Agenda - 08-17-1993 - VIII-H - Laserfiche WebLink

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12 During the past 2 years, Raleigh and Wake County worked together to commission an independent study of the Bartons Creek basins on the South side of Falls Lake. These areas are most subject to urban development due to their proximity to the North Raleigh urban area. As a result of this work, the County and City have developed a coordinated approach to the land use in the Bartons Creek basins. The two governments were able to work together in this special effort. Now, we have to address ourselves to the question of future water quality in Falls Lake. In thinking about this task, I have drawn on my many meetings at the state and regional level, but equally as important, I have reflected on my direct conversations with individuals in Person and Granville Counties. The Falls Lake watershed will be subject to pressures in the future from urbanizing activities as well as from the continuation of agricultural activities. As a result of the recently completed Neuse River Basin Study by the state, we are reminded of the wide range of activities which can adversely affect water quality. In the Falls Lake Watershed, there are 494,000 acres. Approximately 2/3 of the area is considered in agricultural or forest use. The Neuse River Basin Study identified problem conditions affecting lake water quality from both agricultural and urban activities. Proposal There are 6 counties and at least 5 municipalities which are directly involved in the land use management for the Falls Lake Watershed. It is proposed that these local governments be asked to create a Falls Lake Watershed Association. The membership in this group would be voluntary and would also be open to private companies which have active wastewater discharge permits from the state. The purpose or goal of this group would be to preserve the Falls Lake as a major water resource which provides water supply, recreation, water quality, and flood control benefits through collaborative actions of its membership in the following types of activities (and others the group may determine): - Collection and analysis of water quality data; - Identifying water quality problems for the watershed and developing cost- effective approaches to their solution; - Securing and pooling of financial resources and expertise to address the work program of the association. If this association is created, it will provide the forum for the local governments to discuss problems affecting the entire Falls Lake and offer the opportunity for developing work programs which are supported by affected local governments. The key points would be: A focus on the watershed as a whole: development of tasks to address water quality problems: collaborative decisions and execution of the tasks by those involved. There is an underlying belief that each local government in the Falls Lake Watershed wants to participate in efforts to protect and improve the quality of this significant regional resource. We have the state's minimum standards on which to build a program which can do this job.