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2 <br /> well as significant financial impediments to the regulated parties tasked with meeting the <br /> Stage II nutrient reduction goals as they are currently written. <br /> The UNRBA continues to make progress on several projects related to the revision of <br /> Stage II of the Falls Lake Rules, including: <br /> • Lake and Watershed Water Quality Monitoring <br /> • Development of Nutrient Credits for Stormwater Devices <br /> • Modeling and Regulatory Support <br /> Lake and Watershed Water Quality Monitoring <br /> The UNRBA has been collecting water quality samples from the Falls Lake watershed <br /> since August 2014. This monitoring will be completed in October 2018. A much more <br /> limited sampling program will continue through the remainder of the current fiscal year. <br /> The water quality data that has been collected will be incorporated into the on-going <br /> Stage II re-examination process. An annual monitoring report was completed in May <br /> 2018 that summarizes all of the water quality data that has been collected through <br /> December 2017. This document, along with all of the data that has been collected by <br /> the UNRBA, is available at http://unrba-wgp.cardno.com/. <br /> Development of Nutrient Credits <br /> The UNRBA has developed nutrient reduction credits for several stormwater control <br /> measures (SCMs) that have been approved by the NC Division of Water Resources. <br /> Local governments can now use these additional SCMs to meet the nutrient reduction <br /> goals required by the Falls Rules. This is beneficial to UNRBA member governments <br /> because it increases the number of devices and stormwater practices or "tool box" that <br /> have DWR-approved nutrient reduction values. The UNRBA continues to negotiate with <br /> DWR concerning the approval of nutrient reduction credits for the preservation of open <br /> space within the watershed. Unfortunately, to date, DWR seems to be unwilling to <br /> provide more than a minimal credit for the preservation of open space. <br /> Modeling and Regulatory Support <br /> As part of the process for developing more reasonable Stage II nutrient reduction goals <br /> for Falls Lake, the UNRBA is beginning the remodeling of the lake and watershed, <br /> including hydrologic information and nutrient cycling and other relevant processes. This <br /> multi-year effort will incorporate the data that the UNRBA has collected into a model as <br /> a means of exploring options for meeting water quality standards in Falls Lake. The <br /> UNRBA is also beginning to work with a legal firm to evaluate the potential regulatory <br /> options that may be available for determining a more technically and fiscally reasonable <br /> Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation <br /> PO Box 8181 <br /> Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> Phone: (919) 245-2510 <br /> Fax: (919) 644-3351 <br />