Water Quality Restoration for Meeting House Branch

Water quality impairments within the Meeting House Branch (8 km2) watershed will be identified by a multidisciplinary team. The approach will include literature reviews, analyses of pre-existing data, field reconnaissance, water quality, and channel geomorphological monitoring. This work will help to identify impaired sites and develop priorities for restoration, conservation, and BMP implementation. This watershed is targeted because it has undergone rapid urban expansion since the 1970s and is showing signs of impairment due to urban stormwater inputs (channel erosion) (Hardison et al. 2009) and elevated nitrogen inputs (Hardison, 2008) possibly due to the legacy of agricultural land-use, lawn fertilizers, septic systems and/or pet waste. Neighboring Green?s Mill Run watershed is on the NC 303D impaired streams list due to impaired biological integrity related to urban stormwater inputs. The current urban growth patterns suggest that Meeting House Branch may face similar impairment in the future unless land-use and stormwater management steps are taken soon.

Scholars @ ECU