Tag: Southern Environmental Law Center
Sewage
March 21, 2023
Sewage Spills in North Carolina
Some text here about stuff.
Map of Sewage Spills by County 2002-2017
Atlantic Coast Pipeline
March 21, 2023
Background
Sound Rivers and our allies are working to protect our waterways from the impacts of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), that would carry fracked gas through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. If permitted and completed, the ACP would impact hundred of waterways, many in the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse Watersheds. While we are working to stop this pipeline, we’re also preparing for the worst and looking at how we can best protect our watersheds during construction if it is built.
Compliance Monitoring – You Can Help!
This year we will be organizing workshops along the proposed pipeline route to train volunteers in how to monitor construction activities for compliance with water quality regulations. We will provide participants with tools to collect valuable information about construction activities, and how to effectively get that information addressed by state and federal agencies tasked with protection of our water resources.
Interested in helping out by getting trained, or helping organize a training? Please fill out this volunteer form and we’ll be in touch as we get details worked out!
Landscaping for Clean Water
March 21, 2023
Polluted Stormwater Runoff- NC’s #1 Pollution Problem
When rain falls in a natural setting, almost all stormwater infiltrates the soils and groundwater or is 
taken up by vegetation. But when land is developed, the impervious cover (roads, rooftops, driveways, parking lots) increases the volume of stormwater that is not absorbed by the land and accelerates the transport of stormwater across the surface of the land. As impervious cover increases, so does the volume and velocity of contaminated surface runoff into streams, lakes and sounds.
Polluted stormwater runoff, including sediment from poorly maintained construction sites, is the number one reason for poor water quality in North Carolina. Sediment can cause severe problems for creeks, rivers and estuaries on which we depend for our drinking water, recreation, wildlife habitat and fishing. Stormwater is one of the main causes of pollution in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Rivers.
Stormwater pollution results in a multitude of economic losses. Sediment, toxic pollutants and pathogens in stormwater leads to poor quality fish catch and financial losses for the commercial and recreational fishing industries. Contaminated beaches result in medical expenses to treating water related illness and the beach community suffers from losses in sales and services. Stormwater pollution leads to increased water treatment costs. Increased stormwater runoff creates significant flood damage repair costs and dredging costs. Measures to decrease stormwater impacts can significantly increase property values.
Landscaping for Water Quality
In order to deal with the increased problems from polluted stormwater runoff, Sound Rivers began a restoration program in 2010 to implement on-the-ground projects to restore water quality.
The photo on the left is a created stormwater wetland constructed in 2015 at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro via funds from the Environmental Enhancement Grant Program. Since 2015, SRI has constructed three created wetlands, along with a rain garden and bioretention cell. The wetland treats stormwater from the campus main parking areas. Click to view image of educational sign.
A similar project has been completed on East Carolina University’s campus in Greenville, NC. Sound Rivers in cooperation with ECU built one created wetland, three bioretention cells (engineered rain gardens) and installed permeable pavement on the campus to improve Green Mill Run, a stream that runs through the heart of the city and the campus.
What Can You Do?
Everyone can do their part to reducing polluted stormwater runoff. Limit your impact by:
- Applying fertilizers and pesticides sparingly and do not apply before rain events.
- Test soil first to determine fertilization needs. Tips.
- Reduce bacteria by picking up after your pets and dispose of the waste properly.
- Wash your car on your lawn where the chemicals and soap can be absorbed and filtered by the soil instead of washing directly into a stream.
- Dispose of lawn clippings in a compost pile.
- Harvest and reuse rain water via rain gardens, rain barrels and cisterns.
- Preserve and plant trees.
- Maintain your septic tank! Tips.
Stormwater and Your Rain Garden
More Information
Kayak-Canoe Raffle Rules and Conditions
March 21, 2023
Kayak-Canoe Raffle Rules and Conditions
Sound Rivers, Inc
Official Kayak/Canoe Raffle Rules
September – October 2016
Raffle Item: Wood kayak/canoe handcrafted by Ed Rhine
Benefitting: Sound Rivers
Price of raffle ticket: $20.00
Odds of winning: Odds of winning depends upon the number of raffle tickets sold. No more than 500 raffle tickets will be sold.
Expected Drawing Date: October 22, 2016
Method by which the winners will be determined and the raffle will be conducted:
The drawing for the kayak-canoe is planned to occur at the Washington NC Dragon Boat event on October 22 following conclusion of the races, unless insufficient number of tickets have been sold. Winners need not be present to win. The winner will be determined by a random drawing of stubs from purchased tickets. If not present at the time of the drawing, the winner will be notified via contact information supplied during ticket purchase. The kayak/canoe is provided without warranty and will be available for pick-up in Washington, NC or Chocowinity, NC. Prize winner will be responsible for all applicable shipping costs if shipment is desired.
