An advisory and an alert were issued against swimming Thursday at a soundside site in Belhaven and near Washington, both in Beaufort County.
water quality
Federation, Sound Rivers Challenge Permit
The North Carolina Coastal Federation and Sound Rivers have taken the fight over a mining permit that would alter Blounts Creek to the state supreme court.
Avoid Chowan’s Possible Algal Bloom: Officials
State Division of Water Resources officials urge the public to avoid a potential algal bloom in Chowan County, specifically in the Albemarle Sound and adjoining waterbodies.
Sea Level Rise Puts Septic, Sewers At Risk
Higher groundwater levels, heavier and more frequent rain storms and flooding associated with climate change threaten both individual and centralized systems for wastewater along the N.C. coast.
Move On to Take Over River Locks, Dams
The Fayetteville Public Works Commission was expected to submit a letter of intent this month to take ownership of three Cape Fear River locks and dams now owned and managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Coastal Research: Would You Swim Here?
Students with the UNC Institute for the Environment’s Field Site program spent last semester researching how contaminants get into Beaufort’s Town Creek and what happens next.
Coastal Research: One Town’s Septic Risks
UNC researchers recently presented findings from a study of how climate change and failing septic systems combine to affect Nags Head’s water quality and how the town is addressing problems.
Biologist: Seagrass A ‘Canary In Coal Mine’
Jud Kenworthy, a biologist and co-lead of a project to better understand the status of the submerged aquatic vegetation, says seagrasses can warn about the health of N.C.’s coastal ecology.
Submerged Vegetation Mirrors Coast’s Health
Researchers are working to map the extent and density of submerged aquatic vegetation along the N.C. coast, to assess its health, which is important far beyond the state’s estuaries.
Brunswick Wastewater Permit Hearing Dec. 5
The state Department of Environmental Quality is holding a public hearing in Bolivia Dec. 5 on Brunswick County’s wastewater draft permit modifications for its Northwest Water Treatment Plant in Leland.
Albemarle Algae’s Return Stumps Scientists
Researchers want to better understand what’s causing the large algal blooms in the Albemarle region, which returned four years ago after a long absence.
Chowan River Algal Bloom Prompts Advisory
State officials are urging the public to avoid an algal bloom on the east side of the Chowan River because of “high risk” to human health from a toxin called microcystin.
Officials: Avoid Algal Bloom in Chowan River
While there have been no reports of adverse health effects associated with an algal bloom near Arrowhead Beach in Edenton, state officials encourage the public to avoid contact with the large accumulation of algae.
Officials Urge Public to Avoid Algal Blooms
State officials are urging people and their pets to avoid contact with the water in parts of Albemarle region, where potentially toxic algal blooms have persisted since May.
Study Eyes Tourism’s Effect On Groundwater
Researchers studying groundwater quality on Bogue Banks, where there’s no central wastewater treatment plant, have shown correlations in nitrogen levels and seasonal population spikes.
State Set to Step Up Water Quality Testing
New, additional funding for shellfish sanitation and recreational water quality testing in the state could go a long way in protecting public health.
