Trash trouts, litter traps and an informed public help protect North Carolina watersheds from plastic waste big and small.
water quality
Cape Fear River Watch to host State of the River forum
Event to address lower Cape Fear River estuary issues, fishery restoration, GenX and similar pollutants, and contamination from hog and swine raising facilities.
Group opposes Beaufort project; preliminary plat OK’d
Coastal Carolina Riverwatch says the proposed 47-lot Salt Wynd Preserve development threatens Gibbs Creek, the only creek in Beaufort not permanently closed to shellfishing.
Draft impaired waters list may not reflect nutrient burden
The draft list of impaired waters in North Carolina released earlier this year is required under the federal Clean Water Act, but improved water quality standards are needed and rivers and sounds not on the list also need urgent attention, biologists and advocates say.
Hand in hand, advocacy groups to regroup for clean energy
Various coastal North Carolina nonprofits are organizing Hands Across the Sand events Saturday as part of the national movement to raise awareness of clean energy alternatives.
NC water quality thresholds may leave seagrass vulnerable
New research from UNC shows that the state’s current water quality standards for chlorophyll-a and turbidity may not protect submerged aquatic vegetation in high-salinity estuaries considered economically and environmentally vital.
Corps seeks input on Neuse River Basin flooding study
Comments on proposed alternatives designed to reduce on-going flood risks throughout the Neuse River Basin will be accepted until May 25.
NC to hold PFAS testing meeting, set draft permit hearing
State environmental regulators are holding a public meeting Monday about well sampling in the Lower Cape Fear region and a yet-to-be scheduled hearing on a draft discharge permit for a proposed treatment system at the Chemours facility.
NC officials warn: Algal blooms likely as weather warms
The public should avoid contact with discolored water, which could indicate the presence of an algal bloom, state officials warn.
Groups are setting traps to reduce plastics in NC waters
Devices that catch litter in storm drains and small creeks are being put in place in a growing effort to lower the amount of plastics and microplastics getting into waterways and the ocean.
OBX officials, agencies look to improve oil spill response
During the recent Outer Banks Regional Oil Spill Tabletop Exercise, officials and emergency managers worked together on plans to quickly respond to oil spills that could threaten the coasts of Hyde, Currituck and Dare counties.
Group funds education on shared NC, Virginia watersheds
A North Carolina nonprofit and another from Virginia have been awarded a combined $40,000 by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership to help teachers educate students about the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine region.
DEQ seeks comment on draft animal waste digester systems
The state is currently asking the public to comment on draft general permits that cover the installation and operation of digester systems, which treat waste, at existing swine, cattle and wet poultry operations.
Event set on eating safer fish from Cape Fear River
The event created to help the public learn ways to reduce the health risks from eating fish from the Cape Fear is set for March 27 at New Hanover County Arboretum in Wilmington.
NC has $1.3M in federal funding for watershed restoration
Grants from Section 319 of the Clean Water Act are now available for communities to address pollution from stormwater and flooding.
Grants available for environmental projects
Letters of intent for 2022 Environmental Enhancement Grants are due March 31.
