In honor of the Clean Water Act’s 50th anniversary, river quality advocates recently paddled nearly 150 miles of the Neuse River, sharing their 11-day experience with Coastal Review.
water quality
National group designates Neuse ‘River of the Year’
American Rivers, which had previously called the Neuse one of the country’s most endangered, hailed progress made.
Cape Fear River Watch to host festival at Greenfield Lake
The family-friendly event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 22, near the boathouse at Greenfield Lake Park in Wilmington
Toxins study notes Clean Water Act’s ‘unfulfilled promise’
The upper New and the lower Cape Fear River watersheds were two of the nation’s top five watersheds with the highest amounts of toxins discharged in 2020, according to the new study from the N.C. Public Interest Research Group.
Mattamuskeet watershed restoration update meeting set
The meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in Swan Quarter is to cover the latest efforts to restore the lake’s water quality and reduce flooding.
State grants available for beach, shoreline projects
Grants are available for beach, shoreline and water management projects in the 20 coastal counties.
Discharge permit requires Chemours remove 99.9% of PFAS
Environmental advocates who pressed for tighter standards than first proposed say the result is the nation’s most stringent limits on discharges of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
New program to fund stormwater management projects
The deadline is 5 p.m. Sept. 30 for towns and counties to apply for a new state-run program that offers funding opportunities for stormwater management projects.
Riley Lewis takes on role of White Oak waterkeeper
Lewis, who joined Coastal Carolina Riverwatch earlier this summer, has a master’s in coastal and ocean policy from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Researchers say get ready for more floods, contamination
Duke University environmental scientists urge communities to begin long-term planning for the increase in flooding and resulting pollution during extreme storms made worse by climate change.
Partnership updates maps for monitoring seagrass losses
Previous mapping efforts have shown declines in submerged aquatic vegetation.
Canoers to paddle NC coast for water quality awareness
The We the Water initiative kicks off Sept. 14, when the Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club sets out to paddle the entire North Carolina coast over the course of three years.
Swim advisory posted at oceanside site in Dare County
The advisory is for an area at the public beach access at ramp No. 55 off Museum Drive in Hatteras.
State issues advisory after wastewater spill in Surf City
A lightning strike is blamed for the discharge of as much as 100,000 gallons of untreated wastewater into Waters Bay.
State awards $789.4M for water projects
The funds are to help pay for 385 projects total statewide, including 140 construction projects.
Pamlico Sound oyster sanctuary network continues to grow
With the current project to build an oyster sanctuary near Cedar Island, the Division of Marine Fisheries is getting closer to its goal of 500 acres of protected oyster reefs in Pamlico Sound by 2026.
