chapter 34 initiatives

Chapter 34
Water Quality Initiatives

34.1 The Importance of Local Initiatives

As the Basinwide Planning Program completes its third cycle of plan development, there are
many efforts being undertaken at the local level to improve water quality. Information about
local efforts particular to a watershed or subbasin is included in Chapters 1-24. DWQ
encourages local agencies and organizations to learn about and become active in their
watersheds.

These local organizations and agencies are able to combine professional expertise in a watershed.
This allows groups to holistically understand the challenges and opportunities of different water
quality efforts. Involving a wide array of people in water quality projects also brings together a
range of knowledge and interests, and encourages others to become involved and invested in
these projects. By working in coordination across jurisdictions and agency lines, more funding
opportunities are available, and it is easier to generate necessary matching or leveraging funds.
This will potentially allow local entities to do more work and be involved in more activities
because their funding sources are diversified. The most important aspect of these local
endeavors is that the more localized the project, the better the chances for success.
In an effort to provide water quality information and gain public input, DWQ held public
workshops in Greensboro, Pittsboro, Fayetteville, Clinton and Wilmington during May 2004.
The purpose of the workshops was to inform people of the 2005 update plan and to seek input
prior to finalizing the plan. Participants provided comments on specific waters in the Cape Fear
River basin and generalized issues related to urbanization and land use changes, water supply
quantity and protection, enforcement, permitting, monitoring and funding sources. Refer to
Appendix IX for specific comments received during the public workshops.

An important benefit of local initiatives is that local people make decisions that affect change in
their own communities. There are a variety of limitations local initiatives can overcome
including: state government budgets, staff resources, lack of regulations for nonpoint sources,
the rule-making process, and many others.

The collaboration of these local efforts are key to water quality improvements. There are good
examples of local agencies and groups using these cooperative strategies throughout the state.
The following local organizations and agencies (Table 60) are highlighted to share their efforts
towards water quality improvement. Specific projects are described in the subbasin chapters
(Chapters 1 – 24).

DWQ applauds the foresight and proactive response to potential water quality problems in the
watersheds listed above. Federal and state government agencies are interested in assisting local
governments and citizen groups in developing their water quality management programs. The
distribution of several grantors is discussed below.

Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 306

34.1.1 Cape Fear Assembly

Office location: Fayetteville, North Carolina
Executive Director: Don Freeman
Website: http://www.cfra-nc.org/
Contact: [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

The Mission of the CFRA is to provide for the highest quality of life possible for the residents of
the Cape Fear River basin, through the proper management of the Cape Fear River, its
tributaries, and adjacent land uses. This mission will be accomplished through our support of
efforts to investigate, educate and effectuate. Scientific study coupled with economic analyses
will provide the information needed to make the best possible decisions regarding this river
system and its uses. Education will provide for a better informed public, and thereby, improved
stewardship of the river system as a resource. Then finally, development of policy will bring
into effect the benefits of the information and education. The assembly also works with the three
monitoring coalitions in the Cape Fear River basin (Appendix V).
34.1.2 Haw River Assembly/Haw River Watch/Stream Steward Campaign

The Cape Fear River Assembly received $933,675 through EPA’s Targeted Watershed Program
to address impaired water quality areas. They proposed to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate an
innovative water quality nutrient trading program for the Jordan Lake watershed within the Cape
Fear River Basin. The project will provide a much needed example of integrating urban
stormwater management into a credit trading and watershed permitting program. The project
will involve developing a water quality protection platform that combines traditional BMPs with
nonstructural BMPs. Economic incentives will be created for developers to implement more
environmentally sustainable land use patterns that promote more permeable surfaces. This
project will result in a program that will protect the watershed’s valuable water resources while
allowing for continued economic growth.

Office location: Bynum, North Carolina
Executive Director: Elaine Chiosso [e-mail]
Website: www.hawriver.org
Contact: [e-mail] and [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

The Haw River Assembly is a nonprofit citizen organization working to restore the Haw River
and protect Jordan Lake using education, citizen water quality monitoring and research as tools.
The Assembly shares water quality monitoring information collected by the Haw River Watch
volunteers with state biologists and are working with state and federal agencies in the areas of
land conservation, nonpoint source pollution education and dam removal. The Haw River
Assembly has been instrumental in drawing attention to the Impaired streams in our river basin.

