North Pacolet River

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Ge n e r a l Wat e r s h e d de s c r i p t i o n
The North Pacolet River begins in the far most southeast corner of Henderson County,
flows east-southeast towards the southern most portion of Polk County and then
into South Carolina where it eventually joins the Pacolet River and the Broad River.
The river flows through portions of the Southern Crystalline ridges and mountains
and the southern inner and outer piedmont ecoregions. Nearly 80 percent of the
land is forested, while the remaining 20 percent is mostly pasture with scattered
residential and urban areas (Figure 8-1). The only urbanized areas are located in the
Towns of Saluda, Tryon and Columbus (Figure 8-2).
Wa t e r Qu a l i t y ov e r v i e W
Of the 69 stream miles in the North Pacolet River watershed, 18 miles were
monitored by DWQ. Of these waters 100 percent are Supporting for aquatic life.
Major stressors in this watershed are habitat degradation and nutrient impacts from
stormwater runoff and wastewater treatment plants.
Biological monitoring was conducted at three basinwide sites; one was sampled for
the first time in 2005. One additional benthic site was sampled as part of a special
study in the North Pacolet River to establish reference conditions.
Overall, water quality in the North Pacolet River watershed has
remained unchanged and even improved in some cases. No Impaired
waterbodies were identified; however, impacts were noted at the
fish monitoring site in the North Pacolet River.
There are six minor and two major NPDES discharge permits within
this watershed. The Saluda Wastewater Treatment Plant was
approved for construction upgrades in 2006. The Tryon Middle
School Wastewater Treatment Plant closed in 2005 and was sold to
the Town of Tryon. This facility has produced little to no discharge
since that time. The Carolina Yarn Processors facility has had no
discharge during the last two compliance evaluations. All other
facilities were in compliance. There are two stormwater permits
in this watershed located on the out skirts of the Town of Tryon.
Wat e r s h e d a t a Gl a n c e
co u n t i e s
Henderson, Polk
Municipalities
Saluda, Tryon, Columbus
pe r Mi t t e d Facilities
NPDES WWTP: 8
NPDES Nondischarge: 0
NPDES Stormwater: 2
Animal Operations: 0
Mo n i t o r e d st r e a M Mi l e s (al)
Total Streams: 17.9 mi
Total Supporting: 17.9 mi
Total Impaired: 0 mi
Total Not Rated: 0 mi
no r t h pa c o l e t ri v e r
Wat e r s h e d
HUC’s 0305010512 & 0305010515
Includes Buck Creek, Upper, Middle & Lower North Pacolet River
Fi g u r e 8-1: No r t h Pa c o l e t ri v e r Wat e r s h e d la N d co v e rNorth Pacolet River Land Use
0%
66%0%
22%
12%
Developed
Forest
W et land
Agriculture
Other
NRI: National Land Cover Data, 2001
8.2
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8.3
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ta b l e 8-1: Mo N i t o r e d st r e a M se g M e N t s iN th e No r t h Pa c o l e t ri v e r Wat e r s h e d
au Nu M b e r st r e a M Na M e le N g t h
(M i l e s )cl a s s .2008 ir
ca t e g o r y
iM P a i r e d iM P a c t e d
Po t e N t i a l st r e s s o r s
(Po t e N t i a l so u r c e s )
dWQ
su b b a s i N
9-55-1-(1)North Pacolet River 10.5 C;Tr 2 --
Habitat Degradation,
Nutrient Impact
(Stormwater Runoff,
WWTP NPDES)
03-08-06
9-55-1-(10)North Pacolet River 7.4 C 2 --03-08-06
*The 2008 IR Categories definitions can be found on the first page of Appendix 6-A
cu r r e n t st a t u s o F iM p a i r e d & iM pa c t e d Wa t e r s
N o r t h Pa c o l e t ri v e r AU#: 9-55-1-(1), 9-55-1-(10)
Three benthic sites (AB38, AB39 and AB40) and one fish site (AF33) were sampled on the North Pacolet River. Site AB38
was part of a special study and was sampled well upstream of the previous sampling sites in order to establish a reference
point for future water quality studies in the watershed. Site AB38 rated Excellent and can be used as a habitat reference
site for the North Pacolet River.
