Water Quality Within the Lower Cape Fear River Watersheds, 2014 Matthew McIver, Dr. Michael Mallin, Dr. James Merritt Lower Cape Fear River Program Aquatic Ecology Laboratory UNC Wilmington Center for Marine Science September 2015

Lower Cape Fear River Program (LCFRP) Multiparameter water quality monitoring program including physical, chemical and biological analyses 35 stations in Cape Fear, Black and Northeast Cape Fear River watersheds Aquatic Ecology Laboratory (AEL) at the UNCW Center for Marine Science

Numerical standard exceeded in < 10% of samples = Supporting North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (NCDENR) Division of Water Quality (DWQ) Basinwide Water Quality Plan Use support ratings Numerical standard exceeded in < 10% of samples = Supporting Numerical standard exceeded in > 10% of samples = Impaired Less than 10 samples collected = Not Rated DO and pH standard exceeded in swamp streams = Not Rated UNCW AEL use support ratings Numerical standard exceeded in < 10% of samples = Rated Good Numerical standard exceeded in 11-25% of samples = Rated Fair Numerical standard exceeded in >25% of samples = Rated Poor

North Carolina State Standards Dissolved Oxygen (DO) 5.0 mg/L Swampwater DO 4.0 mg/L Chlorophyll a 40 mg/L Fecal coliform bacteria 200 CFU/100 mL (human contact) Enterococcus 276 MPN/100 mL (human contact) Turbidity freshwater 50 NTU brackish/seawater 25 NTU UNCW AEL suggested Standards Nitrate + Nitrite small streams 200 ug/L blackwater rivers 500 ug/L brownwater rivers 1,000 ug/L Total Phosphorus 500 ug/L

Cape Fear River Watershed 8 Digit HUC 03030005 BRN , HAM, NC11, LVC2, AC, DP, IC, NAV, HB, BRR, M61, M54, M35, M23, M18 Elizabethtown, White Lake, Tar Heel, East Arcadia, Dublin, White Lake, Wilmington, Navassa, Belville, Southport Cape Fear River, Harrison Ck, Turnbull Ck, Brown Ck, White Lake, Livingston Ck, Town Ck, Cape Fear River Estuary

NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan NPDES Dischargers: 48 @ 113.6 MGD Registered swine operations = 57 Total Area = 985 mi2 Stream Miles = 586 Impaired for Fish Consumption in all waters Impaired in Estuary for DO – TMDL suggested

BRN - representative of shallow creeks HB – Upper Estuary NC11 - main stem of Cape Fear River M23 – Lower Estuary

Angier, Benson, Coats, Dunn, Black River Watershed 8 Digit HUC 03030006 6RC, LCO, GCO, SR, SR-WC, B210, COL, BBT Angier, Benson, Coats, Dunn, Roseboro, Erwin, Garland, Clinton, Harrels, Magnolia, Newton Grove, Roseboro, Turkey, Warsaw, Atkinson South River, Little Black River, Big Ck, Black River, Six Runs Ck, Great Coharie Ck, Little Coharie Ck, Black River, Colly Ck, Moores Ck, Singletary Lake

NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan NPDES Dischargers: 12 @ 7.7 MGD Registered swine operations = 497 Total Area = 1,577 mi2 Stream Miles = 1,039 Impaired for Fish Consumption in all waters

Great Coharie Creek South River Colly Creek Black River at 210

Northeast Cape Fear River Watershed 8 Digit HUC 03030007 NC403, SAR, GS, PB, LRC, ROC, ANC, NCF117, NCF6, SC-CH Mt. Olive, Beulaville, Chinquapin, Faison, Greenevers, Harrells, Kenansville, Pink Hill, Rose Hill, Teachey, Wallace, Burgaw, Watha, St. Helen, Wilmington NE Cape Fear River, Matthews Ck, NE Cape Fear River, Rockfish Ck, Muddy Ck, Limestone Ck, Smith Ck, Burgaw Ck, Burnt Mill Ck

NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan NPDES Dischargers: 26 @ 15.1 MGD Registered swine operations = 576 Total Area = 1,743 mi2 Stream Miles = 1,102 Impaired for Fish Consumption in all waters Impaired for Low Dissolved Oxygen in Goshen Swamp, Muddy Ck, portions on NE River, Burnt Mill Ck

NC403 Panther Branch Rockfish Creek N117

2014 Water Quality Ratings for the Cape Fear River Watershed Stations

2014 Water Quality Ratings for the NE Cape Fear River Watershed Stations

2014 Water Quality Ratings for the Black River Watershed Stations

The following analyses include Lower Cape Fear River Program data for the period 1996-2014

Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the Cape Fear River

Turbidity ratings for the Cape Fear River

Chlorophyll a ratings for the Cape Fear River

Fecal Coliform Bacteria ratings for the Cape Fear River

Nitrate-Nitrite ratings for the Cape Fear River

Total Phosphorus ratings for the Cape Fear River

Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

Turbidity ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

Chlorophyll a ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

Fecal Coliform ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

Nitrate ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

Total Phosphorus ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the Black River

Turbidity ratings for the Black River

Chlorophyll a ratings for the Black River

Fecal Coliform Bacteria ratings for the Black River

Nitrate-Nitrite ratings for the Black River

Total Phosphorus ratings for the Black River