Chapter 4 Habitats
4.5.12 Neuse River Basin 4.5.12.1 River Basin Description
The Neuse River Basin is an Atlantic Slope drainage with headwaters originating in the north- central Piedmont ecoregion in Person and Orange counties. The uppermost 22 miles of the river’s main stem is impounded by Falls of the Neuse Reservoir dam just northeast of Raleigh. Downstream of the dam, the river continues its course for approximately 185 miles southeast past Raleigh, Smithfield, Goldsboro, and Kinston (NCDWQ 2009; 2012d; 2015e, 2018) . It flows southeast until it reaches tidal waters near Streets Ferry, upstream of New Bern. At New Bern, the river broadens dramatically and turns into a 40-mile-long brackish tidal estuary that eventually flows into the Pamlico Sound. The Neuse River Basin encompasses all or portions of 23 counties and 84 municipalities (NCDEQ 2025e) . Large cities located in this basin include several of the fastest-growing urban and suburban areas in the state: Cary, Durham, Goldsboro, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, Smithfield, and Wilson. Figure 4.5.12-1 depicts the geographic location of the basin.
Figure 4.5.12-1 Location of the Neuse River Basin.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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