Water Planning Section
Chief: Karen Higgins
The Water Planning Section develops standards, rules and management strategies to protect water quality, carries out water supply planning, provides guidance to local water systems and monitors drought conditions.
Basin Planning
Branch Chief: Michelle Raquet
This branch is responsible for the water quality and water quantity planning, performs water resources investigations on management issues and water yields for reservoirs and river basins statewide, is the Department's lead in hydropower relicensing, and provides support to the EMC and the Water Allocation Committee. Staff works with a variety of stakeholders to develop river basin water resources plans for each of the 17 river basins in North Carolina. This branch is also responsible for water quality restorations under the Use Restoration Waters (URW) program.
Basin Planning Branch Staff Directory
Classifications & Standards
Branch Chief: Karen Higgins (Acting)
This branch is responsible for development and assistance with interpretation and implementation of the state's surface water and groundwater quality standards and surface water body classifications and provides support for rule-making and to the EMC, the Water Quality Committee, and the Groundwater Committee.
Classifications & Standards Branch Staff Directory
Modeling and Assessment
Branch Chief: Pam Behm
This branch is responsible for developing the list of waters not meeting water quality standards under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, prioritizing impaired waters for management strategy or TMDL development, developing TMDLs, assisting with development of management strategies, developing and reviewing water quality models for TMDLs, NPDES permitting, developing and reviewing hydrologic basin models for water supply planning, and special studies. Staff uses computer models to simulate and evaluate surface water resources.
Modeling and Assessment Branch Staff Directory
Nonpoint Source
Branch Chief: Rich Gannon
This branch acts as the lead for coordination of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control in the state through the Section 319 grant. The NPS program provides funding for positions within and outside the Division and for projects to address waters impaired due to nonpoint sources statewide. This unit also supports the development and implementation of nutrient control management strategies.
Nonpoint Source Branch Staff Directory
Water Resources Information Technology
Branch Chief: Kim Sparks
This branch develops and maintains the Division's computer applications and databases.
Water Resources Information Technology Branch Staff Directory
Water Supply Planning
Branch Chief: Linwood Peele
This branch provides technical assistance and guidance to assist all units of local governments and large community water systems in the development and implementation of viable local water supply plans. To accomplish this staff administers and provides technical assistance with the following programs: Local Water Supply Plan Development, Review and Approval; Water Supply Assistance & Implementation of session law 2011-374; Water Shortage Response Planning; Water Efficiency and Conservation; Water Withdrawal & Transfer Registration; coordination of State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) (link is external) reviews; and Drought Monitoring and Management. The branch also provides staff support to the EMC for the certifications of large surface water transfers between basins.
Water Supply Planning Branch Staff Directory