Mar 7 WQC

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
WATER QUALITY COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA

 March 7, 2012
Archdale Building-Ground Floor Hearing Room
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM

General Statute § 138A-15 mandates that the Chairman inquire as to whether any member knows of any known conflict of interest or appearance of conflict with respect to matters before the Environmental Management Commission’s Water Quality Committee. If any member knows of a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict, please so state at this time.

2:30 PM-Opening Comment                                                                                          Chairman Peterson
 

1. Request to Proceed to Environmental Management Commission (EMC) with the Proposed Reclassification of Two Segments of Maiden Creek and Two Segments of Allen Creek in Catawba and Lincoln Counties (Catawba River Basin) to Class WS-V – (Action Item) (Elizabeth Kountis) 

The Town of Maiden (Town) has requested the reclassification of two segments of Maiden Creek and two segments of Allen Creek in Catawba and Lincoln Counties (Catawba River Basin). These creek portions are to be reclassified from WS-II Critical Area (CA) High Quality Waters (HQW) and WS-II (Balance of Watershed or BW) HQW to WS-V.  The reasons provided by the Town for the desired reclassification are as follows:  1) the Town no longer uses and will not use these water supplies; 2) an existing long term contract allows the Town to receive treated water from the City of Hickory currently and into the future; and 3) other protective measures, namely Phase II stormwater regulations, apply. The Water Quality Committee (WQC) will be asked to approve this reclassification request and the associated fiscal note. If approved, staff will proceed to the full Environmental Management Commission (EMC) for approval of the fiscal note and for permission to send the proposed reclassification and fiscal note out to public hearing.  (Attachments enclosed:Map of Segments of Maiden Creek and Allen Creek Proposed for Reclassification,Memo on Proposed Maiden Creek and Allen Creek Reclassification, and Fiscal Note for Proposed Reclassification of Maiden Creek and Allen Creek ,Power Point Presentation as of 3_6_12) 

2. Request to Approve Agriculture Nutrient Tracking and Accounting Methods for the Falls Lake Watershed – (Action Item) (John Huisman)

Item (7)(b) of the Falls Agriculture Rule, 15A NCAC 02B .0280, requires the Falls Watershed Oversight
Committee (WOC) to develop tracking and accounting methods for nitrogen and phosphorus loss from
agricultural lands in the Falls watershed. Specifically, the WOC shall develop nitrogen accounting methods
for cropland and for pastureland, as well as a phosphorus accounting method.  These are to be submitted to the Water Quality Committee for its approval based on standards set out in the rule within fourteen months of the rule’s effective date, which was January 2011. The proposed methods will be used by the WOC to determine if agriculture has met its nutrient reduction goals. The accounting methods proposed for the Falls watershed are similar to those approved for the Jordan watershed by the Water Quality Committee in July 2011, with slight differences due to different reduction goals in the two watersheds.  Initial findings will be returned tothe Committee at its January 2013 meeting.  The Falls Agriculture Rule and a report summarizing the
proposed tracking and accounting methods are provided in the meeting materials. (Attachments enclosed:Falls Lake WOC Accounting Methods Approval Document_Final Version 2_16_2012, Power Point Presentation as of 3_2_2012)

Closing comments – Chairman Peterson 

This agenda is available on the internet at /about/divisions/water-resources/environmental-management-commission/meetings-agendas-minutes/2012/mar-7-wqc