The Haw River Assembly’s Stream Steward campaign has been funded through the 319 program
since 2000 to conduct educational outreach on nonpoint source pollution to communities with
impaired streams. The campaign has targeted Robeson Creek (Chapter 4) and the upper Haw
River (Chapter 1). In 2004 the campaign received a new 319 grant to expand the campaign to
the entire Haw River watershed, focusing particularly on communities with streams on the
impaired waters list.
Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 307

34.1.3 Piedmont Triad Council of Governments

Office location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Environmental Projects Coordinator: Carol Patrick [e-mail]
Website: http://www.ptcog.org/
Contact: [phone]

The Piedmont Triad Council of Governments (PTCOG) is a voluntary association of municipal
and county governments, enabled by state law to promote regional issues and cooperation among
members. The PTCOG serves 41 member governments in the following seven counties:
Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph and Rockingham. The COG is
involved in the Jordan stakeholders’ process (Chapter 36), Upper Cape Fear Basin Association
(Appendix V), as well as various TMDLs being developed in the region.

34.1.4 Triangle J Council of Governments

Office location: Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Water Resources Program Manager: Sydney Miller [e-mail]
Website: http://www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/index.shtml
Contact: [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

The Triangle J Council of Governments promotes the wise and responsible stewardship of our
region's water resources. TJCOG facilitates regional approaches to water resources management
and provides technical assistance to local governments, and state and federal agencies. The
Triangle J Council of Governments is recognized as a leader in water supply protection efforts.
TJCOG assisted local governments in the development of their watershed management
regulations and has strongly encouraged the development of the state's minimum standards for
the protection of public water supplies. The Triangle J Council of Governments has worked
closely with local, state and federal agencies to develop several ongoing projects, such as the
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project.

34.1.5 UNC Wilmington Center for Marine Science Research Programs

Office location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Website: http://www.uncwil.edu/cmsr/
Contact: Nancy Stevens [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

The Center for Marine Science Research administers the Lower Cape Fear Program (Appendix
V) as well as a host of other environmental monitoring and research in the Cape Fear River
basin. Researchers at UNC-CMS have been involved in post-hurricane monitoring of water
quality and studies of impacts of land use changes and intensive farming in the Northeast Cape
Fear and Black River watersheds.

Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 308

34.2 Federal Initiatives

34.2.1 Clean Water Act – Section 319 Program

Section 319 of the Clean Water Act provides grant money for nonpoint source demonstration and
restoration projects. Approximately $1 million is available annually through base funding for
demonstration and education projects across the state. An additional $2 million is available
annually through incremental funding for restoration projects. All projects must provide
nonfederal matching funds of at least 40 percent of the project’s total costs. Project proposals
are reviewed and selected by the North Carolina Nonpoint Source Workgroup, made up of state
and federal agencies involved in regulation or research associated with nonpoint source
pollution. Information on the North Carolina Section 319 Grant Program application process is
available online at http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/nps/application_process.htm.

There are 12 projects in the Cape Fear River basin that have been funded through the Section
319 Program between 1996 and 2003, many of which have basinwide applications (Table 36).
Many are demonstration projects and educational programs that allow for the dissemination of
information to the public through established programs at NC State University and the NC
Cooperative Extension Service. Other projects fund stream restoration activities that improve
water quality.

Descriptions of projects and general Section 319 Program information are available at
http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/nps/Section_319_Grant_Program.htm.

34.3 State Initiatives

34.3.1 North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program

The North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP) is responsible for implementing
wetland and stream restoration projects as part of a statewide effort to provide more ecologically
effective compensatory mitigation. The focus of the program is to restore, enhance and protect
key watershed functions in the 17 river basins across the state through the implementation of
wetlands, streams and riparian buffer projects within selected local watersheds in advance of
permitted impacts. These vital watershed functions include water quality protection, floodwater
conveyance & storage, fisheries & wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities. The NCEEP
is not a grant program. Instead, the program funds local mitigation projects directly through its
various in-lieu fee receipts.

