HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-03-2022; 12-8 - Information Item - Memorandum - State Approval of Upper Neuse River Basin Association’s Interim Alternative Implementation Approach (IAIA) 1
Department of Environment,
MEMORANDUM
TO: Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager
FROM: David Stancil, DEAPR Director
Wesley Poole, Water Resources Coordinator
DATE: September 19, 2022
RE: State Approval of Upper Neuse River Basin Association's Interim
Alternative Implementation Approach (IATA)
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide notice that the N.C. Environmental
Management Commission (EMC) officially approved on September 8, 2022 the Upper
Neuse River Basin Association's (UNRBA) Interim Alternative Implementation Approach
program for compliance with the Existing Development nutrient management provisions
of the Falls Lake Rules. This approach has been developed by the UNRBA and was
approved for implementation last year. However, this action marks the State's official
acceptance of this method of nutrient management for the Falls Lake watershed.
Background
As you may recall, most of central and northern Orange County is within the Upper
Neuse and Falls Lake watershed, and therefore subject to the Falls Lake nutrient
management rules adopted in 2011. However, the rules that were approved were later
widely acknowledged to be unwieldy and/or likely to fail to achieve the desired
reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus.
To this end, Orange County and other local government and public water provider
members of the UNRBA developed an alternative strategy to address nutrient
reductions for the adopted Falls Lake Watershed Rules to meet the Stage 1 rule
requirements, beginning in FY 2021-22. This strategy became known as the IAIA, and
has each participating jurisdiction that is subject to the watershed rules agreeing to
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation
PO Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2510
Fax: (919) 644-3351
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undertake an array of different measures from within a "toolbox" of reduction techniques
each year to decrease the loading of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in Falls Lake as
required. Orange County is using a mix of stormwater improvements, installation of
floating wetlands, and watershed buffer lands conservation as the core of its package.
At its November 5, 2020 meeting, the BOCC agreed to participate in the IAIA strategy
and plan with other member local governments, effective with the 2021-22 fiscal year.
Orange County's funding share of the annual projects to reduce nutrient loading is
$161,943. State Division of Water Resources staff participated with the UNRBA staff to
develop the IAIA proposal and supported the approach.
The EMC approval of the IAIA last week is the final regulatory decision for approving the
program, and officially sanctions this process for the foreseeable future. In addition to
using nutrient reduction measures that are proven and likely to support reduction, this
approach is also a much less costly method to addressing the needed actions to the
local governments in the region. UNRBA staff and member governments have proposed
this as a better alternative, and this action by the EMC validates that concept.
Program Progress
The IAIA program is a 5-year program and Orange County staff recently finished up the
Year One efforts and projects. Those projects included a stormwater retrofit at Cedar
Grove Park, installation of floating treatment wetlands and educational signage at
Gravelly Hill Middle School and the Orange County Sportsplex, expanded hydrilla
removal efforts throughout Orange County, and engineering and design work for a new
stormwater wetland coming soon out at Gravelly Hill Middle School. On the watershed
buffer conservation front, funds for the purchase of a conservation easement on Draper-
Savage Memorial Foundation lands with over 1,900 linear feet of stream frontage on a
major tributary of the Eno River are part of the investment in nutrient reduction.
Projected projects for Year Two include the actual construction of the Gravelly Hill
stormwater wetland with educational signage and outdoor classroom areas, along with
engineering and design work for another upcoming stormwater retrofit project here in
Orange County and conservation of other stream buffer lands in the Upper Eno basin.
Please let me know if I may provide additional information.
Copies: Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager
Travis Myren, Deputy County Manager
Cy Stober, Planning Director
Christopher Sandt, County Engineer
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation
PO Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2510
Fax: (919) 644-3351