The public comment period is open on the proposed list of streams, rivers, reservoirs and other water bodies in the state that are considered to be “impaired,” or that do not meet water quality standards, in 2024.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources will accept comments on the draft list until midnight April 26 by email to TMDL303dComments@deq.nc.gov.
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In the proposed list for this year, 70 water bodies were added, while 56 waters were delisted.
The 2024 draft list, as well as other related documents, can be found on the division website.
The Environmental Management Commission, an appointed body that oversees and adopts rules for the DEQ’s divisions of Air Quality, Land Resources, Waste Management and Water Resources, sets the criteria. The method includes consideration of water quality rankings by the division’s Biological Assessment Branch, as well as chemical and physical parameters.
In addition to receiving comment on the list, DWR is seeking input into which specific 303(d) listed waters should be prioritized for development of a total maximum daily load, or a management or restoration plan, for the next 10 years. In most cases, higher priority waters are those where willing stakeholders are already implementing restoration activities and/or there is existing knowledge of stressors in the watershed.
North Carolina and other states are required to identify and establish a priority ranking for water bodies every two years by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act. After the public comment period, staff will submit the list to the EPA.
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For specific listing questions, or to request an assessment fact sheet for a specific waterbody, email Cam McNutt, water quality data coordinator, at cam.mcnutt@deq.nc.gov.
