Eno River Boat Ramp to Rolling View Recreational area on Falls Lake
Neuse Riverkeepers Dean Naujoks (left) and Larry Baldwin try to beat the storm
We got started a little late today. When we dropped the trailer off at the Rolling View the weather was beautiful. My wife Kathy and my 19 month old daughter Krista assisted in shuttling us up to the Eno River Boat Ramp. As we packed our gear, Krista wandered out on to the Rolling View beach on Falls Lake to play in the sand as the sun glistened on the water. By the time we arrived up at the Eno, the sky was turning dark. It started to thunder and lightening as soon as we put in the water. A bass boat accelerated around the bend in an obvious hurry to reach the boat ramp before it rained. He quickly idled down to minimize his wake once he saw us. “How far ya headed?” He asked. “Two hundred and sixty miles down stream to Pamlico Sound” I replied. He looked perplexed, not knowing what to say.He simply smiled as he passed. The sky was now completely black. The thunder and lightening intensified, yet thankfully there was no wind. “We shouldn’t be out here!” Bill said.Of course we shouldn’t, but the thought of having to paddle the full 22 miles across Falls Lake tomorrow kept us going. In an instant, a cold hard rain poured down upon us. The lightening continued, but we paddled on.
As we passed by the Flat River, any preconceived plans we originally had for stopping to commemorate the official start of the Neuse River quickly fell to the way side. All three of us were in a “keep paddling” mode.It continued to rain, hard at times but eventually the rain subsided and eventually stopped. We finally had an opportunity to talk with one another for the first time since we launched. We started to enter the very upper end of Falls Lake. It was calm and quite. We saw White Herons, King Fishers and Cormorants. The steep rocky terrain of the Eno and Flat River had quickly changed to bottom land and wetland with submerged trees protruding from the water. Water quality in the upper end of the lake, which is not very good, was muddy and brown. It stays that color year round.In the summer, mats of green algae and duck weed cover a large portion of the upper shallow reaches of Falls Lake. An indication of pollution from high nutrient levels. “Where is Knapp of Reeds Creek?” Bill asked.I pointed back to our left across the open expanse of Falls Lake. Knapp of Reeds Creek and ultimately Falls Lake was an important issue for Neuse River Foundation not very long ago.In the spring of 2004, Larry Baldwin alerted me to the sale and the proposed transfer of nitrogen credits from Bay River Metropolitan Sewage District way down at the very bottom of the Neuse River to the town of Butner roughly six miles upstream from where we were paddling. Butner’s sewage treatment plant discharges into Knapp of Reeds Creek (and Falls Lake), which is impaired (not meeting its designated uses) from various pollution problems that are contributing to its demise. The upper end of Falls Lake will also be listed as impaired with in the next few years due to polluted stormwater runoff from upstream development and three major sewage treatment plants. Butner’s plan was to transfer 61,130lbs per year of nitrogen more than more than 225 miles up the Neuse River and expand its sewage capacity to discharge additional nitrogen into Knapp of Reeds Creek and Falls Lake. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this was the largest pollution trade/transfer ever proposed for US waters.
Falls Lake is Raleigh’s only drinking water supply and ultimately supplies drinking water for 400,000 Wake County citizens. Recreational use for Falls Lake is roughly 1 million people per year. Most sewage treatment plants in the NC, especially in the Neuse Basin which has a history of nutrient pollution problems, are required to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus.Rather than make the necessary upgrades to significantly reduce nitrogen, Butner tried to justify polluting Wake County’s drinking water supply in the name of economic growth.I was surprised that no one in Wake County seemed to be aware of Butner’s intentions, let alone concerned about its drinking water being compromised. I would later find out from another municipality, Dale Crisp Raleigh’s Public Utilities Director, was fully aware of the pollution trade. Mr. Crisp supports pollution trading. As a result, he never alerted Raleigh City officials about the potential threat to Raleigh’s drinking water supply.
My first reaction was to inform the Raleigh City Council, but we decided to first sit down with Butner town officials to offer ourselves as resources to possibly explore alternatives (required under the Federal Clean Water Act) that would reduce nitrogen but allow Butner to expand its sewage treatment plant for future economic growth. We expressed concern that the additional nitrogen would not only impact Falls Lake, but the Neuse Estuary as well.Unfortunately, Butner officials made it clear they intended to move forward with the plan, having never determined potential environmental impacts to one of the most important drinking water supplies in the state. From their perspective, they had already legally purchased the credits and had the right to use them.The NC Division of Water Quality intended to allow Butner to use the credits even though the expansion would clearly violate the Clean Water Act because it would further degrade an already polluted water body.Thankfully, the Clean Water Act has citizen enforcement provisions that allow the public to challenge and legally contest permit modifications or sewage expansions that threaten water quality.These provisions have been instrumental in cleaning up waters all across the Untied States.
