For years the NRF has been intimately involved in developing the Falls Lake Rules, a management strategy designed to restore the largest polluted drinking reservoir in the state. On January 15, 2011 important cleanup rules finally went into effectand work began to protect and restore Falls Lake, as required by the Clean Water Act.
These rules will not only make a genuine difference in the health of our water, they represent the first truly collaborative effort to protect water quality in North Carolina. For that effort, this innovative "stakeholder" project has received Leadership Triangle's 2011 Goodmon Award for "Leadership by a Partnership."
The fight is far from over, but if we can move forward on the path the Falls Lake Rules have set for us, we will be begin on the way to a fishable and swimmable lake that can be safely enjoyed by our entire community.
The NRF will continue to be involved in implementation of the rules
until the Lake is restored to the safe, clean place to play and fish
that all NC residents in the following ways:
Providing public education and encouraging Falls Lake residents to reduce their personal footprint through our RiverWatch program
Community cleanup activities to keep litter and other harmful chemicals out of the Lake's tributaries
Continuing to build and strengthen community relationship in support of safe, clean water and outdoor recreation.
NRF Supports the Falls Lake Rules
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons
The Foundation supports implementation of the Falls Lake Rules, as the most stringent water pollution cleanup rules in NC, because:
Citizens of North Carolina have a right to clean, safe water,
regardless of which County or City they live in.
Fixing Falls Lake will only get more expensive; we cannot
afford, financially or environmentally, to delay cleaning up the Lake -
we need to start now, finish soon, and not allow efforts to stall along
the way
Polluters should be responsible for their own pollution; a
neighbor who broke your window would be required to pay for the damage
so you could make full use of their home, likewise, communities and
residents that contribute pollution to the Lake should be required to
address the damage from that pollution.
We have a legal and moral obligation to make Falls Lake safe for
everyone; the fact that Falls Lake is a drinking water reservoir is
secondary to the fact that this Lake belongs to every NC resident and
the Federal mandate we have to protect the basic fishable/swimmable
qualities of all US waters.
Take action to protect Falls Lake in your backyard
For up to date information or to express comments, concerns, and
questions, please email or call the Upper Neuse Office at 919-856-1180
or Alissa@neuseriver.org
Get a soil test before you fertilize your lawn or garden
At less than $15 from your local hardware store or free from your local Soil and Water Conservation District, this test can save you money by helping you use only the fertilizers and chemicals you need and keeps extra nutrients from running off into our storm drains and streams.
Make sure your septic tank is functioning properly
Proper maintenance now will save loads of time and money in the long run, plus, a functioning system will 'eat' more nutrients before discharge than a failing one.
Participate in/Start a storm drain Marking Program
People need constant reminders that everything that gets washed down the drains in our streets ends up in our streams. Some studies indicate that as many as 75% of people do not know the difference between storm sewers and regular sewers. Email Alissa at alissa@neuseriver.org for more information.
Falls Lake History and Background
Falls Lake was constructed in 1978 for flood control and to provide an additional source of drinking water to the growing Raleigh/Wake County area. The lake stretches almost 22 miles from the historic headwaters of the Neuse at the confluence of the Eno and Flat Rivers, to the present headwaters at Falls Lake Dam, covering almost 12,500 acres with water (U.S. ACE) In recent years, increased stormwater contamination and point source discharges have contributed increasingly high levels of pollutants, negatively impacting the health and beauty of this State Recreation Area and Water Supply Reservoir.
Today, most of the Lake suffers from algal blooms, high turbidity, and low dissolved oxygen, caused by excess nutrients in the water and the N.C. Division of Water Quality is working with a group of stakeholders to develop a set of rules that will help to protect and restore Falls Lake. Due to the amount of the work that needs to be done to make the Lake healthy again it
is expected that some governments and entities are going to have to go back and correct problems caused by older development and aging infrastructure. For a number of reasons, including the cost associated with these types of corrections, there is come contention over what direction and content the proposed rules should take.
The Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation is participating in the rule development process representing the interests of the Neuse River, its headwaters at Falls Lake, and the interests of the human and environmental communities which rely upon the lake for their survival and enjoyment. Falls Lake is sick and we do not have the luxury of waiting to see what will happen if we do nothing - it is the future of our children that is at stake - we must make Falls Lake well again, regardless of the cost.