Must be 18 years or older to purchase raffle tickets or claim raffle prize.
Contingency plan for the raffle if drawing is not conducted as planned:
If the Dragon Boat event on October 22, 2016 is cancelled for any reason, or the raffle cannot be conducted on that date as planned, the raffle will be completed on the next available business day at noon in Sound Rivers’ offices. If the Sound Rivers offices are not available due to some misfortune, another location in Washington, NC will be selected and the drawing held their on the first available business day following October 22, 2016.
If fewer than 250 tickets have been sold by October 22, 2016, drawing may be postponed for up to one month. If the drawing is delayed, drawing will be held in the Sound Rivers’ offices or other suitable location in Washington, NC or Chocowinity, NC at a time and date to be communicated at least 48 hours in advance on the Sound Rivers website and Facebook page.
No cash equivalent available:
No cash equivalent is available in lieu of the kayak/canoe. If the kayak/canoe has been damaged or destroyed before the drawing or prior to pick-up by or shipment to the winner, the winner will be entitled to a cash settlement of $1,500.
Redemption Claim period:
Winner will have thirty (30) days from the notification of winning to confirm his/her address and his/her acceptance of the prize. If we are unable to contact winner within thirty (30) days from the drawing date of the raffle, or if the selected winner declines acceptance of the prize, an alternate winner will be chosen from the remaining entries.
If arrangements to pick up the prize or to have it shipped at the prizewinner’s expense cannot be made with the winner within sixty (60) days of the drawing, Sound Rivers shall conduct another drawing using the original pool of ticket entries. This process will be repeated until a winner is located and the prize accepted.
Statement of eligibility, release of liability and publicity release required:
As a condition of being awarded the prize, winner will be required to execute an affidavit of eligibility, liability waiver and sign a publicity release. If the winner is unwilling to sign the affidavit, the winner will forfeit the prize and a new winner will be drawn from remaining entries.
Refund Policy:
No ticket refunds will be given.
Effective date of these rules: August 31, 2016
Ticket purchase locations:
Tickets are available at Cotton Patch Landing, 2018 Cotton Patch Rd, Chocowinity, NC 27817 and in the Sound Rivers, Inc. office at 108 Gladden St., Washington, NC 27889. Additional raffle ticket outlets may be added.
Tickets are also being sold by various individuals working to SAVE BLOUNTS CREEK.
More pictures showing construction of the kayak/canoe and information about the threat to Blounts Creek are available at www.facebook.com/saveblountscreeknc and at www.soundrivers.org.
Landscaping for Clean Water
March 21, 2023
Polluted Stormwater Runoff
When rain falls in a natural setting, almost all stormwater infiltrates the soils and groundwater or is taken up by vegetation. But when land is developed, the impervious cover (roads, rooftops, driveways, parking lots) increases the volume of stormwater that is not absorbed by the land and accelerates the transport of stormwater across the surface of the land. As impervious cover increases, so does the volume and velocity of contaminated surface runoff into streams, lakes and sounds.
Polluted stormwater runoff, including sediment from poorly maintained construction sites, is the number one reason for poor water quality in North Carolina. Sediment can cause severe problems for creeks, rivers and estuaries on which we depend for our drinking water, recreation, wildlife habitat and fishing. Stormwater is one of the main causes of pollution in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Rivers.
Stormwater pollution results in a multitude of economic losses. Sediment, toxic pollutants and pathogens in stormwater leads to poor quality fish catch and financial losses for the commercial and recreational fishing industries. Contaminated beaches result in medical expenses to treating water related illness and the beach community suffers from losses in sales and services. Stormwater pollution leads to increased water treatment costs. Increased stormwater runoff creates significant flood damage repair costs and dredging costs. Measures to decrease stormwater impacts can significantly increase property values.
Landscaping for Water Quality
In order to deal with the increased problems from polluted stormwater runoff, Sound Rivers began a restoration program in 2010 to implement on-the-ground projects to restore water quality.
The photo on the left is a created stormwater wetland constructed in 2015 at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro. The wetland treats stormwater from the campus main parking areas. Two more created wetlands were built, along with a rain garden and bioretention cell. Click to view image of educational sign.
A similar project has been completed on East Carolina University’s campus in Greenville, NC. Sound Rivers in cooperation with ECU built one created wetland, three bioretention cells (engineered rain gardens) and installed permeable pavement on the campus to improve Green Mill Run, a stream that runs through the heart of the city and the campus.
The program expanded in 2017 and Sound Rivers is currently working with more than 20 community college, private college and K-12 campuses to plan and construct stormwater projects.
