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_ LuD3 ff-1 <br /> Lin ,4.4,1 • <br /> Chapel Hill Township. These rocks are sedimentary in <br /> origin and are formed by erosion of material from the <br /> upland Slate Belt. <br /> Geologic characteristics have a direct impact on a number of <br /> environmental features which can constrain development. These <br /> include ground water yield, topography, slope, and earth <br /> resources. <br /> Natural Resources <br /> Certain lands are capable of producing valuable products. <br /> Prime agricultural land, managed forest land, mineral deposit <br /> sites, and other land from which items of value can be <br /> produced are major natural resource areas. These are areas <br /> which are or could be economically productive because of <br /> specific natural characteristics such as soil conditions, <br /> vegetation, or mineral deposits. These characteristics <br /> present a level of constraint to development relative to the <br /> value assigned to the protection of each use of the resource. <br /> Topography <br /> Physiographic Features - Orange County is located in the <br /> geographic province of North Carolina known as the Piedmont. <br /> his area is characterized by gently rolling topography <br /> drained by small streams which have cut "V" shaped valleys. <br /> Elevation generally ranges from 700-800 feet in the northern <br /> part of the County to 200 feet in the extreme southeast. The <br /> highest point in the County is Occoneechee Mountain, with an <br /> elevation of 859 feet. <br /> Slopes - Slope indicates the relative suitability of vacant <br /> land for future development. Excessive or steep slopes are a <br /> factor in many environmental problems and can significantly <br /> increase the vulnerability of land to damage from human <br /> activities. The potential for erosion and resulting <br /> sedimentation from areas laid bare by construction activity <br /> increases as the slope increases. Steep slopes also pose a <br /> problem for septic tank filtration systems. Effluent <br /> traveling down slope which hits an impermeable layer, such as <br /> a shallow bedrock, can travel laterally and emerge at the <br /> surface, causing health and aesthetic problems. <br /> Land with a slope of less than 5% is considered moderately <br /> sloping and is capable of accommodating most types of <br /> development activities not requiring extensive tracts of <br /> level land. Slopes exceeding 5-15% (15 feet of vertical <br /> 2.2 text 3 <br /> • <br />