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Chapter 11
Water Resources
11.1 River Basin Hydrologic Units
Under the federal system, the Little Tennessee River basin is made up of hydrologic areas
referred to as cataloging units (USGS 8-digit hydrologic units). Cataloging units are further
divided into smaller watershed units (14-digit hydrologic units or local watersheds) that are used
for smaller scale planning like that done by NCEEP (Chapter 13). There are 3 local watershed
units in the basin, all of which are listed in Table 19.
Table 19 Hydrologic Subdivisions in the Little Tennessee River Basin
Watershed Name
and
Major Tributaries
DWQ
Subbasin
6-Digit
Codes
USGS
8-Digit
Hydrologic
Units
USGS
14-Digit Hydrologic Units
Local Watersheds*
Upper Little Tennessee River
Cullasaja River, Lake Sequoyah
Catoojechaye Creek
Nantahala River, Nanatahala Lake
Tuckasegee River
Lake Glenville, Wolf Creek Reservoir
Oconoluftee River, Deep Creek
Lower Little Tennessee River
Santeetlah Lake, Snowbird Creek
Tulula Creek, Cheoah River
04-04-01 and
04-04-03
04-04-02
04-04-04
06010202
06010203
06010204
020010, 020020, 020030, 030010, 030020,
030030, 040010, 040020, 040030, 040040,
050010, 050020, 050030
050040, 050050, 060010, 060020, 060030,
060040, 060050, 060060, 060070, 070010,
070020, 080010, 080020, 080030, 080040,
010010, 010020, 010030, 010040, 010050,
010060, 010070, 020010, 020020, 020030,
020040, 030010, 030020, 030030, 030040,
030050, 030060, 030070, 030080, 040010,
040020, 040030, 040040, 040050, 040060,
040070
010010, 010020, 010030, 020010, 020020,
020030, 020040, 020050, 030010
* Numbers from the 8-digit and 14-digit column make the full 14-digit HU.
11.2 Minimum Streamflow
Conditions may be placed on dam operations specifying mandatory minimum releases in order to
maintain adequate quantity and quality of water in the length of a stream affected by an
impoundment. One of the purposes of the Dam Safety Law is to ensure maintenance of
minimum streamflows below dams. The Division of Water Resources (DWR), in conjunction
with the Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), recommends conditions related to release of
flows to satisfy minimum instream flow requirements. The Division of Land Resources (DLR)
issues the permits.
Under the authority of the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) licenses all non-federal dams located on the navigable waters in the United States that
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produce hydropower for the purposes of interstate commerce. The license may include
requirements for flows from the project for designated in-stream or off-stream uses.
The studies to support the license application of Duke Power for the bypass projects: Nantahala
Project (FERC Project No. 2692), West Fork Project (FERC Project No. 2686), East Fork Project
(FERC Project No. 2698); and the run-of-river projects: Dillsboro (FERC Project No. 2602),
Franklin (FERC Project No. 2603), and Bryson City (FERC Project No. 2601) have been
completed. The license application has been submitted and the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission is now proceeding through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.
To review the studies, go to: http://www.nantahalapower.com/lakes/relicensing/. The results of
these projects are discussed in more detail in the Subbasin Chapters (1-4).
The licenses for Dillsboro, Franklin and Bryson City expired on 7/31/2005; the licenses for West
Fork and East Fork expired on 1/31/2006; and the license for Nantahala expired on 2-28-2006.
The projects will continue to operate until the new licenses are issued with annual licenses issued
by the FERC, containing terms and conditions from the expired licenses.
Under the authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
issues permits for the discharge of fill material into navigable waters. The permit may include
requirements for flows for designated in-stream or off-stream uses. A 404 permit will not only
apply to dams under state and federal regulatory authorities mentioned above, but will also cover
structures that are not under their authority, such as weirs, diversions, and small dams. Table 20
presents minimum streamflow projects in the Little Tennessee River basin.
142 Chapter 11 – Water Resources
Table 20 Minimum Streamflow Projects in the Little Tennessee Basin
Name Subbasin Waterbody Drainage Area
(sq. mi.)