What Can You Do? Everyone can do their part to reducing polluted stormwater runoff. Limit your impact by:
- Applying fertilizers and pesticides sparingly and do not apply before rain events.
- Test soil first to determine fertilization needs. Tips.
- Reduce bacteria by picking up after your pets and dispose of the waste properly.
- Wash your car on your lawn where the chemicals and soap can be absorbed and filtered by the soil instead of washing directly into a stream.
- Dispose of lawn clippings in a compost pile.
- Harvest and reuse rain water via rain gardens, rain barrels and cisterns.
- Preserve and plant trees.
- Maintain your septic tank! Tips.
Stormwater and Your Rain Garden
More Information
Landscaping for Clean Water
March 21, 2023
Polluted Stormwater Runoff
When rain falls in a natural setting, almost all stormwater infiltrates the soils and groundwater or is taken up by vegetation. But when land is developed, the impervious cover (roads, rooftops, driveways, parking lots) increases the volume of stormwater that is not absorbed by the land and accelerates the transport of stormwater across the surface of the land. As impervious cover increases, so does the volume and velocity of contaminated surface runoff into streams, lakes and sounds.
Polluted stormwater runoff, including sediment from poorly maintained construction sites, is the number one reason for poor water quality in North Carolina. Sediment can cause severe problems for creeks, rivers and estuaries on which we depend for our drinking water, recreation, wildlife habitat and fishing. Stormwater is one of the main causes of pollution in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Rivers.
Stormwater pollution results in a multitude of economic losses. Sediment, toxic pollutants and pathogens in stormwater leads to poor quality fish catch and financial losses for the commercial and recreational fishing industries. Contaminated beaches result in medical expenses to treating water related illness and the beach community suffers from losses in sales and services. Stormwater pollution leads to increased water treatment costs. Increased stormwater runoff creates significant flood damage repair costs and dredging costs. Measures to decrease stormwater impacts can significantly increase property values.
Landscaping for Water Quality
In order to deal with the increased problems from polluted stormwater runoff, Sound Rivers began a restoration program in 2010 to implement on-the-ground projects to restore water quality.
The photo on the left is a created stormwater wetland constructed in 2015 at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro. The wetland treats stormwater from the campus main parking areas. Two more created wetlands along with a rain garden and bioretention cell have also been built, treating more than 90% of the campus. Click to view image of educational sign.
A similar project has begun on East Carolina University’s campus in Greenville, NC. One created wetland and three rain gardens have been constructed to improve Green Mill Run that runs through the heart of the city and the campus.
What Can You Do? Everyone can do their part to reducing polluted stormwater runoff. Limit your impact by:
- Applying fertilizers and pesticides sparingly and do not apply before rain events.
- Test soil first to determine fertilization needs. Tips.
- Reduce bacteria by picking up after your pets and dispose of the waste properly.
- Wash your car on your lawn where the chemicals and soap can be absorbed and filtered by the soil instead of washing directly into a stream.
- Dispose of lawn clippings in a compost pile.
- Harvest and reuse rain water via rain gardens, rain barrels and cisterns.
- Preserve and plant trees.
- Maintain your septic tank! Tips.
Clean Water Act
March 21, 2023
Clean Water Act
Updates
The deadline for getting comments to EPA and the Army Corps urging that they halt plans to gut the Clean Water Act has passed, but things aren’t over yet. Stay tuned for more ways you can be involved soon!
NC Wrote Strong Comments to EPA Opposing Rollbacks: The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Justice sent excellent comments in to the federal agencies opposing the rollbacks.
Write a letter to the editor: Though the comment period is over, as EPA analyzes the comments received it is still important to show visible public support for clean water, one way to do this is to write a letter to the editor in your local paper. You can find some information on how to do that here.
EPA’s Waters of the United States Rule Aims to Gut Protections for Your Streams and Wetlands
Despite the fundamental necessity of clean water, politicians in Washington are trying to dismantle the Clean Water Act, which has kept our nation’s waters clean for nearly 50 years. This bedrock environmental safeguard is a central tool used by state and local governments to shield and protect clean water needed for healthy communities and families. Without it, polluted waters would threaten North Carolina’s local economies, communities, and way of life.
Allowing open dumping into upstream waters spells trouble for everyone downstream. Pollution dumped by industry flows from smaller streams into our rivers and lakes, across state lines and downriver, contaminating waters used by families and communities for drinking and recreation. The best way to protect clean water is to stop harmful pollution at its source, before it reaches our waterways.
