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Development of a Watershed Action Plan for the Lockwood Folly River Brunswick County, NC

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Development of a Watershed Action Plan for the Lockwood Folly River Brunswick County, NC Development of a Watershed Action Plan for the Lockwood Folly River Brunswick County, NC Lynnette Batt Dr. Norman Christensen, Advisor Todd Miller, Co-advisor May 2008 Masters project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmental Management degree at the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences of Duke University 2008 Preface Increasing urban and residential growth poses one of the greatest threats to water quality and aquatic resources on the North Carolina coast. Brunswick County recently ranked as the 14 th fastest growing county in the U.S., growing by over 200% between 1970 and 2000. The Lockwood Folly River watershed, located within Brunswick County, faces significant water quality issues associated with this growth and development. High levels of fecal coliform now result in 60% closure of the river to shellfish harvest, up from 18% in 1980. Future rapid increases in residential development will further degrade water quality if management is not improved. Average developed area by subwatershed is expected to increase from 6% in 2004 to 64% in 2030, leading to a projected 3.5-fold increase in fecal coliform loading (Stantec 2007). These figures suggest current regulations in the watershed are not enough to protect water quality, and a more comprehensive approach is needed. Watershed management planning at the local level has become an important tool for balancing growth and environmental concerns. In 2005 the North Carolina Coastal Federation and Brunswick County received a U.S. EPA grant to undertake growth management and watershed planning for the Lockwood Folly River. At the same time, North Carolina’s Ecosystem Enhancement Program worked to develop a Local Watershed Plan focused on stream and wetland restoration. These two groups provided detailed reports on current conditions and issues of concern, and drafted recommendations to address these issues. The focus of this Masters Project was to continue the watershed planning process by organizing, synthesizing, and expanding this work into a single Watershed Action Plan for the Lockwood Folly River. The purpose of the Plan is to: 1) summarize current conditions and issues, 2) state environmental/water quality goals, 3) develop a set of action strategies to reach these goals, and 4) offer ideas on implementation and evaluation. The six action strategies represent areas where management could be improved to better protect water quality. They include sustainable development, land conservation, stream and wetland management, regulatory program coordination, working waterfronts, and public education and participation. The Plan is intended to be read, revised and used by Brunswick County to help guide decision-making. It is also intended to serve as information for the public. What follows is the complete Watershed Action Plan, including all maps, tables, references and appendices, as it will be presented to Brunswick County and the public. Lockwood Folly Watershed Action Plan, April 2008 1 Lockwood Folly River Watershed Action Plan Strategies to protect the health of our waters April 25, 2008 Prepared by Lynnette Batt Supported by: Brunswick County Lockwood Folly Roundtable North Carolina Coastal Federation North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program Stantec Consulting Lockwood Folly Watershed Action Plan, April 2008 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 7 VISION ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN ......................................................................... 7 GOALS FOR THE LOCKWOOD FOLLY WATERSHED ...................................................................................... 9 WHO ARE THE PLAYERS ?............................................................................................................................ 9 NATURAL SETTING ................................................................................................................................... 13 HUMAN SETTING ...................................................................................................................................... 16 CURRENT WATERSHED CONDITIONS AND ISSUES OF CONCERN ............................................................... 20 Water Quality Impairment and Loss of Aquatic Resources ................................................................ 20 Sources of Pollution............................................................................................................................ 21 Conserved land ................................................................................................................................... 24 Streams and Wetlands......................................................................................................................... 26 CURRENT LAWS AND PROGRAMS .............................................................................................................. 28 Stormwater and Water Quality ........................................................................................................... 28 Land Use............................................................................................................................................. 29 Sediment and Erosion Control............................................................................................................ 29 Floodplain Protection......................................................................................................................... 29 WHY THIS PLAN , AND WHY NOW ? ............................................................................................................ 30 ACTION STRATEGIES............................................................................................................................ 31 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ................................................................................................ 31 Locating New Development ................................................................................................................ 32 Form of New Development ................................................................................................................. 34 Existing Development: Retrofits ......................................................................................................... 36 LAND CONSERVATION STRATEGY ............................................................................................................ 39 Land Conservation Program .............................................................................................................. 39 Agricultural Land................................................................................................................................ 40 Financial Incentives............................................................................................................................ 40 Recreational Opportunities................................................................................................................. 41 Wild and Scenic Designation .............................................................................................................. 42 STREAM AND WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ................................................................................. 43 WORKING WATERFRONTS STRATEGY ...................................................................................................... 46 COORDINATING REGULATORY PROGRAMS STRATEGY ............................................................................. 48 PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PARTICIPATION STRATEGY ............................................................................... 50 IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION .......................................................................................... 52 TIMELINE .................................................................................................................................................. 52 COSTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 53 FUNDING .................................................................................................................................................. 56 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT : MONITOR , EVALUATE AND ADJUST ............................................................... 59 RESOURCES.............................................................................................................................................. 61 APPENDIX A. TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD FOR LOCKWOOD FOLLY RIVER..................... 63 APPENDIX B. SUBDIVISIONS IN LOCKWOOD FOLLY...................................................................... 67 APPENDIX C. FISH SPECIES IN COASTAL CAROLINA SAMPIT WATERSHED............................. 69 APPENDIX D. CWMTF GRANTS FOR BRUNSWICK COUNTY.......................................................... 70 APPENDIX E. SPECIAL WATER QUALITY RULES FOR LOCKWOOD FOLLY............................... 71 APPENDIX F. FUNDING SOURCE INFORMATION.............................................................................
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