Min. Streamflow
(cubic feet/sec)
East Fork Project
Tanasee Dam 04-04-02 Tanasee Creek 25 0
Wolf Creek Dam 04-04-02 Wolf Creek 15 0
Bear Creek Dam 04-04-02 Tuckasegee River 75.3 0
Cedar Cliff Dam 04-04-02 Tuckasegee River 80.7 101
West Fork Project
Thorpe Dam 04-04-02 West Fork Tuckasegee River 36.7 0
Little Glenville Dam 04-04-02 West Fork Tuckasegee River 54.7 20
Tapoco (Tallassee) Project
Cheoah Dam 04-04-02 Little Tennessee River 1608 Run-of-river2
Calderwood Dam Tennessee Little Tennessee River 1856 Run-of-river2
Chilhowee Dam Tennessee Little Tennessee River 1977 Run-of-river2
Santeetlah Dam 04-04-04 Cheoah River 176 0
Nantahala Project
Diamond Valley Dam 04-04-03 UT to Dicks Creek 0.4 Run-of-river2
Dicks Creek Dam 04-04-03 Dicks Creek 3.5 Run-of-river2
Whiteoak Dam 04-04-03 Whiteoak Creek 13.8 84
Nantahala Dam 04-04-03 Nantahala River 91 6061
Queens Creek Project
Queens Creek Dam 04-04-03 Queens Creek 3.6 2.0 or 1.03
Other Projects
Franklin (Lake Emory 04-04-01 Little Tennessee River 310 Run-of-river2
Dillsboro Dam 04-04-02 Tuckasegee River 290 Run-of-river2
Bryson City 04-04-02 Oconaluftee River 188 Run-of-river2
Pyle Dam 04-04-01 0.5 0.2
Westgate Plaza Dam 04-04-01 UT to Cartoogechaye Creek 0.47 0.3
Potts Branch
1 Release made at the powerhouse.
2 The project generates or dam spills in a run-of-river mode, i.e., inflow equals outflow. Dams with more storage capacity can have a
greater effect on streamflow. 3 Minimum flow of 2.0 cfs from December 1 through May 31 and 1.0 cfs from June 1 through November 30, or inflow, whichever is less. 4 The release is from July 1 to November 15; and the release is actually from the Whiteoak pipeline(penstock) into Dicks Creek which
flows into the Nantahala River upstream of the Whiteoak Creek confluence. There currently is no flow requirement below the Whiteoak
Creek dam.
11.3 Interbasin Transfers (IBT)
In addition to water withdrawals (discussed above), water users in North Carolina are also
required to register surface water transfers with the Division of Water Resources if the amount is
100,000 gallons per day or more. Also, persons wishing to transfer more than the minimum
transfer quantity allowed by the IBT law (usually 2 MGD) must first obtain a certificate from the
Environmental Management Commission (G.S. 143-215.22I). The river basin boundaries that
apply to these requirements are designated on a map entitled Major River Basins and Sub-Basins
in North Carolina, on file in the Office of the Secretary of State, and included as part G.S. 143-
215.22G of the law. These boundaries differ slightly from the 17 major river basins delineated
by DWQ.
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In determining whether a certificate should be issued, the state must determine that the overall
benefits of a transfer must outweigh the potential impacts. Factors used to determine whether a
certificate should be issued include:
• the necessity, reasonableness and beneficial effects of the transfer;
• the detrimental effects on the source and receiving basins, including effects on water supply
needs, wastewater assimilation, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, hydroelectric power
generation, navigation and recreation;
• the cumulative effect of existing transfers or water uses in the source basin;
• reasonable alternatives to the proposed transfer; and
• any other facts and circumstances necessary to evaluate the transfer request.
A provision of the interbasin transfer law requires that an environmental assessment or
environmental impact statement be prepared in accordance with the State Environmental Policy
Act as support documentation for a transfer petition. Currently, there are no certified interbasin
transfers in the Little Tennessee River basin. However, the Town of Highlands straddles the
Little Tennessee and Savannah River basin divide, resulting in a minor transfer estimated to be
less than 0.1 MGD. For more information on interbasin transfers, visit the website at
http://www.ncwater.org/or call DWR at (919) 733-4064.
11.3.1 Local Water Supply Planning
The North Carolina General Assembly mandated a local and state water supply planning process
in 1989 to assure that communities have an adequate supply of potable water for future needs.
Under this statute, all units of local government that provide, or plan to provide, public water
supply service are required to prepare a Local Water Supply Plan (LWSP) and to update that
plan at least every five years. The information presented in a LWSP is an assessment of a water
system’s present and future water needs and its ability to meet those needs.
