Weigh in on NC river quality
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The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources is now accepting public comment on the proposed list of streams, rivers, reservoirs and other water bodies in North Carolina considered to be “impaired,” or that do not meet water quality standards, in 2024.
The 2024 draft 303 (d) list, as well as other related documents, can be found on the DWR website. In the proposed 303(d) list for 2024, 70 water bodies were added, while 56 waters were delisted.
The criteria for determining which water bodies are added to the list are set by the Environmental Management Commission, an appointed body that oversees and adopts rules for the DEQ Divisions of Air Quality, Land Resources, Waste Management and Water Resources. The method includes consideration of water quality rankings by the DWR Biological Assessment Branch, as well as chemical and physical parameters.
The draft 303(d) list may be modified based on the comments received.
DWR staff will accept public comments on the list until April 26. Comments must be submitted by email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For specific listing questions, or to request an assessment fact sheet for a specific waterbody, email Cam McNutt, water quality data coordinator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
In addition to receiving comment on the list, DWR is seeking input into which specific 303(d) listed waters should be prioritized for development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or a management or restoration plan, across the next 10 years. Typically, higher priority waters are those where willing stakeholders are already implementing restoration activities and/or there is existing knowledge of stressors in the watershed.
