4.5 River Basins
Tere are 539 permitted CAFOs in the Neuse River Basin with 900 waste lagoons associated with the facilities. Waste from these sites is a source of high levels of nutrients (e.g., nitro- gen and phosphorus) (NCDWR 2015b) . Animal-waste lagoons and sprayfelds that discharge nutrients and bacteria contamination near or into aquatic environments through runof, percolation into groundwater, and volatilization of ammonia and the release of bacterial contamination can signifcantly degrade water quality and endanger health (Mallin 2003; Mallin and Cahoon 2003) . According to an NCDENR dam inventory (NCDEMLR 2014) , there are at least 654 impound- ments in the basin, most of which are mill or farm ponds. Impoundments in the basin have afected aquatic species by physically altering habitat, reducing fows and DO, and caus- ing erosion. Modifcation of fow regimes by upstream impoundments afects various life history characteristics of downstream migratory fshes and other aquatic fauna by limiting dispersal and recolonization. Additionally, water withdrawals for irrigation reduce the amount of habitat available for aquatic species (NCDWQ 2009) . Te upper 22 miles of the Neuse River proper are impounded by the Falls of the Neuse Reservoir dam which was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers to provide drinking water, food control, and recreation opportunities. Other major reservoirs in the Neuse River Basin include Milburnie Dam, Little River Reservoir, Lake Michie, Lake Orange, Corporation Lake, Lake Ben Johnson, Lake Butner, Lake Rogers, Lake Wheeler, Lake Benson, and Buckhorn Reservoir. A proposal to remove the Milburnie Dam is being eval- uated and, if approved, would open 15 miles of the Neuse River and tributaries for migra- tion and spawning of American Shad, Striped Bass, and other anadromous fsh as well as restore free-fowing stream habitat for many priority aquatic species (American Rivers 2012) . Te Falls of the Neuse Reservoir (Falls Lake) and Lake Johnson are rated as impaired based on turbidity, failure to meet water quality standards for nutrient enrichment, and PCB contamination in fsh tissue samples. Eutrophic conditions have been present in Falls Lake since it was impounded in the early 1980s (NCOEE 2007; NCDWQ n.d.; NCDWR 2015b) and high levels of chlorophyll a , low DO, turbidity, and contamination are persistent problems. Other examples of impaired impoundments include Big Lake and Reedy Creek Lake in Umstead State Park (Wake County). Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen from cars and factories can lead to decreased water quality. Large quantities of nutrients, especially nitrogen, from nonpoint sources are con- sidered the greatest threat to water quality of the Neuse River Estuary. Tere are over 400 point source waste discharge permits for the basin from municipal wastewater treatment plants, industrial facilities, small package treatment plants, and large urban and industrial stormwater. Municipal point source waste pollution also contributes nitrogen, phosphorus, and other contaminants to waters in the basin.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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