Under the proposal by the administration and supported by industrial polluters, more than 49,000 miles of North Carolina’s streams and millions of acres of wetlands will again be at risk from pollution and destruction. At least fifty percent of North Carolinians get their drinking water from sources that rely on small streams that may lose critical Clean Water Act protections under the administration’s proposal. More than 7,000 miles of streams that feed into North Carolina’s drinking water sources would be at risk for pollution if the Clean Water Act is rolled back as the administration plans. Millions of acres of wetlands that provide flood protection, filter pollution, and provide essential wildlife habitat are at risk if the federal government moves forward with its plan.
Your voice will is critical to ensure North Carolina’s waterways are protected so please stay tuned on how you can help fight for our waterways.
More Information & Resources
Southern Environmental Law Center Fact Sheet
New York Times: Trump Rule Would Limit E.P.A.’s Control Over Water Pollution
The Intercept: EPA’s Own Data Refutes Justification for Clean Water Act Rollback
EPA fact sheet on major changes
North Carolina DEQ and DOJ comments regarding the rollback proposal
Adopt a Swim Guide Site
March 21, 2023
Adopt a Swim Guide Site
Click below to donate today!
El Programa de Swim Guide
March 21, 2023
El Programa de Swim Guide
Get your weekly water quality alerts here!
swim guide here
Want to get weekly water quality alerts straight to your phone? Text “SWIM” to 833-686-5322!
IN ENGLISH
Los encargados del río Neuse y Tar-Pamlico de Sound Rivers, trabajan con pasantes de verano y voluntarios para monitorear la calidad de agua en varios sitos en las cuencas de Neuse y Tar-Pamlico. Se toman muestras semanales en nuestros sitios, las cuales comenzamos desde finales de Mayo hasta el fin de Agosto. Monitoreamos nuestros sitios por la bacteria E. coli en las aguas dulces y por la bacteria enterococcus en el agua salada.
Tan pronto como estén disponibles los resultados de nuestro monitoreo, se publicarán aquí, en el sitio de web de Swim Guide, en la aplicación de smartphone, en nuestra página de Facebook, y se será anunciado por Public Radio East entre las 4 y las 6 de la tarde cada viernes. También, pueda recibir alertas de texto semanal durante el verano (envíe el mensaje NADAR a 833-686-5322 para formar parte de nuestra lista de alertas de texto).
RESULTADOS POR EL
el 30 de agosto 2024
¡Es el final de la temporada 2024 de Swim Guide!
La temporada 2025 de pruebas semanales de calidad del agua comenzará nuevamente el fin de semana del Día de los Caídos de 2025. Hasta entonces, entregaremos resultados de sitios selectos en Neuse y Tar-Pamlico mensualmente. ¡Sigue revisando!
EN EL RIO UPPER NEUSE
Todo los sitios pasaron esta semana. Beaver Dam, Barton Creek boat ramp, Poole Road y el Neuse Golf Club in Clayton no fueron probados.
EN EL RIO LOWER NEUSE
Dos sitios no pasaron esta semana: Black Beard Sailing Club en Upper Broad Creek y Slocum Creek en Havelock.
Spring Garden boat ramp y Rice Creek no fueron probados esta semana.
EN EL RIO TAR-PAMLICO
Un sitio no paso esta semana: Cotton Patch Landing en Blounts Creek.
Bonner’s Point y Plum Point en Bath, y Wright’s Creek en Belhaven no fueron probados.
Nuestra Misión
Monitorear y proteger las cuencas de los ríos Neuse y Tar-Pamlico que abarcan casi un cuarto de Carolina del Norte, y preservar la salud y belleza de la cuenca fluvial mediante justicia ambiental.
Criterios de Calidad del Agua
Los criterios de calidad de agua para la recreación de contacto usados por Sound Rivers vienen de Carolina del Norte y del EPA (Agencia de Protección Ambiental). Cuando la última muestra de un sitio presenta niveles de bacteria saludables, lo marcamos verde. Si la última muestra de un sitio no cumple con los criterios de calidad del agua, o presenta niveles de bacteria no saludables, lo marcamos con rojo. Cuando no hay información disponible o no hay resultados actuales, marcamos el sitio con gris.
E. coli, un tipo de bacteria que se encuentra en el intestino de personas y otros animales, es un buen indicador de contaminación fecal reciente. Aunque varios tipos de estas bacterias son inofensivas, algunos tipos nos pueden causar enfermedades, o causar problemas gastrointestinales más graves en grupos de personas más sensitivos.
El Programa de Calidad de Agua Recreativa de la División de Pesquerías Marinas, bajo el Departamento de Calidad Ambiental de Carolina del Norte, conduce pruebas adicionales en la región. Los resultados de estas pruebas son incorporados en los sitios listados en el sitio de web de Swim Guide y en la aplicación de teléfono celular.
Muchísimas gracias a nuestros patrocinadores, los cuales nos ayudan a traer
el programa Swim Guide para ustedes este verano!
