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Home My WebLink Aboutchapter 13 subbasin -13 Chapter 13 Cape Fear River Subbasin 03-06-13 Including: Upper Little River and Barbeque Creek 13.1 Subbasin Overview Subbasin 03-06-13 includes the entire Upper Little River watershed draining Triassic basin, piedmont and the coastal plain. Most of the watershed is forested or with extensive agriculture. Development is occurring around Sanford in the western region of the subbasin. Population is expected to grow by 65,000 people in counties with portions or all of their areas in this subbasin by 2020. There are six individual NPDES wastewater discharge permits in this subbasin with a permitted flow of 9 MGD (Figure 16). The largest are Erwin Mills (2.5 MGD), Dunn WWTP (3 MGD) and Erwin WWTP (1.2 MGD). Refer to Appendix VI and Chapter 30 for more information on NPDES permit holders. There are eight registered swine operations in this subbasin. There was one benthic community sample (Figure 16 and Table 16) collected during this assessment period. Data were also collected from one ambient monitoring station shared by UCFRBA (Appendix V) and DWQ. Refer to the 2003 Cape Fear River Basinwide Assessment Report at http://www.esb.enr.state.nc.us/bar.html and Appendix IV for more information on monitoring. Subbasin 03-06-13 at a Glance Land and Water Area Total area: 221 mi2 Land area: 219 mi2 Water area: 2 mi2 Population Statistics 2000 Est. Pop.: 35,654 people Pop. Density: 162 persons/mi2 Land Cover (percent) Forest/Wetland: 65.2% Surface Water: 2.0% Urban: 1.3% Cultivated Crop: 23.4% Pasture/ Managed Herbaceous: 8.1% Counties Harnett and Lee Municipalities Broadway and Sanford Waters in the following sections are identified by assessment unit number (AU#). This number is used to track defined segments in the water quality assessment database, 303(d) Impaired waters list and the various tables in this basin plan. The assessment unit number is a subset of the DWQ index number (classification identification number). A letter attached to the end of the AU# indicates that the assessment is smaller than the DWQ index segment. No letter indicates that the assessment unit and the DWQ index segment are the same. 13.2 Use Support Assessment Summary Use support ratings were assigned for waters in subbasin 03-06-13 in the aquatic life, recreation, fish consumption and water supply categories. All waters are Impaired on an evaluated basis in the fish consumption category because of fish consumption advice that applies to the entire Chapter 13 – Cape Fear River Subbasin 03-06-13 131 AU Number Description Length/AreaClassification CAPE FEAR 03-06-13 AL Rating REC RatingStationYear/ParameterResult % Exc Aquatic Life Assessment ResultStation Recreation Assessment Stressors Sources SubbasinTable 16 Upper Little River 18-20-(24.5) From a point 0.6 mile downstream of Juniper Branch to Cape Fear River 15.6 FW MilesWS-IV S SBA429 NCE Low pH 9.1 BA429 NCE Low pH Unknown 18-20-(8)a From dam at Lake Trace to Corndack Creek 4.3 FW MilesC S NR BB261 /2003GF Habitat Degradation Fecal Coliform Bacteria WWTP NPDES AL - Aquatic Life BF - Fish Community Survey E - Excellent S - Supporting, I - Impaired REC - Recreation BB - Benthic Community Survey G - Good NR - Not Rated BA - Ambient Monitoring Site GF - Good-Fair NR*- Not Rated for Recreation (screening criteria exceeded) BL- Lake Monitoring F - Fair ND-No Data Collected to make assessment S- DEH RECMON P - Poor NI - Not Impaired CE-Criteria Exceeded > 10% and more than 10 samples Miles/Acres S- Severe Stress NCE-No Criteria Exceeded FW- Fresh Water M-Moderate Stress S- Salt Water N- Natural Results Aquatic Life Rating Summary S 19.9 FW Milesm ND 209.3 FW Miles Recreation Rating Summary 15.6 FW MilesSm 4.3 FW MilesNR e 209.3 FW MilesND Fish Consumption Rating Summary 229.2 FW MilesIe CAPE FEAR Subbasin 03-06-13 basin. In the water supply category, all WS classified waters (37.5 miles) are Supporting on an evaluated basis based on reports from DEH regional water treatment plant consultants. Refer to Appendix X for a complete list of monitored waters and more information on Supporting monitored waters. There were 19.9 stream miles (8.7 percent) monitored during this assessment period in the aquatic life category. There are no stream miles identified as Impaired in this category. 13.3 Status and Recommendations of Previously and Newly Impaired Waters The following waters were either identified as Impaired in the previous basin plan (2000) or are newly Impaired based on recent data. If previously identified as Impaired, the water will either remain on the state’s 303(d) list or will be delisted based on recent data showing water quality improvements. If the water is newly Impaired, it will likely be placed on the 2006 303(d) list. The current status and recommendations for addressing these waters are presented below, and each is identified by an assessment unit number (AU#). Refer to the overview for more information on AUs. Information regarding 303(d) listing and reporting methodology is presented in Appendix VII. 13.3.1 Upper Little River [AU#18-20-(24.5) and (8)a] Current Status Upper Little River was Fully Supporting in the 2000 plan; however, Upper Little River [18-20- (24.5)] from downstream of Juniper Branch to the Cape Fear River (15.6 miles) is currently Supporting aquatic life because no criteria were exceeded at site BA429 although pH was below the standard in 9 percent of samples. Upper Little River [18-20-(8)a] from Lake Trace to Corndack Creek (4.3 miles) is Supporting aquatic life because of a Good-Fair benthic community rating at site BB261, although moderate streambank erosion was noted at this site. Upper Little River was tannin stained, and the low pH levels may represent natural conditions. Carolina Trace (NC0038831) had significant violations of fecal coliform bacteria permit limits during the last two years of the assessment period and the segment is Not Rated for recreation. 2005 Recommendations DWQ will continue to monitor the Upper Little River watershed and reestablish benthic community sites that could not be monitored in 2003 because of high flows. Reestablishing these sites will allow DWQ to determine if the low pH values are due to natural swamp conditions. The NPDES compliance process will be used to address the significant permit violations noted above. Segment 18-20-(24.5) will be added to the 303(d) list of Impaired waters. TMDLs (Chapter 35) will be developed for identified stressors within 8-13 years of listing. Chapter 13 – Cape Fear River Subbasin 03-06-13 134