Table 21 shows the water use and the service population for water systems that use water from
the Little Tennessee River Basin and submit a Local Water Supply Plan to the Division of Water
Resources. Except where noted, the data is from the systems’ 2002 LWSP.
Table 21 Local Water Supply Planning in the Little Tennessee River Basin
Population and Water Use for LWSP systems using water from the Little Tennessee River Basin
County System
2002 2020 2002 2020
Graham Robbinsville 0.53 0.546 2800 2844
Graham Santeetlah 0.025 0.03 60 70
Macon Franklin (1997 Data)1.044 2.06 7125 10000
Macon Highlands 0.485 1.176 1173 1614
Totals 2.084 3.812 11158 14528
Average Daily Demand (mgd)Population Served
144 Chapter 11 – Water Resources
11.3.2 Registered Water Withdrawals
Large water users are required to register their withdrawals with the Division of Water
Resources. General Statute 143-215.22H requires non-agricultural users that withdraw 100,000
gallons per day or more and agricultural users that withdraw 1,000,000 gallons per day or more
to report their withdrawals. Details of this program can be found on the Division’s website at:
www.ncwater.org. Table 22 lists the registered water withdrawers in the Little Tennessee River
Basin.
Table 22 Registered Water Withdraws in the Little Tennessee River Basin
County Registered Facility Source of Withdrawal
Average for
Days Used
(mgd)
Graham Alcoa Power Generating Inc.-Tapoco Division -- Santeetlah Powerhouse Cheoah River 379
Graham Alcoa Power Generating Inc. - Tapoco Division -- Cheoah Powerhouse Cheoah River 3074
Jackson Duke Energy - Bear Creek Hydro-electric Facility East Fork Tuckasegee River 151
Jackson Duke Energy - Cedar Cliff Hydro-electric Facility East Fork Tuckasegee River 151.60
Macon Duke Enregy - Nantahala Hydro-electric Facility Nantahala River 259.70
Macon Duke Energy - Queens Creek Hydro-electric Facility Queens Creek 4.60
Jackson Duke Energy - Tanasee Creek Hydro-electric Facility East Fork Tuckasegee River 87.20
Jackson Duke Energy - Thorpe Hydro-electric Facility West Fork Tuckasegee River 73.90
Jackson Duke Energy - Tuckasegee Hydro-electric Facility Tuckasegee River 71
Cherokee Nantahala Talc & Limestone Co Inc - Hewitt Quarry Nantahala River 0.39
Graham Fontana Village Resort Fontana Lake 0.26
Jackson Forest Hills - Carolina Water Service (1999 Data)Ground Water 0.04
Macon Otter Creek Trout Farm (1999 Data)Otter Creek 1.44
Swain Cooper Creek Trout Farm Cooper Creek 1.69
Swain Tumbling Waters Campground & Trout Pond Panther Creek 0.20
2004 Registered Water Withdrawals in the Little Tennessee River Basin
11.4 Water Quality Issues Related to Drought
Water quality problems associated with rainfall events usually involve degradation of aquatic
habitats because the high flows may carry increased loadings of substances like metals, oils,
herbicides, pesticides, sand, clay, organic material, bacteria and nutrients. These substances can
be toxic to aquatic life (fish and insects) or may result in oxygen depletion or sedimentation.
During drought conditions, these pollutants become more concentrated in streams due to reduced
flow. Summer months are generally the most critical months for water quality. Dissolved
oxygen is naturally lower due to higher temperatures, algae grow more due to longer periods of
sunlight, and streamflows are reduced. In a long-term drought, these problems can be greatly
exacerbated and the potential for water quality problems to become catastrophic is increased.
This section discusses water quality problems that can be expected during low flow conditions.
The frequency of acute impacts due to nonpoint source pollution (runoff) is actually minimized
during drought conditions. However, when rain events do occur, pollutants that have been
collecting on the land surface are quickly delivered to streams. When streamflows are well
below normal, this polluted runoff becomes a larger percentage of the water flowing in the
stream. Point sources may also have water quality impacts during drought conditions even
though permit limits are being met. Facilities that discharge wastewater have permit limits that
are based on the historic low flow conditions. During droughts these wastewater discharges
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make up a larger percentage of the water flowing in streams than normal and might contribute to
lowered dissolved oxygen concentrations and increased levels of other pollutants.
As streamflows decrease, there is less habitat available for aquatic insects and fish, particularly
around lake shorelines. There is also less water available for irrigation and for water supplies.
