Orange County NC Website
2. BMP Nutrient Credit Development <br /> CardnoEntrix is continuing to work on a project to develop nutrient reduction Best Management <br /> Practice (BMP) credits. The project will be beneficial to UNRBA member governments <br /> (including Orange County) by increasing the number of structural devices and other <br /> stormwater practices with known nutrient reduction values. These BMPs will then be available <br /> for affected parties to use to meet the required nutrient reduction goals under Stages I and II of <br /> the Falls Lake Rules. This is sometime referred to as increasing the number of nutrient <br /> reduction measures available in the "BMP tool box". Subject matter experts are developing <br /> nutrient credit values and practice standards for three "batches" of BMPs: <br /> BMP Batch 1: Infiltration Devices <br /> Filter Strips <br /> Soil Amendment <br /> BMP Batch 2: Bioretention Devices <br /> Land Conservation <br /> Pervious Area Nutrient Management <br /> Batch 3: Livestock Exclusion <br /> Riparian Buffers <br /> Elimination of Illicit Discharges <br /> After CardnoEntrix develops draft nutrient credits and practice standards for each of these <br /> BMPs, the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) will evaluate this information and determine <br /> what nutrient reduction credit is appropriate for each BMP. Once this process is completed, <br /> affected parties, including local governments, will be able to utilize these BMPs to meet <br /> required nutrient reduction targets. <br /> Project Outcomes <br /> • Develop nutrient reduction credits for BMPs <br /> • Increase # of BMPs available to use in achieving required nutrient reductions <br /> 3. Development of Nutrient Credit Calculation Tool <br /> Also ongoing is the development of a spreadsheet-based tool for local governments to <br /> calculate nutrient reduction credits for specific on-site nutrient reduction measures, as well as <br /> for more regional programmatic practices such as street sweeping or fertilizer management. <br /> This tool will allow municipalities in the watershed to evaluate the impact of various nutrient <br /> reduction devices and practices at different locations in the watershed, allowing local <br /> governments to determine the most cost-effective means of meeting required nutrient <br /> reductions. <br /> Project Outcome <br /> • Ability to evaluate potential BMPs at different locations — maximize efficiency, <br /> cost effectiveness <br /> 4. Falls Lake Rules Review <br /> The Regulatory Reform Act of 2013 (HB74) mandated that all State rules expire within ten <br /> years of their effective dates, unless readopted. Currently, DWR is concluding an informal <br /> comment period for the Falls Lake Rules, which will be followed in 2016 by a public comment <br /> period. UNRBA is working to develop comments on the Falls Lake Rules that all UNRBA <br />