Through the development of River Basin Restoration Priorities (formerly called Watershed
Restoration Plans), the NCEEP identifies local watersheds (14-digit Hydrologic Units) with the
greatest need and opportunity for watershed mitigation projects. The RBRPs are developed, in
part, using information compiled by DWQ's programmatic activities. Additional local resource
data and locations of existing or planned watershed projects are considered in the selection of
"Targeted Local Watersheds", which are identified and mapped within the RBRPs. Targeted
Local Watersheds represent those areas within a given river basin where NCEEP resources can
be most efficiently focused for maximum benefit to local watershed functions. The NCEEP
RBRPs are periodically updated and presented on the NCEEP website: http://www.nceep.net.
Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 309

Table 36 Projects Funded Through Clean Water Act Section 319

Fiscal
Year Name Description Agency Amount
1996 McLendens Creek BMP Implementation NCSU $198,000.00
2000 Stream Steward Education
Campaign Educational Haw River Assembly $6,000.00
2000
Retention Pond to
Biorention Conversion
Project
BMP Demonstration Greensboro, City of Storm
Water Management Division $150,000.00
1999 Robeson Creek Watershed
Assessment TMDL Development NCSU $210,000.00
2002 Stream Steward Campaign Education and BMP
installation Haw River Assembly $26,989.00
2002
Burnt Mill Creek Watershed
Outreach and Demonstration
Project
Education and BMP
installation
Wilmington, City of Storm
Water Services $120,000.00
1998 Jordan Lake Stakeholder
Project Stakeholder Development Triangle J Council of
Governments $39,730.00
2003 Stream Steward Campaign Educational Haw River Assembly $32,300.00
Little Troublesome Creek
Fecal Coliform Bacteria
TMDL Implementation Plan
TMDL Implementation Piedmont Triad COG $366,248.00
2003
Town Branch Fecal
Coliform Bacteria TMDL
Implementation Plan
TMDL Implementation Piedmont Triad COG $163,308.00
Robeson creek NPS
Restoration Watershed
Project
NCSU $300,000.00
Quantification of Water
Quality Improvement in
Sandy Creek, after Stream
and Riparian Restoration
and Wetland Treatment Cell
Creation (proposed)
Wetlands Restoration/
Enhancement Duke University
Total
2003
2003 TMDL Implementation
2004 $338,337.00
$1,950,912

The NCEEP can perform restoration projects cooperatively with other state or federal programs
or environmental groups (such as the Section 319 Program). Integrating wetlands or riparian
area restoration components with Section 319-funded or proposed projects will often improve the
overall water quality, hydrologic and habitat benefits of both projects.

The NCEEP is also developing comprehensive Local Watershed Plans, often within Targeted
Local Watersheds identified in the RBRPs. Through the Local Watershed Planning process, EEP
conducts comprehensive watershed assessments to identify stressors in local watersheds, and
Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 310

then coordinates with local resource professionals and local governments to identify and
implement watershed projects and management strategies to address these problems. The Plans
identify and prioritize wetland areas, stream reaches, riparian buffer areas and best management
practices that will provide water quality improvement, habitat protection and other
environmental benefits to the local watershed. There are currently six local watershed planning
efforts that are either completed or underway in the Cape Fear River basin, as described below.
These planning efforts are also discussed in the subbasin chapters.

Troublesome Creek and Little Troublesome Creek Local Watershed Plan (Chapter 1). The Plan
is available at: http://www.nceep.net/services/lwps/Troublesome_Creek/troublesome.htm

Morgan Creek and Little Creek Local Watershed Plan (Chapter 6). The Plan is available at:
http://www.nceep.net/services/lwps/Morgan_Creek/morgan.htm

Middle Cape Fear and Kenneth/Harris Local Watershed Plan (Chapter 7). The Plan is available
at: http://www.nceep.net/services/lwps/Harris-Kenneth/Harris-Kenneth.htm
Rocky River Local Watershed Plan is not yet complete (Chapter 12). The Plan is due to be
completed in 2005.
New Hanover County Local Watershed Plan (Chapter 23). The Plan is available at:
http://www.nceep.net/services/lwps/new%20hanover/newhanover.htm

34.3.2 Clean Water Management Trust Fund
The Clean Water Management Trust Fund offers approximately $40 million annually in grants
for projects within the broadly focused areas of restoring and protecting state surface waters and
establishing a network of riparian buffers and greenways. In the Cape Fear River basin, 71
projects have been funded for a total of $54,330,400 (Table 37). For more information on the
CWMTF or these grants, call [phone] or visit the website at www.cwmtf.net.

