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     Most of the pollutants that degrade coastal waters come off the land every time it rains. Stormwater flushes pet and wildlife waste, fertilizer from lawns, oil and anti-freeze from roads and parking lots, and sediment from construction sites, and delivers them directly into the nearest body of water.
     Stormwater pollution is the product of developed land, and the coast is one of the fastest developing regions in the state. Therefore, how we manage and use our land will have far reaching impacts. It will affect our neighbors, water quality, wildlife, natural resources, and our quality of life along the coast.

Here are a few tips for managing your personal landscape:

• Minimize the amount of built upon area on your property. "Built upon" means covered with a building, driveway, sidewalk, etc.
• Set structures back as far as possible from shoreline, and leave an unmowed buffer stip of thick vegetation along the shore.
• Avoid the use of hardened structures (like bulkheads) for retarding shoreline erosion. Bulkheads tend to erode neighboring shorelines, and damage water quality and habitat.
• Approximately 40% of the pollution in waterways comes from used crankcase oil. Recycle hazardous wastes. Used motor oil, car batteries, paint thinners and some solvents can be refined and reused.
• If you have a septic tank, monitor it yearly and have a reputable contractor remove sludge and scum every three to five years. (This helps to ensure that there is enough space in the tank for wastewater, and prevents solids from escaping into the absorption system.)
• Dispose of pet waste properly.
• Use North Carolina plant and tree species that are native to your area. Avoid exotic, high-maintenance species. Natives adapt more readily to the soil and do not normally require fertilization or watering. Keep yard trimmings out of waterway – composting them is great!
• Avoid the use of fertilizers and pesticides that can seep into nearby waters, loading them with nutrients that create an oxygen starved environment.
• Maintain as much of you yard as possible with natural forest cover. Use tall grasses and ground covers on slopes. While they reduce your yard maintenance, they also provide superior filters for runoff during storms. Never leave exposed soil and dirt in your yard.

     One of the most important things you can do to help save the coast is to
report problems when you see them. The State of North Carolina does not have the resources to properly monitor the entire coast. Please take the time to call the appropriate agency to learn more about an activity or to report an activity that may negatively impact our coastal environment.

Who To Call

To learn more about septic system placement and maintenance:
Call your county health department.

To learn more about recycling and disposing of household hazardous waste or to report illegal dumping of hazardous waste:
Call the North Carolina Division
of Solid Waste Management at 919-733-0692

To report fish kills, algae blooms, surface water discoloration or odors, groundwater contamination, and sewer or stormwater runoff:
Call the NC Division of Water Quality
910-395-3900 Wilmington
252-946-6481 Washington
1-800-858-0368 (for environmental emergencies)

To report sediment plumes in surface water from construction,
and land clearing of one acre or more for development:
Call the NC Division of Land Resources
910-395-3900 Wilmington
252-946-6481 Washington
1-866-STOPMUD

To report filling in of coastal wetlands (tidal) or for information about dredging and coastal construction (i.e. house, bulkhead, pier or dock):
Call the NC Division of Coastal Management:
252-808-2808 Morehead City
910-395-3900 Wilmington
252-264-3901 Elizabeth City
252-946-6481 Washington

For information about shellfish or recreational beach closures:
Call NC Division of Shellfish Sanitation
252-726-6827 Morehead City

To report oil or chemical spills and littering of waterways:
Call US Coast Guard at 800-424-8802

For information on highway or road construction:
Call NC Department
of Transportation at 877-368-4968

Your Legislators

     The email, mailing address and phone number of your state representative(s), state senator and US congressmen are located on the NC General Assembly website. Email, write or call your representatives to inform them of problems in their region and ask for their help in solving environmental problems.

To serve as a volunteer monitor along the coast, call or email the
NCCF COASTKEEPER^® nearest you:

Frank Tursi
Cape Lookout COASTKEEPER^®
252-393-8185 (office)
252-241-3505 (cell)

Jan DeBlieu
Cape Hatteras COASTKEEPER^®
252-473-1607 (office)
252-480-5361 (cell)

Ted Wilgis
Cape Fear COASTKEEPER^®
910-790-3275 (office)
910-231-6605 (cell)