SWAN QUARTER – Area residents will have opportunities during a series of scheduled meetings to offer their input on a proposed plan to restore the Lake Mattamuskeet watershed.
The first of six public meetings to discuss long-term solutions for the watershed, its declining water quality and changing lake levels is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 8 in the multipurpose room at the Hyde County Government Complex at 30 Oyster Creek Road in Swan Quarter.
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County officials, along with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have come together to support the development of a watershed-restoration plan for the lake to help protect its natural and cultural heritage.
“We want to design a voluntary blueprint that helps our county’s residents and landowners take care of the lake watershed and their properties for decades to come,” said Bill Rich, Hyde County manager. “We will identify and then work to carry out cost-effective steps to restore water quality in the lake, and at the same time, reduce flooding problems in the watershed.”
The watershed-management plan is intended to explain how the lake should and does function and assess its current status and health. It will also identify various practical management options for the lake watershed that will help address water quality and flooding issues. The plan is to be completed in late 2018.
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is working with the county and other partners to develop the plan. The federation previously worked with Hyde County landowners to develop a watershed-restoration plan for about 43,000 acres of farmland and wetlands north of Engelhard.
Additional public meetings for the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan will be held at 7 p.m. on the following dates at the Hyde County Government Complex in Swan Quarter:
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- Nov. 7.
- Feb. 6, 2018.
- May 8, 2018.
- July 10, 2018.
- Sept. 18, 2018.