Site AB39 also rated Excellent, an improved from the Good rating the site received in 1995 and 2000. Despite the
Excellent rating, however, DWQ biologists noted severe streambank erosion, poor riparian areas on both sides and a lack
of instream habitat. DWQ biologists note that the improved rating may be the result of increased stream flow measured
in 2005 versus the previous assessment in 2000. In protected watersheds, increased stream flow often results in more
favorable stream conditions such as increased availability of wetted habitat and increased dissolved oxygen levels, both
of which improve macroinvertebrate colonization.
Site AF33 on the North Pacolet River was sampled for the first time in 2005. The site is located just west of the Town
of Tryon and habitat characteristics were of moderate to high quality. Residential properties along both sides of the
streambanks were altered resulting in a fairly open canopy, grassy lawns cut down to the streambank and bank altering.
Streambank erosion was also evident. Even though more fish were collected from this site than from any other site in
the basin (962 fish collected), site AF33 rated Good-Fair. Nearly 60 percent of the fish collected were bluehead chub, an
indication of nutrient enrichment.
How to Read this Document
This document was written to correspond with our new Online Geographic Document Distribution (OGDD)
tool using Google Earth™. If you are unable to use Google Earth™, this document provides maps and associated
water quality information and a discussion of water quality trends occurring in the watershed. Google Earth™
is an independent software program which can be downloaded to a personal, business, and most local and state
government computers; the program allows you to view satellite imagery of the earth’s surface along with location
identifiers. DWQ’s Basinwide Planning Unit created a “transparency” add on layer to Google Earth™ with basinwide
water quality data, which allows a user to locate their watershed, pinpoint a waterbody and use support ratings,
find a location of a permit and provides links to PDF watershed reports. For more information on how to download
Google Earth™ and DWQ’s data visit DWQ’s Basinwide Planning’s OGDD website. Please contact Melanie Williams
for more information at [e-mail] or 919-807-6447.
Impaired streams are those streams not meeting their associated water quality standards in more than 10 percent
of the samples taken within the assessment period (January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2006) and impacted
streams are those not meeting water quality standards in 7 to 10 percent of the samples. The Use Support report
provides information on how and why water quality ratings are determined and DWQ’s “Redbook” describes
in detail water quality standards for each waterbody classification. For a general discussion of water quality
parameters, potential issues, and rules please see “Supplemental Guide to North Carolina’s Basinwide Planning:
Support Document for Basinwide Water Quality Plans”.
Appendix 8-A provides descriptions of Use Support ratings for all monitored waterbodies in the subbasin.
Appendix 8-B provides a summary of each ambient data monitoring station (THERE ARE NO AMBIENT STATIONS IN
THIS WATERSHED).
Appendix 8-C provides summaries of biological and fish assessment monitoring sites.
8.4
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DWQ biologists also documented a reproducing population of naturalized, rainbow trout in this segment of the North
Pacolet River. Here the river has the supplemental classification of trout and is also stocked periodically by the NC
Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) with three trout species. DWQ biologists collected all three species during the time
of sampling.