The dry conditions and increased removal of water for these uses further increases strain on the
resource. With less habitat, naturally lower dissolved oxygen levels and higher water
temperatures, the potential for large kills of fish and aquatic insects is very high. These
conditions may stress the fish to the point where they become more susceptible to disease and
where stresses that normally would not harm them result in mortality.
These are also areas where longer retention times due to decreased flows allow algae to take full
advantage of the nutrients present resulting in algal blooms. During the daylight hours, algae
greatly increase the amount dissolved oxygen in the water, but at night algal respiration and die
off can cause dissolved oxygen levels to drop low enough to cause fish kills. Besides increasing
the frequency of fish kills, algae blooms can also cause problems for recreation and difficulty in
water treatment resulting in taste and odor problems in finished drinking water.
11.5 Source Water Assessment of Public Water Supplies
11.5.1 Introduction
The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1996 emphasize pollution
prevention as an important strategy for the protection of ground and surface water resources.
This new focus promotes the prevention of drinking water contamination as a cost-effective
means to provide reliable, long-term and safe drinking water sources for public water supply
(PWS) systems. In order to determine the susceptibility of public water supply sources to
contamination, the amendments also required that all states establish a Source Water Assessment
Program (SWAP). Specifically, Section 1453 of the SDWA Amendments require that states
develop and implement a SWAP to:
Delineate source water assessment areas;
Inventory potential contaminants in these areas; and
Determine the susceptibility of each public water supply to contamination.
In North Carolina, the agency responsible for the SWAP is the Public Water Supply (PWS)
Section of the DENR Division of Environmental Health (DEH). The PWS Section received
approval from the EPA for their SWAP Plan in November 1999. The SWAP Plan, entitled
North Carolina’s Source Water Assessment Program Plan, fully describes the methods and
procedures used to delineate and assess the susceptibility of more than 9,000 wells and
approximately 207 surface water intakes. To review the SWAP Plan, visit the PWS website at
http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/pws/index.htm.
11.5.2 Delineation of Source Water Assessment Areas
The SWAP Plan builds upon existing protection programs for ground and surface water
resources. These include the state’s Wellhead Protection Program and the Water Supply
Watershed Protection Program.
146 Chapter 11 – Water Resources
Wellhead Protection (WHP) Program
North Carolinians withdraw more than 88 million gallons of groundwater per day from more
than 9,000 water supply wells across the state. In 1986, Congress passed Amendments to the
SDWA requiring states to develop wellhead protection programs that reduce the threat to the
quality of groundwater used for drinking water by identifying and managing recharge areas to
specific wells or wellfields.
Defining a wellhead protection area (WHPA) is one of the most critical components of wellhead
protection. A WHPA is defined as “the surface and subsurface area surrounding a water well or
wellfield, supplying a public water system, through which contaminants are reasonably likely to
move toward and reach such water well or wellfield.” The SWAP uses the methods described in
the state's approved WHP Program to delineate source water assessment areas for all public
water supply wells. More information related to North Carolina’s WHP Program can be found at
http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/pws/swap.
Water Supply Watershed Protection (WSWP) Program
DWQ is responsible for managing the standards and classifications of all water supply
watersheds. In 1992, the WSWP Rules were adopted by the EMC and require all local
governments that have land use jurisdiction within water supply watersheds adopt and implement
water supply watershed protection ordinances, maps and management plans. SWAP uses the
established water supply watershed boundaries and methods established by the WSWP program
as a basis to delineate source water assessment areas for all public water surface water intakes.
Additional information regarding the WSWP Program can be found at
http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/wswp/index.html.
11.5.3 Susceptibility Determination – North Carolina’s Overall Approach
The SWAP Plan contains a detailed description of the methods used to assess the susceptibility
of each PWS intake in North Carolina. The following is a brief summary of the susceptibility
determination approach.
Overall Susceptibility Rating
The overall susceptibility determination rates the potential for a drinking water source to become
contaminated. The overall susceptibility rating for each PWS intake is based on two key
components: a contaminant rating and an inherent vulnerability rating. For a PWS to be
determined “susceptible”, a potential contaminant source must be present and the existing
conditions of the PWS intake location must be such that a water supply could become
contaminated. The determination of susceptibility for each PWS intake is based on combining
the results of the inherent vulnerability rating and the contaminant rating for each intake. Once
combined, a PWS is given a susceptibility rating of higher, moderate or lower (H, M or L).
