Donnelly. "It's every yard, it's every home, it's every business."

About 10 years ago, town officials recognized the need to protect waterways and established riparian buffers for streams and creeks, Donnelly said.

"It's better to be proactive with stream-protection efforts, because it's not very cost effective after there's been siltation in a stream," he said.

A 100-foot buffer is required along every stream that flows year round, and a 50-foot buffer is required along intermittent streams, or streams that flow only at certain times during the year, Donnelly said.

Some portions of Beaver Creek are perennial and some are intermittent. At Scotts Mill, Beaver Creek is perennial, or year round, Donnelly said.

In the past decade, Apex also stopped allowing lots to be recorded up to the stream bank, implemented best stormwater practices and created resource conservation areas along the streams, he said.

But some commercial and residential development pre-dates the buffer requirements and stormwater changes.

Donnelly said he plans to visit the Beaver Creek site at Scotts Mill this week to see if anything should be done.

"The question we have to ask, is are we doing more harm than good?" Donnelly said. "Do we dredge or let Mother Nature take care of itself?"

He said most people would immediately assume the best solution is to dredge out the sand.

With dredging, wildlife would be disturbed by the heavy machinery, Donnelly said.

Scotts Mill resident Dave Matusik said wildlife already has been disturbed.

"Three or four years ago it was a well-defined bank: You saw fish, tadpoles, lots of frogs," Matusik said. "I stopped coming back here because now there are just ticks and mosquitoes."

Beaver Creek's siltation and erosion came to light at a the Apex Town Council's pre-budget public hearing Tuesday. Elected officials gave the public the chance to give input on services and needs that should be added or removed for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

Laws was happy to oblige.

"I've been wanting to do something about this for a long time," she said. "So when I saw they were looking for input for the budget, it seemed like the right time."

She asked the Town Council to repair the riparian buffers and the banks to prevent flooding. "I want it to be beautiful again," she said.

The Apex Town Council will consider the budget requests at their annual retreat Feb. 24. Apex has a $10 million surplus in its unassigned fund balance, according to the annual audit.

Residents during the hearing also asked for:

An independent assessment of programs for people with special needs.

Sidewalks along Chatham Street.

Funding to finish Phase II of Seagroves Farm Neighborhood Park.