1. 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

2. 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

4. 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

5. 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 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 ug/L

6. Cape Fear River Watershed 8 Digit HUC 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

7. NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan
NPDES Dischargers: 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

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

11. Angier, Benson, Coats, Dunn,
Black River Watershed 8 Digit HUC RC, 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

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

13. Great Coharie Creek
South River
Colly Creek
Black River at 210

16. Northeast Cape Fear River Watershed 8 Digit HUC 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

17. NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan
NPDES Dischargers: 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

18. NC403
Panther Branch
Rockfish Creek
N117

22. 2014 Water Quality Ratings for the Cape Fear River Watershed Stations

23. 2014 Water Quality Ratings for the NE Cape Fear River
Watershed Stations

24. 2014 Water Quality Ratings for the Black River
Watershed Stations

27. The following analyses include Lower Cape Fear River Program data
for the period

35. Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the Cape Fear River

36. Turbidity ratings for the Cape Fear River

37. Chlorophyll a ratings for the Cape Fear River

38. Fecal Coliform Bacteria ratings for the Cape Fear River

39. Nitrate-Nitrite ratings for the Cape Fear River

40. Total Phosphorus ratings for the Cape Fear River

41. Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

42. Turbidity ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

43. Chlorophyll a ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

44. Fecal Coliform ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

45. Nitrate ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

46. Total Phosphorus ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

47. Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the Black River

48. Turbidity ratings for the Black River

49. Chlorophyll a ratings for the Black River

50. Fecal Coliform Bacteria ratings for the Black River

51. Nitrate-Nitrite ratings for the Black River

52. Total Phosphorus ratings for the Black River