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Attachment 2 i UNRRA Forum Questions and Answers ntb!p • Nutrient loading to Falls Lake has dropped since it was first impounded. However, chlorophyll-a levels can vary due to operation of the dam, sediment nutrient releases and the timing of storm flow periods. Nutrient loading is an important factor, but it is not the only factor that controls chlorophyll-a levels. • Chlorophyll-a is a measure of algal productivity but is not a measure of algal problems. It is an indicator that algal issues and effects on designated uses should be evaluated, but chlorophyll-a itself is not toxic. Chlorophyll-a is necessary to support the base of the aquatic food web and productive and healthy fisheries in Falls Lake. The challenge for the UNRBA is to strike the right balance in terms of protecting designated uses, supporting a healthy food web, and finding cost-effective solutions to improve water quality. • NC's current water quality standard for chlorophyll-a is not a reliable measure of functional insults on the designated uses. It is the UNRBA's position that the reservoir needs a site- specific standard that links chlorophyll-a measurements to actual impairment of uses. This is also the approach that the NC Division of Water Resources has taken with the Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) appointed under its Nutrient Criteria Development Plan, The SAC, which, includes representation by EPA Region IV, is recommending an average chlorophyll-a standard as a component of a site-specific criterion for High Rock Lake. Question 9-why does it take so long to come to an agreement between the local governments and the State of North Carolina on howto best protect Falls Lake? I) • There are many parties, or stakeholders, interested in the management of Falls Lake. These groups, and the individuals that make them up, have various views of what needs to be done to properly manage this reservoir. The parties include the local governments, agriculture, agencies, and non-governmental organizations. • The state agencies such as the Department of Environmental Quality and its Divisions are also stakeholders. These regulatory agencies have public policy, rules, and laws that govern i management of water quality in the state. • All of these interest groups have an impact on the local governments in the watershed. The local governments also have varying views of the level of management needed to protect Falls Lake and the Falls Lake drainage area. • All of these factors make a stakeholder process complicated, involved, and sometimes difficult. It takes considerable time to work through these potential conflicts. • The UNRBA is committed to consensus-based decisions whenever possible. In building consensus decisions, the UNRBA seeks to be transparent in our meetings and all of our efforts working towards a successful re-examination of the Falls Lake Rules. Our goal is to develop a cost-effective approach and a sustainable future for all of the Falls Lake l designated uses. Consensus takes time, but it is worth the effort. It serves no positive purpose to fail to bring people together and find common ground. i 3 )