Lockwood Folly Roundtable: working together for the water

Strategies for the Lockwood Folly River:

Prevention, Planning and Strategic Restoration   

 The following is a brief outline of the strategies accepted by the Brunswick County Commission. The County will be conducting work sessions in upcoming months to explore ways of prioritizing and implementing the strategies. For more detail on the Roundtable’s report and notices about the work sessions, visit the county’s website at www.brunsco.net. 

These strategies are designed to guide future growth and development in the watershed and set priorities for places to preserve fragile habitat and restore degraded water quality. A key point that all of the experts and Roundtable members emphasize is that no one of these strategies is a ‘silver bullet’. Lasting, significant changes in the downward trend of water quality in the Lockwood Folly River will take coordinated implementation of all of these strategies.

(1)

A)    Assess water quality risk according to natural systems in the watershed and develop future land use policies and ordinances that fit land use density and landscape design to the level of water quality risk.

B)    Sewer extension policies that: 1) give priority services to communities with malfunctioning septic tanks, and 2) ensure that land use and development policies in wastewater service areas are consistent with risks to water quality.

These strategies would look at hydrologic features and assign water quality risk factors and use them to determine the appropriate type and density of development. Possible implementation options include using cluster housing neighborhood design for a given amount of development and limiting built-upon surfaces in the most vulnerable areas.

(2) Incorporate low impact development (LID) technology into county site design and development policies. The strategy will include methods to integrate this tool into the county’s existing development management program.   LID is a comprehensive land planning and engineering design approach that seeks to maintain and improve the pre-development hydrology of a developing watershed. LID uses the natural capacity of land to soak up rainfall and prevent contaminated stormwater runoff from entering water bodies.  These techniques were the basis for a national conference held in Wilmington in March. For more information about LID, visit www.lowimpactdevelopment.org

(3) Coordination of state, local and federal regulatory programs with Brunswick County taking the lead enforcement role and fostering inter-local cooperation.  This strategy suggests policy changes and a financial plan to accomplish this. 

(4) Action plan to acquire strategic sites and properties to protect and restore water quality.    Sites would be targeted according to comprehensive selection method, and would be acquired from willing property owners by partnerships with the nonprofit community and state and federal agencies.

(5)

A)    Develop a public education, information and outreach program.  Involve the public so that protecting and restoring water quality in the Lockwood Folly River becomes an important local priority. 

B)    Recognize the environmental and cultural significance of the Lockwood Folly River through federal Wild and Scenic River designation. This non-regulatory designation will help underscore the special nature of the river as development in the area continues to increase. 

(6) Protect stream edges in the watershed by implementing a ‘living shorelines’ program.  A living shoreline is an innovative alternative to bulkheads for shoreline stabilization, erosion control and stormwater buffer and wildlife habitat restoration.  This strategy involves possibly creating a cost-share program for living shoreline restoration projects and incorporating language supporting living shorelines into the county’s CAMA land use plan. 

(7)  Identify sites for water quality ‘retrofit’ to reduce or eliminate unwanted runoff.   The county should work with state agencies such as NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program and non-profit organizations to secure funding to address targeted sites that the Roundtable has identified for retrofit. 

(8) Develop a financial incentive program that encourages developers to take alternative approaches that support water quality objectives.  Development practices, such as LID, conservation easements and preservation of wetlands, which are protective of water quality, would be rewarded with mechanisms such as a streamlined review process, favorable ad valorem tax treatment, and tax-advantaged donations.

(9):  Develop a working waterfront program that assists in the preservation of traditional waterfront businesses, such as fish houses and commercial marinas, and public access sites, such as boat ramps and fishing piers.

The full report on the Roundtable’s findings and strategy implementation options, the first tabloid are available on the county’s website at www.brunsco.net.  Check the website for notice of the work sessions that county will hold to prioritize and plan to put the strategies into action.