Neuse River Foundation fully intended to use these provisions, but we also wanted to let Raleigh know about Butner’s intentions.When I spoke before the Raleigh City Council, they unanimously voted to oppose the plan. Neuse River Foundation also alerted the EPA, who has delegated its authority to the NC Division of Water Quality.The EPA, initially unaware of the opposition, also began to raise concerns.Neuse River Foundation was the first to submit comments, requesting public hearings that were well attended with overwhelming opposition to the plan. We helped generate over 1000 comments opposing pollution trading in Falls Lake. Elected officials from Rolesville, Wake Forest and even New Bern joined local Bass fishermen and recreational users of Falls Lake to say no to pollution trading in Falls Lake and the Neuse River. Pro tem Senate leader Marc Basnight and Attorney General Roy Cooper and many Neuse Basin legislators came out in opposition to the plan.Strong public opposition ultimately killed Butner’s sewage expansion plan or so we thought.The NC Division of Water Quality, with out public comment, transferred the credits into a larger group permit for 22 major sewage dischargers, hoping (I guess) no one would notice. We did notice when we thankfully reviewed the new group permit. Neuse River Foundation contested the new permit and was quickly joined by Raleigh to finally kill the plan. Despite fairly good media coverage, most people in Wake County were never aware that their own drinking water supply became a battle ground for an untested pollution trading scheme that if approved could have opened the door to large pollution trades all around the country.
Throughout the public hearings, Neuse River Foundation constantly reminded the NC Division of Water Quality of their legal mandate under the federal Clean Water Act to develop a prescriptive clean up plan to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loading to Falls Lake rather than allow increased pollution loading. We are very proud to say that a pollution reduction strategy is currently being developed as a result of strong citizen opposition, who simply would not allow Falls Lake and the Neuse River to be compromised. I currently serve on the Falls Lake Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), which is working to develop a pollution reduction strategy. I am the only non-governmental organization serving on the TAC that represents citizen interest for clean water, which is really the role of Riverkeepers all across the country.There was so much public attention on Falls Lake, an important piece of legislation called the Drinking Water Reservoir Protection Act was passed in the legislature last year, due to the work of many environmental groups.Throughout our battle with Butner, Bill Olah had always wanted to come up and see the upper reaches of Falls Lake and Knapp of Reeds Creek.He was finally seeing it for the first time as we floated by, well aware of all the hard work Neuse River Foundation had done to protect Falls Lake.
For the time being, the wind was calm and our paddle adventure was going according to plan.However, once we entered the larger open bodies of water on Falls Lake (below I 85), a strong head wind made paddling difficult. We stopped and took a rest on a small island.A beautiful Osprey sitting in her nest, not more than eight feet off the ground, made it clear we were not welcome.I was so focused on the Osprey that I did not noticed a nesting Goose, who launched from her nest six feet away. The noise of her wings aggressively flapping and her annoyed honking startled all of us, especially me. She too made it very clear our presence was not appreciated on the island.I felt bad we disturbed her, but the only thing we could do was leave as soon as possible. Which we did, but not before I took a quick peak at her nest. It was perfection in nature, a round nest perfectly lined with puffy goose feathers to keep the five yellow eggs safe and warm. I tried to take a picture, but of course my camera did not work. The battery had died.
Back on the lake, we received a call from Rick Dove who was escorting Latoya Sutton and Elizabeth Milchalka from the Wake Weekly.By now Bill and Larry were getting worn out as they fought the head wind which seemed to get harder and harder.I felt pretty good, but understood they were not very interested in getting blown backwards to stop and do an interview. They continued on, as I hung around the “Lonesome Dove,” Ricks old Riverkeeper Boat. They took a few pictures, but we decided to finish the interview at Rolling View which was only a mile or so away.I eventually caught back up with Bill and Larry. Bill, who is in great shape for 64 but has rotator cuff problems, simply could not go any further. The wind was too much. Rick had to pull him and his kayak from the middle of the lake. Larry was also beat, but we paddled on, eventually making it to Rolling View beach.Once again Latoya and Elizabeth tried to conduct the interview, but it began to rain again. Rick felt it was best to get them back to the Highway 50 boat ramp before conditions got any worse. We would eventually finish the interview by phone.
Dean Naujoks, Upper Neuse Riverkeeper
Even though it was only 1:30 PM, our plans to paddle to ourcampsite roughly five miles further down the lake had to be scratched. We had only paddled 10 miles and would have to paddle another 12 miles tomorrow. The weather for Sunday was supposed to be nice, but the rain and the strong head wind forced us to call it quits. That night it continued to rain through out the night, which made for an early night and a great sleep for those of us who managed to stay warm:(Click here to read day 3 journal)
