Press release from the N.C. Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, shared Feb. 16: The state is seeking comments
on its 2012 list of North Carolina’s rivers, streams, lakes and
estuaries with impaired water quality and will use those
comments to develop strategies for decreasing pollution in the
affected waters. Similar to the results of previous assessments,
the 2012 list shows that about one-third of the waters assessed
in the Tar Heel State have at least one impairment due to
factors such as stormwater runoff. While limited resources don’t
permit monitoring of all waters in North Carolina, the state
agency assesses primarily those waters where problems have
existed in the past or where problems may exist based on
proximity to human activities from towns, farms and development.
A waterway is considered impaired when it doesn’t meet water
quality standards or doesn’t support designated uses such as
swimming, shellfish harvesting or drinking water supply. People
have until midnight March 12 to provi