Site AB40 rated Good, a slight improvement from the Good-Fair the site received in 2000. The most notable habitat
concerns included instream habitat (i.e., infrequent pools and small riffle substrate) and poor riparian vegetation on the
right streambank. A few pollution intolerant species were collected for the first time. Since the last assessment period,
Grover Industries (Permit NC0004391) has substantially reduced it’s yarn dying operation. As a result, the discharge
is currently reduced in overall volume and is now 100 percent domestic and non-process wastewater. This change in
discharge volume and type may have contributed to the improved rating.
siG niFicant no n -co M p l i a n c e is s u e s
No significant non-compliance issues were identified for the permitted NPDES WWTP facilities in these watersheds.
lo c a l initiatives
Nc ag r i c u lt u r e co a s t sh a r e Pr o g r a M
The NC Agriculture Cost Share Program (NCACSP) was established in 1984 to help reduce agricultural nonpoint runoff into
waters of the state. The program helps owners and renters of established agricultural operations improve their on-farm
management by using approved agricultural BMPs. BMPs include vegetative, structural or management systems that can
improve the efficiency of farming operations while reducing the potential for surface and groundwater contamination.

The NCACSP is implemented by the Division of Soil and Water (DSWC), which divides the approved BMPs into five main
purposes or categories:
Erosion Reduction/Nutrient Loss Reduction in Fields;•
Sediment/Nutrient Delivery Reduction from Fields;•
Stream Protection from Animals;•
Proper Animal Waste Management; and•
Agricultural Chemical (agrichemical) Pollution Prevention.•

The NCACSP is a voluntary program that reimburses farmers up to 75 percent of the cost of installing an approved
BMP. The cost share funds are paid to the farmer once the planned BMP is completed, inspected and certified to be in
accordance with NCACSP standards. The annual statewide budget for BMP cost sharing is approximately $6.9 million.
During this assessment period, $9,000 was allocated for BMPs in the North Pacolet River watershed for the development
and implementation of proper animal waste management.
re c o M M e n d a t i o n s
Habitat Degradation
In most cases habitat is degraded be the cumulative effect of
several stressors acting in concert. These stressors often
originate in the upland portions of the watershed and
may include impervious surfaces, sedimentation and
erosion from construction, general agriculter, and
other land disturbing activities.
Many tools are available to address habitat degradation
including: urban stormwater BMPs; agricultural BMPs;
ordinance and/or rule changes at the local, state, and
federal level; volunteer activism; and education programs.
Figure 8-2 illustrates the general process for developing watershed
restoration plans. This process can and should be applied to streams
impaired or impacted by habitat degradation. Interested parties should
contact the Basinwide Planning Program to discuss opportunities to begin the
Build
Partnership
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Fi g u r e 8-2
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planning and restoration process in their chosen watershed.
Nutrient Impact
Nutrients refer to phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), which are common components of fertilizers, animal and human
waste, vegetation, aquaculture and some industrial processes. Nutrients in surface waters come from both point and
nonpoint sources including agriculture and urban runoff, wastewater treatment plants, forestry activities and atmospheric
deposition. While nutrients are beneficial to aquatic life in small amounts, excessive levels can stimulate algal blooms
and plant growth, depleting dissolved oxygen in the water column.
Nutrient impacts in this watershed are mainly from agriculture, commercial and residential property stormwater runoff.
Riparian buffers are needed along streams to filter excess nutrients and other contaminates before the runoff reaches
the stream. Excessive fertilizing of residential lawns and golf courses also significantly impacts water quality. Education,
along with encouraging the use of riparian buffers, can reduce the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen entering surface
waters.
re F e r e n c e s a n d su p p o r t i n G do c u M e n t a t i o n
NCDENR Division of Water Quality. April 2006. Basinwide Assessment Report – Broad River Basin. http://h2o.enr.state.
nc.us/esb/Basinwide/Broad2006FinalAll.pdf.
NCDENR Division of Water Quality. February 2003. Broad River Basinwide Water Quality Plan. http://h2o.enr.state.
nc.us/basinwide/Broad/2002/plan.htm.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 1999. Protocol for Developing Sediment TMDLs. First Edition. EPA 841-B-
99-044. U.S. EPA, Office of Water, Washington D.C.
Waters, T.F. 1995. Sediment in streams—Sources, biological effects, and control. American Fisheries Society Monograph
7. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.