Background
This targeted Local Watershed contains drainages of the Northeast Cape Fear River including Burnt Mill (a 303(d) listed stream), Smith, Spring Branch, Ness, Dock, Prince George, and Sturgeon Creeks.
In September, 2000, the New Hanover County Local Watershed Group was convened by Watershed Education for Communities and Local Officials (WECO) with the sponsorship and support of the North Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program (NCWRP). The stakeholders who comprise the Group represent a diverse number of interests, including local landowners, commercial foresters, private land managers, the local Sierra Club chapter, Cape Fear RiverWatch, University of North Carolina- Wilmington Lower Cape Fear Program, NC Department of Transportation, Carolina Power & Light, the City of Wilmington, and New Hanover County. The Group was charged with providing input/technical expertise throughout the planning process, in addition to recommending actions for water quality, flood prevention and fisheries and wildlife habitat improvement for overall watershed function improvement and protection. Some of the projects initiated by the NCWRP would be used to meet compensatory mitigation requirements. The NCWRP also contracted with KCI Associates of North Carolina P.A. (KCI) to conduct a technical watershed assessment and University of North Carolina at Wilmington to collect monitoring samples and data throughout specific subcatchments of interest.
Between September 2000 and November 2002, the Local Watershed Group participated in numerous activities that provided the building blocks for the watershed plan. Those activities included:
- identifying and prioritizing issues of concern in the watershed with specific examples of problem areas which depicted the issues identified
- providing feedback based on local experience to KCI and the NCWRP to help conduct the technical watershed assessment
- developing a set of broad goals and objectives for the watershed plan
- prioritizing subcatchments and stream segments for further analysis
- prioritizing restoration projects
- recommending actions for working towards goals
- helping contact landowners to begin implementing restoration projects
Watershed concerns and goals identified by the Group include; improve and protect water quality, improve flood protection, address growth and development pressures on the watershed and preserve wildlife habitat. Based on the identified and agreed upon watershed goals and objectives, a series of evaluations were conducted to assess watershed conditions. As a result of the evaluations and stakeholder recommendations, a list of potential stream and wetland restoration projects, Best Management Practices, and policy options were developed for the three targeted subcatchments, Burnt Mill Creek, Lower Smith Creek, and Prince George creek. Although many of the recommendations were specific to the targeted subcatchments, because common land use types exist throughout the watershed, it is practical to assume that these types of recommended practices and projects could be applied watershed wide for maximum benefits.
The Group recommends the following:
- The NC Wetlands Restoration Program should pursue implementation of specific wetland/stream restoration projects identified in the Local Watershed Plan
- Stakeholders, local governments, and resource professionals should pursue other local, state, federal and nonprofit resources for implementation of projects and policy recommendations which the NCWRP cannot currently fund, including implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to address stormwater runoff degradation
- Entities with research and monitoring experience, including NCDENR and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington should take additional actions to monitor changes in the watershed that may result from implementing restoration projects;
- New Hanover County should implement the City of Wilmington's Watershed Protection Roundtable Final Report (one member disagreed with this recommendation because it was refers to the UDO);
- The local governments should seek ways to reduce fecal coliform pollution that results from domestic pet waste;
- NCWRP should work with the NC Coastal Land Trust to explore conservation strategies for specific areas suitable for protecting water quality benefits and wildlife habitat corridors.
· Federal, state, local, and nonprofit agencies and organizations should pursue environmental education/ outreach with emphasis on water quality, aquatic and wildlife habitat, flooding, and impacts of growth and development within the watershed; and
· Enforcement of environmental infractions should be improved
This Watershed Plan is intended to act as a living document that the watershed community should revisit and update as changes occur within the watershed. Research and modeling from the planning process can be used in the future to help with future watershed management efforts. The Group may be re-convened on occasion to review and assist with implementation efforts, or update the plan as new information becomes available.
The Plan was written by WECO based on guidance from the New Hanover Local Watershed Planning Group and the NC Wetlands Restoration Program.
