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6,a r�r Overview of Drinking Water in Upper Neuse River Basin The Upper Neuse River Basin is located in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. The Upper Neuse River Basin Association defines the Upper Neuse River Basin as the 770 - square-mile area draining to the Falls Lake Reservoir, Raleigh' s major water source . The basin is comprised of three major tributaries ; the Flat River, the Little River, and the Eno River . The Upper Neuse is home to about 190 , 000 people and contains nine public drinking water supply reservoirs that together serve over 500 , 000 people . These water supplies are . Falls Lake (Raleigh) • Lake Michie (Durham) • Little River Reservoir (Durham) Lake Holt (Butner/Granville County) Lake Orange (Orange County) • New Hillsborough Lake (Hillsborough) • Corporation Lake Lake Ben Johnston (Hillsborough) Lake Rogers (Creedmoor) The major land cover types of the basin are forest (61 %) and agriculture ( 16 %) . Most of this open space is in the headwaters of the Flat, Little, and Eno Rivers . Seventeen percent ( 17 % ) of the basin is urban or suburban . Signs of water quality degradation are increasing due to the impacts of development resulting from population growth . It ' s projected there will be a 50 % increase in population in the Falls Lake Basin by 2025 . This growth will likely lead to the development of an additional 50 , 000 acres of land and is expected to consume 76 % of the remaining undeveloped land in the basin . According to a new report released by Triangle GreenPrint Project (a joint initiative of the Triangle J Council of Governments , the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources , and the Triangle Land Conservancy) , the current rate of land protection in the region will have to basically double to increase protected land from 8 % to the regionwide goal of 15 % within 25 years . After that, many of the best opportunities will be lost and properties that remain undeveloped could be prohibitively expensive . While growth brings jobs and other benefits , it also comes with a price and must be carefully planned . The natural beauty, recreation opportunities , clean water and healthy environment are often what attract people to this area . Strategic land conservation can protect these amenities by balancing growth and protection . We applaud the leadership of the City of Raleigh and Wake County for recognizing the benefits of land conservation in the Falls Lake Basin and the long-term cost savings associated with prevention of polluted drinking water . Strong partnerships among stakeholders throughout the Falls Lake and Upper Neuse River area will be the key to success . We look forward to working with local and county governments , citizen groups and state agencies in the upper Neuse River Basin to make this effort a success .