Table 37 Projects in the Cape Fear River Basin Funded by the Clean Water Management
Trust Fund (July 2004)

Project
Number Application Name Amount
Funded
1997A-085 Orange Water and Sewer Authority – Acquisition / Cane River Resv $1,042,500 03-06-04
1997A-087 NC Wildlife Resources Commission – Acquisition / Suggs Mill Pond $2,250,000 03-06-16
1997A-097 Triangle J COG – Acq and Restoration Plan / Upper Cape Fear River $70,000 03-06-03
1997A-104 Durham County – Acquisition / New Hope Creek $750,000 03-06-05
1997A-119 Fayetteville – Acquisition / Little Cross Ck $502,500 03-06-15
1997B-008 Piedmont Land Conservancy – Acq / Sandy Creek Reservoir/Ramseur $134,000 03-06-09
1997B-009 Triangle Land Conservancy – Acq and Greenway / New Hope Creek $2,750,000 03-06-05
1997B-904 Greensboro – Acq and Stormwater Wetland / South Buffalo Creek $800,000 03-06-02
Subbasin
Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 311

1998A-004 Triangle Land Conservancy – Deep River Acquisition $1,189,000 03-06-10
1998A-005 NC Wildlife Resources Commission – Bellhammon Tract Acq / NE
Cape Fear $1,070,000 03-06-23
New Hanover Co – Airlie Gardens and Tidal Creeks Acquisition /
Stormwater $6,000,000 03-06-24
1998A-103 Chapel Hill – Dry Creek Acquisition and Greenway $200,000 03-06-05
1998A-301 Brunswick County – Wastewater Reuse System $1,500,000
Cape Fear Botanical Garden – Streambank Stabilization / Cross Creek 03-06-15
Ramseur – Sewer Rehabilitation / Deep River 03-06-09
1998A-807 Fayetteville – Little Cross Creek Pollutant Susceptibility Study 03-06-15 $63,200
Haw River Assembly – Haw River Headwaters Acquisition 03-06-01
1998B-012 Nature Conservancy – Acquisition / Black and South Rivers $2,000,000 03-06-20
Sanford – Acquisition / Little Buffalo Creek 03-06-11
1998B-409 Piedmont Triad Reg. Water Authority – Acquisition / Deep River 03-06-08 $615,000
1998B-505 New Hanover Co / Dept. Env Mgmt – Landfill Leachate Treatment $785,000 03-06-23
$1,810,406 03-06-16
1999A-701 NC WRP – Restoration and Stormwater / Sandy Creek $582,500 03-06-05
1999A-901 Cape Fear RC&D – Bladen Co / No-Till Drill $18,550
03-06-16
03-06-18
03-06-19
03-06-20
1999B-007 Haw River Assembly – Conrad Tract Acquisition / Mears Fork Creek $200,000 03-06-01
1999B-010 NC Coastal Land Trust – Town Creek Conservation Easements $1,441,000 03-06-17
1999B-103 Graham – Haw River Trail Feasibility Study $20,000 03-06-02
1999B-506 Franklinville – WWTP Improvements $1,052,000 03-06-09
1999B-512 Garland – Backup generation $45,000 03-06-18
Cary – Acquisition and Greenway Feasibility / White Oak Creek 03-06-05
2000A-009 NC Coastal Land Trust – Acquisition / Town Creek $305,000 03-06-17
2000A-504 Erwin – WWTP Improvements 03-06-07 $300,000
Raeford – Acq and Stormwater Wetland Design / Peddlers Branch $194,000 03-06-15
2000A-803 Moore County Soil and Water Conservation District – Sediment
Monitoring / Cane Creek $9,724 03-06-14
NC Coastal Land Trust – Foy Creek Acquisition 03-06-24
2000B-505 Chatham County – Wastewater Reuse 03-06-04 $1,000,000
2000B-509 Liberty – Sewer Rehabilitation $212,020 03-06-12
1998A-101
03-06-17
1998A-302 $77,000
1998A-505 $344,000
1998B-001 $24,500
1998B-015 $765,000
1999A-007 NC Wildlife Resources Commission – Little Lake Singletary Acq
2000A-002 $86,000
2000A-701
2000B-008 $1,251,000
2001A-015 NC Coastal Land Trust – Henry Prop / Town and Russell Creeks Acq 03-06-17 $277,000
Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 312

