The Wake County Board of Commissioners on Monday moved ahead with a plan that will help protect the quality of the County's streams and rivers in coming years by requiring larger stream buffers in priority watershed areas, prohibiting development in the 100-year floodplain, and encouraging preservation of open space in subdivision developments.
The plan was presented by the Board-appointed Watershed Management Task Force, which has been meeting since May 2001 to study protection strategies and recommend a plan that can be implemented countywide to protect and preserve sensitive stream and watershed areas. The Board accepted the report Monday, and will consider various specific strategies for implementation that will be recommended throughout the year by a working group of task force members and County and municipal staff.
County Commissioners' Chairman Herb Council praised the work of the task force and fellow Commissioner Kenn Gardner, who chaired the task force, saying the hard work over many months was evident. The task force included developers, environmental groups, elected officials and other stakeholders.
"We appointed this group to work on a very complex and difficult issue, and we appreciate their hard work and diligence over the last two years," Council said. "I hope that everyone who served understands that they have played a critical role in ensuring clean drinking water for the current and future generations of this county."
The task force's mission was to outline the steps Wake County needs to take now to protect sensitive watershed areas to ensure clean drinking water for the future, reduce flooding and erosion, preserve wildlife habitats, and improve and expand swimming, hiking, fishing and other recreational opportunities for the community.
Task Force Chairman Gardner said his group accomplished that and more, reaching
consensus on protection strategies but also keeping in mind the importance of continued economic development.
"This plan should in no way be viewed as a plan to slow or halt growth," Gardner said. "It is important that we balance environmental protection and natural resource conservation with our need for continued economic development to meet the demands of growth and maintain our economic vitality in the region. These recommendations are solid and well-researched, and I believe they will help us accomplish all of our goals."
Working with the consulting firm CH2MHILL, the task force first completed an in-depth assessment of current conditions of the County's 81 watersheds. Watersheds are areas that drain to a body of water, such as a stream, river or lake. They serve as drinking water supplies, recreation sites and habitat for wildlife.
The task force reached consensus on 23 recommendations in several categories, including buffers, floodplain protection, conservation subdivisions and open space conservation. Some highlights of those recommendations are:
- Require 100-foot stream buffers on perennial streams within priority watersheds, and 50-foot buffers in other watersheds. These are strips of trees, grass or shrubs along river and stream banks. Buffers help protect streams from runoff and temperature changes, and provide a source of organic material for stream aquatic life.
- Allow no development or filling in the 100-year floodplain with the exception of utilities and infrastructure.
- Allow and encourage conservation subdivisions, which preserve large tracts of open space within new subdivisions.
- If municipal water and sewer are available to a site, a minimum of 30 percent open space should be preserved to qualify as a conservation subdivision.
- Use incentives to help meet targets for less impervious surfaces in priority watersheds. Impervious surfaces, such as pavement and rooftops, keep water from soaking into the soil, creating more stornwater runoff.
- Better educate homeowners about well and septic system maintenance.
For more information, contact Mike Jennings, Wake County Environmental Services, 856-7447, or Commissioner Kenn Gardner at 856-5565.