Watershed Education for Communities and Officials

Background

Status - 2003
The purpose of the White Oak River Watershed Advisory Board (WORAB) is to create a climate of local concern and empowerment to improve and maintain water quality in the watershed. This includes managing the river and its associated uses to provide for support of water uses, protect long-term water resource values, and sustain their contribution for the economic benefit to the surrounding communities.

Early WORAB accomplishments include changing the Department of Transportation's plans for directing stormwater off an expanding causeway to protect water quality in the river, and including the White Oak River in the Congressional Water Resources Development Act of 1999.

Currently, the Board is serving as the steering committee for implementing an EPA 319 grant project. The overall goal of the 319 grant project is to reduce the occurrence of shellfish bed closures through identifying sources of bacteria, implementing projects to reduce the impacts of stormwater runoff, and educating the community and local officials on urban stormwater runoff.

One component of the grant involves research and water quality monitoring in Pettiford Creek, a subwatershed on the Carteret County side of the White Oak River. This year data that has been collected through water quality monitoring and an assessment of watershed land cover and land uses was analyzed.  The analysis showed that bacteria counts were correlated with slope, high ditch count, impervious surface, domestic pets and wildlife.  The project team identified hot spots for bacterial loading  and potential best management practices for addressing the problems.

Results of the study were presented to the Town of Peletier in August 2003.  The Town eagerly offered their assistance in implementing solutions- the Mayor even offered his own property for construction of a stormwater wetland!  Construction is slated for Spring 2004.  A public workshop in the watershed is planned for March 2003 to share results with the public and involve them in implementing solutions.

The second component of the EPA 319 grant project involves developing demonstration best management practices (BMPs) on town property in the Town of Swansboro. Raingardens were installed at the Swansboro Town Hall and Ward Shore, and a pervious pavement parking lot was constructed on a Town-owned vacant lot.    A public ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in August 2003 to celebrate completion of these BMPs.  NCSU Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, Swansboro officials, and WORAB team members spoke about the value of partnerships for solving pollution problems.  A fourth pervious pavement site is planned at the Flying Bridge Restaurant on Highway 24.

The Board also continues to pursue a U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) Reconnaissance Study of the White Oak River, which was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 but has yet to be funded.  Upon the insistence of the WORAB, the study inched closer to implementation.  This summer the USACOE spoke to a gathering of elected officials from Jones, Onslow, and Carteret Counties to inform them of the next steps for moving forward.  They learned that a local sponsor is needed in order for funding to be acquired. The managers of the three counties agreed to work together to provide the letter of sponsorship, and to work together to move the study forward. 

The year the Board also continued to address issues affecting the Upper White Oak River. Board members are working with Jones County to secure funding for improving accessibility of the river to canoes and kayaks while protecting in-stream wildlife habitat.