Clean coastal waters that support fishing and swimming.
There are no easy answers to cure the pollution problems that plague our coastal waters. Degradation of water quality took decades to occur and is caused by modifications to the landscape. Buildings, highways, parking lots, yards, farms and drained forests prevent rain from soaking into the ground. When downpours occur, our cities, subdivisions and fields can generate large volumes of runoff contaminated with sediment, bacteria, pathogens, chemicals and nutrients. About 25 percent of coastal shellfishing waters are polluted with bacteria, and most of the coast is now off-limits to shellfishing and swimming after big rain events.
Our 2020 Goals:
Clean water is the foundation for our coastal environment and economy. That is why the Coastal Federation has made water quality a priority since our beginning. In 2020 we are focusing on reducing the amount of runoff currently impacting our waters, and preventing future runoff by promoting environmentally responsible development and land uses. We are working with stakeholders from across the board to facilitate the use of nature-based stormwater strategies for new development, stormwater retrofits, roadways and working lands. We know that directing stormwater to slow down, spread out and soak into the soil is the only way to keep it from polluting our shellfish and swimming waters, and we are committed to making nature-based strategies the norm instead of the exception.
The North Carolina Coastal Federation has developed a working map of sites along the North Carolina coast where stormwater projects have been completed. This map features descriptions, photos, funding agencies and more. Click on the various sites below and check back for new additions.
Advancing low-impact development
The federation brings together partners in urban and rural landscapes to use low-impact development (LID) techniques that slow down the flow of stormwater runoff and let it to soak into the ground. LID includes stormwater design techniques that infiltrate, filter, store and evaporate runoff. Instead of directing stormwater to ditches, pipes and ponds, LID maintains a landscape that captures and absorbs rain before it has a chance to become polluted runoff.
Using a variety of approaches, we work to promote and implement stormwater management programs at the state and local levels. By educating and assisting regional property owners, coastal communities and farmers, we are advancing LID as the next generation of stormwater management.