Inherent Vulnerability Rating
Inherent vulnerability refers to the physical characteristics and existing conditions of the
watershed or aquifer. The inherent vulnerability rating of groundwater intakes is determined
based on an evaluation of aquifer characteristics, unsaturated zone characteristics and well
integrity and construction characteristics. The inherent vulnerability rating of surface water
intakes is determined based on an evaluation of the watershed classification (WSWP Rules),
intake location, raw water quality data (i.e., turbidity and total coliform) and watershed
Chapter 11 – Water Resources 147
characteristics (i.e., average annual precipitation, land slope, land use, land cover, groundwater
contribution).
Contaminant Rating
The contaminant rating is based on an evaluation of the density of potential contaminant sources
(PCSs), their relative risk potential to cause contamination, and their proximity to the water
supply intake within the delineated assessment area.
Inventory of Potential Contaminant Sources (PCSs)
In order to inventory PCSs, the SWAP conducted a review of relevant, available sources of
existing data at federal, state and local levels. The SWAP selected sixteen statewide databases
that were attainable and contained usable geographic information related to PCSs.
11.5.4 Source Water Protection
The PWS Section believes that the information from the source water assessments will become
the basis for future initiatives and priorities for public drinking water source water protection
(SWP) activities. The PWS Section encourages all PWS system owners to implement efforts to
manage identified sources of contamination and to reduce or eliminate the potential threat to
drinking water supplies through locally implemented programs
To encourage and support local SWP, the state offers PWS system owners assistance with local
SWP as well as materials such as:
Fact sheets outlining sources of funding and other resources for local SWP efforts.
Success stories describing local SWP efforts in North Carolina.
Guidance about how to incorporate SWAP and SWP information in Consumer Confidence
Reports (CCRs).
Information related to SWP can be found at http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/pws/swap.
11.5.5 Public Water Supply Susceptibility Determinations in the Little Tennessee River
Basin
In April 2004, the PWS Section completed source water assessments for all drinking water
sources and generated reports for the PWS systems using these sources. A second round of
assessments were completed in April 2005. The results of the assessments can be viewed in two
different ways, either through the interactive ArcIMS mapping tool or compiled in a written
report for each PWS system. To access the ArcIMS mapping tool, simply click on the “NC
SWAP Info” icon on the PWS web page (http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/pws/swap). To view a
report, select the PWS System of interest by clicking on the “SWAP Reports” icon.
In the Little Tennessee River Basin, 354 public water supply sources were identified. Eleven are
surface water sources, 3 are groundwater source that are under the influence of surface water
(like springs) and 340 are groundwater sources. All of 340 groundwater sources have a Higher
susceptibility rating. Table 23 identifies the eleven surface water sources, 3 groundwater sources
under the influence of surface water and the overall susceptibility ratings for all of these sources.
It is important to note that a susceptibility rating of Higher does not imply poor water quality.
148 Chapter 11 – Water Resources
Susceptibility is an indication of a water supply's potential to become contaminated by the
identified PCSs within the assessment area.
Table 23 SWAP Results for Surface Water Sources in the Little Tennessee River Basin
PWS ID
Number
Inherent
Vulnerability
Rating
Contaminant
Rating
Overall
Susceptibility
Rating
Name of Surface Water
Source PWS Name
0138010 H L M Cheoah River
Robbinsville Water Treatment
Plant
0138010 M L M Rock Creek
Robbinsville Water Treatment
Plant
0138010 M L M Burgin Creek
Robbinsville Water Treatment
Plant
0138010 M L M Long Creek
Robbinsville Water Treatment
Plant
0138101 H L M Fontana Lake
Fontana Village Resort Water
Treatment Plant
0150035 H L M Tuckasegee River
Tuckasegee Water & Sewer
Authority
0150116 H L M Tuckasegee River
Western Carolina University
Water Treatment Plant
0157010 H L M Cartoogechaye River Town of Franklin
0157015 H L M Big Creek
Highlands Water Treatment
Plant
0157015 M L M Lake Sequoia
Highlands Water Treatment
Plant
0187010 H L M Deep Creek Bryson City
0150190* H L M Well #1 Moonshine Creek Campground
0157117* H L M Spring #1 King Mountain Club Water
0157117* H L M Spring #2 King Mountain Club Water
* Groundwater sources under the influence of surface water
Chapter 11 – Water Resources 149
150 Chapter 11 – Water Resources