2001A-016 NC Coastal Land Trust – Henline Tract / NE Cape Fear Acquisition $181,000 03-06-23
2001A-018 NC Div Forest Resources – Mulford Creek / Bladen Lakes State
Forest Acquisition $315,000 03-06-16
2001A-025 Orange Water and Sewer Authority – Phase II Cane Creek Reservoir
Acquisition $687,000
Apex – Acquisition / Beaver Creek $387,000 03-06-05
2001B-004 Cary – Acquisition / White Oak Creek $1,084,000 03-06-05
2001B-008 Graham – Acquisition / Haw River $140,000 03-06-02
2001B-017 Nature Conservancy – Acquisition / Bear Garden and Angola Bay
Tracts / NE Cape Fear River and tributaries $7,900,000 03-06-23
2001B-025 NC Coastal Land Trust – Acquisition / Burney Tract / Shelter Creek
and Corbington Branch $783,000 03-06-23
2001B-026 NC Coastal Land Trust – Acquisition / Holland Tract / Shelter Creek
and Angola Creek $442,000 03-06-23
2001B-807 Piedmont Triad COG – Riparian Corridor Plan / Haw River $65,000 03-06-02
2001M-008 Triangle Land Conservancy – Acquisition Minigrant $25,000 03-06-11
2001M-010 Haw River Assembly – Acquisition Minigrant $14,500 03-06-02
2002A-003 Carrboro, Town of – Acquisition / Bolin Creek $202,000 03-06-06
2002A-018 Nature Conservancy – Acquisition / Burgaw Creek $606,000 03-06-23
2002A-019 Nature Conservancy – Acquisition / Shelter Swamp $148,000 03-06-23
2002A-030 Triangle Land Conservancy – Acquisition / Deep River Justice Tract $1,825,000 03-06-11
2002A-404 Pilot View RC&D – Stream Restoration and Stormwater / Koerner
Place Creek $175,000 03-06-08
2002A-504 Liberty, Town of – Rocky River Sewer System Rehabilitation $203,000 03-06-09
2002A-705 Greensboro, City of – Stormwater Wetland / South Buffalo
Construction $570,000 03-06-02
2002A-708 Raeford, City of – Stormwater Wetland / Peddler's Branch
Construction $296,000 03-06-15
2002B-012 NC Coastal Land trust – Acquisition / IP Realty, Town Creek $2,095,000 03-06-17
2002B-702 Fayetteville, City of – Stormwater /Little Cross Creek $766,000 03-06-15
2002M-001 Piedmont Land Conservancy Minigrant / Troublesome Creek $25,000 03-06-01
2002M-006 New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District Minigrant /Eagle
Island $25,000 03-06-17
2003A-010 Conservation Fund – Acquisition / Goshen Swamp and Grove Creek $55,000 03-06-22
2003A-019 Nature Conservancy, The – Acquisition / Corbett Tract, NE Cape Fear $671,000 03-06-23
2003A-023 NC Coastal Land Trust – Acq / Humphrey Tract, Shaken Creek $366,000 03-06-23
2003A-024 NC Coastal Land Trust – Acq / McKeithan Tract, NE Cape Fear $992,000 03-06-23
2003A-038 Sandyfield, Town of – Acquisition / Beaverdam Creek Wetlands $161,000 03-06-16
03-06-04
2001B-001
Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 313

2003A-512 Ramseur, Town of – Wastewater / Deep River Collection
Rehabilitation $278,000 03-06-09
2003A-515 Wallace, Town of – Wastewater / Rock Fish Creek Regionalization $1,037,000 03-06-22
2003M-002 Sandhills Area Land Trust Minigrant – Methodist College River Tract $25,000 03-06-15
2003M-004 Haw River Assembly – Minigrant – Alston Quarter, Saxapahaw $25,000 03-06-04
2003M-008 Orange Water and Sewer Authority – Minigrant / Cane Creek Dairy $25,000 03-06-04
$54,330,400

Notes:
(1) The total funded amount excludes funded projects that were subsequently withdrawn by the applicant.
(2) Several regional and statewide projects were funded in areas that include the Cape Fear River basin. The projects include
various riparian corridor planning projects, a straight pipe and septic system discharge elimination program, and a
Watershed Assessment and Restoration Program.

34.3.2 NCSU Water Quality Group

The water quality group is a multidisciplinary team that implements, analyzes and evaluates
nonpoint source pollution control technologies and water quality programs in North Carolina and
nationwide. The Water quality group is a component of the NC Cooperative Extension Service,
Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, and the NCSU Soil and Water
Environmental Technology Center.

The mission of the Water Quality Group is to enhance NCSU’s water quality programs by
conducting research, dessiminating information and providing technical assistance on nonpoint
source pollution control for agriculture, forestry, urban land uses, construction an on-site
wastewater systems. This role improves the effectiveness and increases the benefits derived from
research and extension efforts and NCSU by facilitating interdepartmental and inter-institutional
cooperative efforts to understand and address environmental problems.
Chapter 34 – Water Quality Initiatives 314