Basin Planning Branch
The Basin Planning Branch (BPB) is in the Division of Water Resources' (DWR) Water Planning Section. BPB develops and maintains comprehensive basinwide plans for each of the state’s 17 river basins. The plans include recommendations approved by the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) to ensure that the waters of the state are being protected.
Click on a river basin on the map below for basin information and reports.
What's New
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting public comment on the DRAFT 2026 Cape Fear River Basin Plan. The public may comment on the draft basin plan through Tuesday, August 4, 2026, by emailing DEQ.DWR.BasinPlanning@deq.nc.gov or by mailing comments to DWR's Basin Planning Branch. More information can be found in the press release (published 5/5/2026).
Program Information and Helpful Links
Staff Contacts
| Name | Responsibilities | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Michelle Raquet Program/ Branch Supervisor | Basin Planning Branch supervisor and point of contact for the French Broad, New and Watauga River basins; co-coordinates the Watershed Restoration Improvement Team (WRIT) and the restoration watershed listserv (Use Restoration Watershed Program); stakeholder engagement and outreach | (919) 707-9006 |
| Nora Deamer Environmental Program Consultant/ Basin Planner | Nutrient Criteria Development; water quality assessments; main point of contact for the Cape Fear, Neuse, and Tar-Pamlico River basins | (919) 707-9116 |
| Ginny Baker Basin Planner | Main point of contact for the Yadkin-Pee Dee and Roanoke River basins; wetlands; BIMS; JMP; code and script development; data visualization; StoryMaps | (919) 707-3875 |
| Forest Shepherd Environmental Program Consultant/ Water Resource Planner | Water use and demand projections for developing hydrologic models; support for regional water supply planning; main point of contact for the Chowan, Catawba and Pasquotank River basins; data analysis and review; code and script development for water quantity analysis | (919) 707-9042 |
| Niki Maher Basin Planner | Main point of contact for Broad, Hiwassee, Little Tennessee and Savannah River basins; support for basin plans; website management; data review; StoryMaps | (919) 707-9001 |
| Marica S. Thomas Basin Planner | Main point of contact for Lumber and White Oak River basins, support for basin plans, StoryMaps, water quality Power BI dashboard development and management, data review | (919) 707-9107 |
| Jessica Wilhelm Basin Planner | Provide support for basin plans, data analysis and review and visualization, StoryMaps, basin planning education and outreach | (919) 707-9138 |
Environmental sensitivity requests can be emailed to Nora Deamer and/or Michelle Raquet.
Subscribe
Submit your information to subscribe to the Basin Planning Branch email list to receive information regarding public comment periods and public meetings related to the development of ALL river basin plans. Public participation in the development of these plans is encouraged. (The DEQ News webpage also provides a search option for public notices & hearings, press releases, and upcoming events.)
This page was last modified on 05/05/2026