Introduction

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Introduction
North Carolina’s Basinwide Approach to water quality planning is a nonregulatory watershed-based approach to
restoring and protecting the quality of North Carolina’s surface waters. Basinwide water quality plans are prepared
by the NC Division of Water Quality (DWQ) for each of the 17 major river basins in the state. Each basinwide
plan is revised at five-year intervals. While these plans are prepared by the DWQ, their implementation and the
protection of water quality entail the coordinated efforts of many agencies, local governments and stakeholders
in the state.
This document is the fourth five-year update of the Lumber River Basinwide Water Quality Plan. Previous
basinwide plans for the Lumber River basin were completed in 1994, 1999, and 2003. This document has been
designed to be used in conjunction with the Supplemental Guide to Basinwide Planning as well as the previous
plans.
Goals of the Basinwide Approach
The goals of basinwide planning are to:
Identify water quality problems and restore full use to Impaired waters.•
Identify and protect high value resource waters.•
Protect unimpaired waters yet allow for reasonable economic growth.•
DWQ accomplishes these goals through the following objectives:
Collaborate with other agencies to develop appropriate management strategies.•
Assure equitable distribution of waste assimilative capacity.•
Better evaluate cumulative effects of pollution.•
Improve public awareness and involvement.•
Guide to this Document
Chapter 1 Lumber Basin Overview
This chapter provides a general description of the ecology and hydrology of the basin. It contains a summary
of the current status of water quality in the basin based on results from the various monitoring programs. Also
included are brief overviews of population, land use, special classifications, permits, and total daily maximum
loads. Recommendations for restoring and protecting water quality are at the end of the chapter.
Chapters 2 thru 5
These chapters cover water quality status and issue by subbasin. Each chapter contains a general description of
the subbasin and a summary of monitoring efforts. Local water quality issues are divided up by watersheds and
discussed in detail. An update of incentive program activities and recommendations to protect and restore water
quality are given.
Chapter 6 thru 10
General information about growth, development, forestry, water supplies, and water dependent resources are
discussed in these chapters.
Chapters 11 thru 13
Provided in these chapters is information about programs working in the basin to restore and protect water quality,
both within and outside the Division of Water Quality.
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Basinwide Schedule
The next and fifth update to this plan is set to be completed in 2014. National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permits were issued in July and August of 2009 and will be renewed in July and August of 2014.
Basinwide biological and lake sampling last occurred in the Lumber Basin in 2006 and will be conducted again
in 2011.
River Basin Hydrologic Units
The Lumber River basin spans over 3,000 square miles making it necessary for planning purposes to divide the
basin into subbasins. The Division of Water Quality is changing how these subbasins are grouped to conform
to the federal system of basin management. Previously, DWQ had its own set of subbasins and numbering
system, but will now be using the federal cataloging unit know as hydrologic unit codes (HUCs). This report is
organized by chapters at the 8-digit HU or subbasin level. The conversion from DWQ subbasins to 8-Digit HUs
is illustrated in Figure i.
Fi g u r e i: Co n v e r s i o n F r o m ol d dWQ su b b a s i n s t o 8 digit Hus