1. DETERMINING STREAM QUALITY

2. WATER QUALITY IS IMPORTANT FOR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, AS A HABITAT FOR AQUATIC ORGANISMS, AND FOR WILDLIFE THAT USE THE STREAMS.
STREAM QUALITY IS A PROBLEM IN BOTH THE U.S. AND IN NORTH CAROLINA BECAUSE OF:
- URBAN SPRAWL
- RAPID POPULATION GROWTH
- AGRICULTURE

3. POLLUTION SOURCES INCLUDE:
URBAN STORMWATER RUNOFF
INEFFICIENT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
EFFLUENT FROM CHEMICAL PLANTS
DUMPING INTO STREAMS
DESTRUCTION OF VEGETATION BUFFERS BORDERING STREAMS

4. SURFACE WATER IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE SUCH A SMALL PERCENT OF OUR WATER EXISTS AS SURFACE WATER.
WE CONTINUALLY DISTURB THE FRESH WATER ECOSYSTEMS WE HAVE:
ALTER FOR TRANSPORTATION
DIVERT FOR AGRICULTURE AND MUNICIPAL NEEDS
DAM FOR ENERGY
USE FOR INDUSTRIAL COOLANT
STRAIGHTEN FOR CONVENIENCE

5. NORTH CAROLINA IS BLESSED WITH PLENTY OF SURFACE WATER.
SOUTHWESTERN NC AVERAGES 90 INCHES OF RAIN PER YEAR.
NC EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS AVERAGES 40 TO 50 INCHES OF RAIN PER YEAR.
THE DRIEST PART OF NC IS THE VALLEY OF THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER, WHICH AVERAGES 37 INCHES PER YEAR.

6. NORTH CAROLINA IS NOT WITHOUT ITS WATER PROBLEMS.
GREENSBORO IS IN THE UPPER PART OF THE CAPE FEAR RIVER BASIN, AND THE STREAMS ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ITS GROWING POPULATION WITH WATER DURING A DROUGHT.
AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF IN THE LOWER CAPE FEAR RIVER BASIN IS A PROBLEM.
THE NEUSE RIVER BASIN IS VERY HEAVILY POPULATED, AND URBAN RUNOFF FROM RALEIGH AND DURHAM IS A PROBLEM.
A SIMILAR PROBLEM EXISTS IN THE LOWER CATAWBA RIVER BASIN BECAUSE OF CHARLOTTE.

8. MAJOR WATER PROBLEMS IN NORTH CAROLINA
STORMWATER RUNOFF
DROUGHT
AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION
AQUIFER DEPLETION AND SALT WATER INTRUSION

9. PIG FARM LAGOON

11. TRANSLATE THE ANIMAL WASTE PROBLEM TO NORTH CAROLINA, AND YOU HAVE PIG WASTE PROBLEMS.
ONE LITTLE PIG CAN PRODUCE A LOT OF WASTE.

12. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
PIG WASTE DIGESTORS TO CONVERT WASTE TO METHANE GAS.
USING PIG WASTE TO GROW DUCK WEED. DUCK WEED PRODUCES MORE STARCH PER ACRE THAN CORN - 5 TO 6 TIMES MORE PER ACRE.

13. OUR LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY CREATES MORE GREENHOUSE GAS THAN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR DOES.

14. CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN USE AREA
Concern about aquifer depletion and salt water intrusion.

15. HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF A STREAM?

16. HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF A STREAM?
CHEMICAL QUALITY FACTORS
BIOLOGICAL QUALITY FACTORS
PHYSICAL QUALITY FACTORS

17. CHEMICAL QUALITY FACTORSpH
DISSOLVED OXYGEN
CONDUCTIVITY
TURBIDITY
TEMPERATURE
NITRATE
PHOSPHATE

18. BIOLOGICAL QUALITY FACTORS
POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDEX BASED ON MACROINVERTEBRATE SURVEY
FECAL COLIFORM
RIPARIAN, CHANNEL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY (RCE)

19. PHYSICAL QUALITY FACTORS
RIPARIAN, CHANNEL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY
STREAM HYDROLOGY

20. NORTH CAROLINA HAS ESTABLISHED STREAM QUALITY STANDARDS BASED ON HOW THE STREAM IS USED.
CLASS C: FRESHWATERS PROTECTED FOR SECONDARY RECREATION, FISHING, AQUATIC LIFE INCLUDING PROPAGATION AND SURVIVAL, AND WILDLIFE
CLASS B: FRESHWATERS PROTECTED FOR PRIMARY RECREATION WHICH INCLUDES SWIMMING ON A FREQUENT OR ORGANIZED BASIS AND ALL CLASS C USES.
CLASS WS: WATERS PROTECTED AS WATER SUPPLIES.
THERE ARE OTHER CLASSES. MOST STREAMS IN THE STATE ARE CLASS C STREAMS.

21. SOME OF THE FACTORS YOU MIGHT MEASURE IN DETERMINING WATER QUALITY FOR A CLASS C STREAM ARE:
TEMPERATURE - NOT TO EXCEED 2.8O C ABOVE NATURAL TEMPERATURE.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN - NOT LESS THAT A DAILY AVERAGE OF 5.0 mg/ml
FECAL COLIFORMS - NOT TO EXCEED A GEOMETRIC MEAN OF 200/100 ml
pH - RANGE OF 6.0 TO 9.0
TURBIDITY - NOT TO EXCEED 50 NTU
CONDUCTIVITY - NOT INCLUDED, BUT IMPORTANT