4.5 River Basins
United States Census Bureau (USCB) data shows that fve of the fastest-growing cities in the United States are located in the Neuse River Basin. Based on population growth between 2010 and 2014, and in comparison with growth rates in other states, North Carolina was ranked as the ffth fastest growing state in the nation (USCB 2014) . Population in the basin is expected to increase by as much as 44% by 2020 and USCB projects that the population in the Neuse River Basin will increase by more than 867,000 people. Projected growth pat- terns for the Neuse River Basin predict the population will be over two million people by 2020 (USCB 2014; NCDWR 2015a) . Urban centers in the Piedmont rely on surface water withdrawn from reservoirs or directly from the Neuse River (about two-thirds of the total demand on the basin), while rural areas and communities in the Coastal Plain rely more on groundwater (NCDWR 2015c) . As is the case in the Cape Fear River Basin, current drinking water supplies and wastewater treat- ment capacities may not be sufcient to meet demands caused by population growth, and new infrastructure will be needed to meet these demands. Development and the related need for additional infrastructure will result in increased stresses on already impaired aquatic resources. Te loss of natural areas and increase in impervious surfaces that result from rapid population growth cause increased sediment runof from construction. More homes mean an increase in lawn fertilizer runof. Heavy metal runof contributes to ele- vated mercury levels in fsh tissue. Tese point and nonpoint runof sources accumulate in the Pamlico Sound, where researchers at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington found one-third of the sediments contaminated with chemicals and toxic metals (Powell 1999) . Hydrilla is found from the headwaters of the Eno River downstream almost to Falls Lake. Lake Orange, Corporation Lake, and both forks of the upper Eno River are infested with this invasive aquatic plant. During the months of June through September/October, Hydrilla is the most evident weed in the Eno River and the population of Hydrilla appears to be growing each year. Te problem with Hydrilla is compounded by the fact that the water fow in the river is so low for most of the year, allowing Hydrilla to establish popu- lations in the river that continue to spread. Hydrilla is not often a problem in higher fow rivers. Hydrilla has been identifed as one of the biggest threats to the natural resources of Eno River State Park (Nealson 2012) . 4.5.12.5 Recommendations Conservation priorities that apply statewide to all river basins are presented in Section 4.5.3.3. Priorities identifed in the Neuse River Basin are shown in Figure 4.24 and a list of the priority 12-digit HUCs is included in Appendix J.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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