Chapter 4 Habitats
supply lakes, and mill dams). Impoundments can physically alter instream habitat, change flow regimes, and often reduce DO levels. Water withdrawals for irrigation and similar uses further change flow patterns and reduce the quality and quantity of habitat available for aquatic species (NCDWQ 2008b) . Water Quality. There are 152 permitted Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) for cattle, swine, and poultry production with 234 permitted waste lagoons in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin (NCDEQ 2024c) . Waste from these sites contains high levels of nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) in addition to fecal coliform bacteria and any chemical compounds, such as antibiotics or hormone products used in commercial feeding operations (NCDWR 2015b) . Animal- waste lagoons and spray fields that discharge near or into aquatic environments are a source of contamination from runoff, percolation into groundwater, and volatilization of ammonia and the release of bacterial contamination. These sources can significantly degrade water quality and endanger human and animal health (Mallin 2003; Mallin and Cahoon 2003) . Streams are being impacted by excessive sedimentation and changes in hydrology and geomorphology, all due to urban development, agriculture, and instream mining (Williams et al. 1993; Etnier 1997; Neves et al. 1997; Warren et al. 2000) . Water quality is also degraded by excessive nutrient input and other chemicals from wastewater discharges and surface water runoff from agriculture. There are 358 permitted discharges in the 21 counties of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, 46 of which are major discharges with ≥ 1 million gallons per day (NCDWQ 2015a) . 4.5.20.5 Basin Specific Recommendations Conservation priorities that apply statewide to all river basins are presented in Section 4.5.3. Priorities identified in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin are shown in Figure 4.5.20-2 at the end of this section. 4.5.20.5.1 Surveys Surveys are systematic and scientific methods of collecting information about the distribution, abundance, and ecology of wildlife or their habitats in a specific area at a specific time. A habitat survey is a method of gathering information about the ecology of a site. The results of a habitat survey provide basic ecological information that can be used for biodiversity conservation, planning and/or management, including targeting of more detailed botanical or zoological investigations (Smith et al. 2011) . Repeated surveys using the same methods can provide information about conditions and changes to species assemblages and habitat composition over time. Priorities for conducting distributional and status surveys need to focus on species believed to be declining or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive communities.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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