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Table of Contents UPage 37TAcknowledgements37T .............................................................................................................................. iv 37TKey to Acronyms and Abbreviations37T ...................................................................................................... v 37TNorth Carolina 9-Element Plan Checklist37T ............................................................................................. vii 37TExecutive summary37T ............................................................................................................................... 1 37TIntroduction37T ........................................................................................................................................... 5 37TBackground and History37T ..................................................................................................................... 5 37TWhy is the Upper Swannanoa River Impaired?37T ................................................................................... 9 37TWhy Care?37T .......................................................................................................................................... 9 37TEnvironmental Factors37T ................................................................................................................... 9 37TEconomic Factors37T ......................................................................................................................... 10 37TSocial Factors37T ............................................................................................................................... 11 37TWatershed Partners and the Planning Process37T ................................................................................. 11 37TPrevious Planning Efforts37T ............................................................................................................. 11 37TStakeholder and Public Inputs37T ...................................................................................................... 13 37TWatershed Characterization37T ................................................................................................................ 15 37TGeographic Location and Attributes37T ................................................................................................ 15 37TGeography37T ................................................................................................................................... 15 37TGeology37T ....................................................................................................................................... 15 37TClimate37T ........................................................................................................................................ 15 37TPopulation and Land Use Characteristics37T ......................................................................................... 16 37TPopulation37T ................................................................................................................................... 16 37TLand Use37T ...................................................................................................................................... 16 37TNatural Resources37T ............................................................................................................................ 18 37TProtected Lands37T ........................................................................................................................... 18 37TImportant Plant and Animal Species37T ............................................................................................ 18 37TEcology37T ............................................................................................................................................ 21 37TWater Quality37T .............................................................................................................................. 21 37TBenthic Communities37T ................................................................................................................... 24 37TFish Communities37T ........................................................................................................................ 25 37TPlanning Elements37T ............................................................................................................................... 27 37TElement A: Causes and Sources of Impairment37T ............................................................................... 27 37TElement B: Potential Projects and Management Measures37T ............................................................. 29 37TWatershed Management Goals37T .................................................................................................... 29 37TStormwater Impacts37T .................................................................................................................... 29 37TPotential Stormwater Control Projects37T ........................................................................................ 30 37TStormwater Control Management Measures37T ............................................................................... 51 37TPotential Stream Improvement Projects37T ...................................................................................... 59 37TStream Improvement Management Measures37T ............................................................................. 64 37TElement C: Estimates of Pollutant Load Reductions37T ........................................................................ 68 37TStormwater Control Measures37T ..................................................................................................... 68 37TStream Improvements37T ..................................................................................................................71 37TElement D: Technical and Financial Assistance Needs37T ..................................................................... 72 Upper Swannanoa River Watershed Plan i January 2016 Town of Black Mountain, N.C. 37TPartners37T ....................................................................................................................................... 72 37T 37T Technical Assistance .................................................................................................................... 73 37TManagement Measure Costs37T ........................................................................................................ 74 37T 37T Stream Improvement Costs ......................................................................................................... 76 37TFunding Sources37T ........................................................................................................................... 77 37T 37T Element E: Outreach and Education Strategy ................................................................................. 79 37TAction Plans37T ................................................................................................................................. 79 37T 37T Implementation Schedule and Accomplishments Tracking .......................................................... 84 37TElement F: Schedule for Implementation37T ........................................................................................ 87 37T 37T Stormwater Control Measures ..................................................................................................... 87 37TStream Improvement Projects37T ..................................................................................................... 89 37T 37T Element G: Measurable Milestones ................................................................................................. 91 37TElement H: Criteria of Pollutant Load Reduction Achievements37T ...................................................... 93 37T 37T Stormwater Control Measures ..................................................................................................... 93 37TStream Improvement Measures37T ................................................................................................... 93 37T 37T Element I: Watershed Monitoring Plan ............................................................................................ 94 37TWater Chemistry37T .......................................................................................................................... 94 37T 37T Ecological ..................................................................................................................................... 94 37TStewardship Monitoring37T .............................................................................................................. 95 37T 37T References ........................................................................................................................................... 97 37TAppendices37T ........................................................................................................................................ 103 37T 37T Appendix A. Stormwater Assessment ............................................................................................ 103 37TAppendix B. Riparian Area Assessment37T .......................................................................................... 105 List of Figures UPage 37T UFigure 1. Upper Swannanoa River Regional OverviewU37T