Chapter 4 Habitats
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. Water Quality. There are 509 permitted Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in the Neuse River Basin with 848 waste lagoons associated with the facilities (NCDEQ 2024c) . Waste from these sites is a source of high levels of nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) (NCDWR 2015b) . Animal-waste lagoons and sprayfields that discharge nutrients and bacteria contamination near or into aquatic environments through runoff, percolation into groundwater, and volatilization of ammonia and the release of bacterial contamination can significantly degrade water quality and endanger health (Mallin 2003; Mallin and Cahoon 2003) . Impoundments. According to The National Aquatic Barrier Inventory & Prioritization Tool (SARP 2024) , there are over 4,500 impoundments in the basin, most of which are mill or farm ponds. Impoundments in the basin have affected aquatic species by physically altering habitat, reducing flows and DO, and causing erosion. Modification of flow regimes by upstream impoundments affects various life history characteristics of downstream migratory fishes 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) . The 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, flood control, and recreation opportunities. Other major reservoirs in the Neuse River Basin include Little River Reservoir, Lake Michie, Lake Orange, Corporation Lake, Lake Ben Johnson, Lake Butner, Lake Rogers, Lake Wheeler, Lake Benson, and Buckhorn Reservoir. The Milburnie Dam was removed in 2017, which opened 15 miles of the Neuse River and tributaries for migration and spawning of American Shad, Striped Bass, and other anadromous fish as well as restoration of free-flowing stream habitat for many priority aquatic species (American Rivers 2017) . The 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 fish tissue samples. Eutrophic conditions have been present in Falls Lake since it was impounded in the early 1980s (NCOEE 2007, 2009, 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). Development. United States Census Bureau (USCB) data show that five of the fastest-growing cities in the United States are located in the Neuse River Basin. According to the 2020 Census, the state’s population is nearly 10.5 million people. The population is projected to grow to 15.3 million by 2060. The Raleigh-Cary area in the basin was ranked 20 th for growing metropolitan areas nationwide (US Census 2025) . North Carolina’s Office of State Budget and Management has
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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