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5 <br />proposed development in the watershed and the quality of the water in <br />streams feeding the water source area generally described as follows: <br />~WS-I -watersheds are essentially natural and undeveloped with <br />no permitted wastewater discharges. <br />~WS-II - watersheds are predominantly undeveloped, with only <br />General Permit wastewater discharges allowed. <br />~WS-III - watersheds are low to moderately developed. <br />-WS-IV - watersheds are moderately to highly developed. <br />~WS-V - watersheds are generally upstream of WS-IV waters and <br />have no special watershed development or wastewater discharge <br />restrictions. <br />Each classification has different protection measures designed to protect <br />the existing water quality. For example, the type and intensity of <br />development allowed in the higher-quality WS-I and WS-II watersheds are <br />more restrictive than that allowed in WS-III and WS-IV watersheds. A table <br />prepared by DEM summarizing the minimum protection measures for each <br />classification as adopted by the EMC is a separate enclosure. <br />The Zoning Atlas changes create Watershed Protection Overlay Districts <br />for the 10 water supply watersheds that are located in Orange County. The <br />Zoning Atlas changes also include the establishment of Zoning Districts <br />within Cedar Grove and Little River Township. The changes to the Zoning <br />Ordinance involve standards for development within the protected watersheds <br />and also include an appendix to the state standards which specify standards <br />for developing detention ponds and their construction. <br />The changes to the Subdivision Regulations and the Comprehensive Plan <br />are technical in nature and are being proposed to eliminate any unnecessary <br />duplication. Technical consistency will be provided between the <br />Subdivision Regulations, Comprehensive Plan and the more substantive <br />changes of the Zoning Atlas and the Zoning Ordinance. <br />The North Carolina EMC has identified watersheds throughout the state <br />which drain into drinking water supplies. Each of those watersheds has <br />been classified into one of several categories. For each of those <br />categories the minimum development standards have been created by the <br />State. Local governments must comply with those standards. For the most <br />part, the State standards deal with minimum lot sizes, densities, <br />impervious surface limits, and the use of detention ponds to store storm <br />water runoff to allow for slower infiltration to settle out pollutants. <br />Impervious surface is a critical component of this. The State's definition <br />requires us to consider gravel as impervious surface which is not a county <br />requirement in many areas at this time. The State standards also address <br />stream buffers and limitations on various types of land uses allowed in <br />different types of areas. <br />Little River and Cedar Grove Townships are being proposed for zoning <br />at this time. Little River Township has two basic zoning districts (with <br />several exceptions). The main recommendation is Agricultural-Residential <br />(AR) zoning with a proposal for Rural-Residential (RR) for most of the <br />