Orange County NC Website
Regional Nutrient Management Rules ~ 5 <br />August 2011 <br />When engineered BMPs are installed, County erosion control/stormwater staff will be <br />required to inspect them periodically and document that they are operating as designed. <br />Lower nutrient loading threshold values will make it more difficult for some proposed <br />development projects to meet the stormwater requirements solely through the <br />preservation of open-space. Staff will also be requi-red to review more stormwater <br />control plans during the-development review process than -previously. <br />The biggest single difference between the Jordan Lake and- the _Fai1s Lake new <br />development rules is the applicability thresholds, as shown in Table 1. -Residential <br />development in the Falls Lake watershed that disturbs just one-half acre or -more will be <br />required to submit a site plan, stormwater runoff calculations and possibly a stormwater <br />management plan. The Jordan Rules require similar efforts for residential- development <br />thatdisturbs more than one acre of iand_ Since much-of the County is platted far large <br />lot residential development, construction of-new single family residences anywhere m <br />the County is likely to have to comply with the applicable stormwater rules and staff will <br />have to devote time to reviewing more stormwater management documents and <br />inspecting BMPs. <br />Finally, i± is expected that the Falls Rules may impact the three designated Economi-c <br />Development Districts (EDDs) in Orange County. The Eno, Hillsborough and <br />Buckhorn EDDs are all located in the Falls Lake watershed. Further development in <br />these areas will require strict stormwater controls. Planning staff has already begun <br />working to identify areas in each EDD that may be utilized as-regional stormwater <br />solutions under the new development requirements. County stormwater staff have had <br />discussions with DWQ personnel in an effort to determine if regional stormwater <br />management may meet the definition of "on-site" stormwater treatment. Off-site <br />stormwater credits may also be needed- for further development of the EDDs. The Falls <br />Rules require that all off-site nutrient offsets be located in the Falls Lake watershed. <br />Currently, no such offset locations have been identified or established. -County-staff is <br />also working to identify sui#able locatians for off-site stormwater projects. <br />V. Agriculture <br />A. Jordan Lake Requirements <br />Stage I of the Jordan Rules relies on voluntary measures to reduce nutrient loading <br />from agricultural lands, rather than requiring specific actions by individuals or. <br />operations. Agriculture, for the purposes of this Rule, and the Falls Rules, is defined as: <br />• The commercial production of crops and horticultural products other than trees <br />• Research activities in support of commercial- production <br />• Production or management of livestock in excess of certain threshold numbers: <br />5 or more horses <br />20 or more cattle <br />