The N.C. Division of Water Resources has approved a collaborative plan to help Atlantic Beach address flooding.
water quality
High bacteria levels force officials to cancel triathlon swim
YMCA Wrightsville Beach Sprint Triathlon organizers canceled the swim portion of the Sept. 25 race after state officials detected high levels of bacteria in Banks Channel.
Carp removal next step to healthier Lake Mattamuskeet
Plans are in the works to remove 1 million invasive carp from Lake Mattamuskeet, a move stakeholders hope will help with water quality and clarity.
Updated plan details human, climate damage to wetlands
The newly updated NC Wetland Program Plan details how climate change and nonpermitted human activities are causing wetland loss.
Coastal Resources Commission digs in on artificial turf
Addressing a growing number of permit questions, the coastal policy and rulemaking body has approved a prohibition on artificial turf within the 30-foot shoreline buffer in areas of environmental concern.
Habitat plan amendment comment period opens
The state is accepting public comment until Oct. 21 on the draft Coastal Habitat Protection Plan 2021 amendment and Appendix A, which includes early public comment and recommendations from a stakeholder group.
Panel with stakes in clean water adds to coastal habitat plan
A group of nine people with backgrounds and interests in the coastal economy and related water quality issues provided its recommendations for improving the state’s Coastal Habitat Protection Plan.
Rebecca Drohan is new Coastal Carolina Waterkeeper
Rebecca Drohan has been with Coastal Carolina Riverwatch since 2018, leading outreach and volunteer efforts and having organized the Crystal Coast Chapter of Ocean Friendly Establishments.
Australian wildfires fertilized expansive algal blooms: Study
A recently published study by Duke University researchers found that particles in smoke and ash from Australian wildfires fed unprecedented algal blooms far away in the ocean.
Resilience, natural approach basis of habitat plan tweaks
Proposed amendments to the state’s official plan for protecting, restoring and conserving coastal habitats and fisheries drill in on newly specific priorities linked to water quality and climate change.
Coastal Habitat Plan approved for public review
The Coastal Resources Commission has approved the 2021 amendment to the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan for public review and comment.
Guest commentary: Where plastic flows into the ocean
Kemp Burdette of Cape Fear River Watch and Ann Colley of the Moore Charitable Foundation write that there’s an overlooked connection in our own backyards that funnels plastics toward major bodies of water and eventually the world’s oceans.
Commentary: My firsthand experience with an algal bloom
Photographer Jared Lloyd, who recently captured images of an algal bloom in Edenton for Coastal Review, shares what exposure to the green slime’s toxic fumes is like. Spoiler alert: It’s no fun.
Grad students can apply for water quality research funds
N.C.’s Water Resources Research Institute and Sea Grant are offering funding to graduates researching water quality issues.
Meeting set to put Mattamuskeet restoration plan in action
A Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan virtual meeting is set for Sept. 27 to discuss implementing the plan approved by the state in August 2019.
Something is causing more algal blooms in more places
Algal blooms have been recurring problems in the Chowan River Basin, but excess nutrients have triggered more and more, including those deemed harmful or toxic, but scientists aren’t sure exactly why.
