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NC DEQ »   About »   Divisions »   Water Resources »   Water Planning »   Basin Planning »   Ecological Flows »   Science Advisory Board & Related Files

Science Advisory Board & Related Files

Science Advisory Board's final report to DENR 
Instream Flow Council's peer review of Science Advisory Board's report to DENR

The North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation in 2010 directing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to develop hydrologic models for each river basin in N.C.  An important part of this bill requires the department to determine the flows needed to maintain ecological integrity in surface waters.  The bill further authorized the creation of a Science Advisory Board to assist the department in assessing these ecological flows.   The members and alternates of the board all have a strong background in aquatic ecology and represent a diversity of water use interests.  The board had a charter that helped guide them through this process.

Please note that in accordance with GS 143-355(o)(8) the Science Advisory Board's report to the Department, located at the link above, is not to be used for regulatory purposes.

For any questions or additional information you may contact:

Marla Sink
Public Information Officer / Division of Water Resources
1611 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC  27699-1611
Ph: (919) 707-9033
Fax: (919) 733-3558
Email: marla.sink@ncdenr.gov


March 21, 2014 Forum on the NC Ecological Flows Science Advisory Board (EFSAB) Report:   What does it mean for water planning and policy?

In 2010, the General Assembly directed the creation of an Ecological Flows Science Advisory Board (EFSAB) to assist the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in characterizing the ecology of the state's river basins and identifying the flows necessary to maintain ecological integrity.  After three years of work, the SAB produced a comprehensive report that advised DENR about the state of ecological flows in North Carolina.  

On March 21, a forum was held to provide an opportunity for public interest groups, local government and public utilities, state government, researchers, and consultants to hear about the work of the EFSAB and DENR's plan for use of the EFSAB report.  The forum was also an opportunity for those attending the forum, to provide feedback about the report.  The proceedings of the forum, are designed to help visitors to the EFSAB website, understand the work of the NC Ecological Flows Science Advisory Board.  The proceedings, agenda, and list of participants for the March 21 forum are located here:   Proceedings of the IEI/SOG/NRLI Forum on the Report of the Ecological Flows Science Advisory Board

  1. Recommendations of the EFSAB (Presentation by Chris Goudreau, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)
  2. Report of the EFSAB: What does it mean for water planning and policy? (Presentation by Tom Fransen, NC Division of Water Resources)

EFSAB Meetings Nov 2010 - October 2013:  Agendas, Summaries, and Presentations

October 23, 2013

  • Summary

October 22, 2013

  • AllSites

    • Box Plots 12 Shallow Mtn Spp
    • Box Plots 7 Deep Mtn Spp
    • FALLcombo 12 Spp-mtn
    • FALLcombo 7 Spp-mtn
    • SPRINGcombo 12 Spp-mtn
    • SPRINGcombo 7 Spp-mtn
    • SUMMERcombo 12 Spp-mtn
    • SUMMERcombo 7 Spp-mtn
    • WINTERcombo 12 Spp-mtn
    • WINTERcombo 7 Spp-mtn
  • IndividualSites
    • Davidson

      • Davidnatflowtable
      • DAVIDSON 80&120
      • DAVIDSON+120
      • DAVIDSON-80
    • Jonathan
      • JONATHAN 80&120
      • JONATHAN+120
      • JONATHAN-80
      • Jonathanatflotable
    • Nantahala Lwr
      • NANTY 80&120
      • NANTY+120
      • NANTY-80
      • Nantynatflotable
    • Nantahala Upr
      • Nantbeldixnatflotable
      • NANTYBELDIX 80&120
      • NANTYBELDIX+120
      • NANTYBELDIX-80
    • NFMills
      • NFMILLS 80&120
      • NFMILLS+120
      • NFMILLS-80
      • Nfmillsnatflotable
    • Tuck EFork
      • Eftucknatflotable
      • EFTUCKPEAK 80&120
      • TUCKEF+120
      • TUCKEF-80
    • Tuck Main
      • TuckTR1A+120
      • TuckTR1A-80
      • Tucktr1anatflotable
      • TUCKTR1A 80&120
    • Tuck WFork Lwr
      • TUCKWFPK+120
      • TUCKWFPK-80
      • Tuckwfrkpknatflotable
      • WFTUCKPEAK 80&120
    • Tuck WFork Upr
      • TUCKWFBYP+120
      • TUCKWFBYP-80
      • Tuckwfrkbypnatflotable
      • WFTUCKBYP 80&120
    • Whiteoak
      • WHOAK 80&120
      • WHOAK+120
      • WHOAK-80
      • Whoaknatflotable
  • Summary

September 25, 2013

  • Summary

September 24, 2013

  • Summary

August 21, 2013

  • Agenda
  • PWS Intakes, NPDES Discharge Points And USGS Gages
  • Summary

August 20, 2013

  • Agenda
  • Approaches To Flow Recommendations (Goudreau)
  • PWS Intakes, NPDES Discharge Points And USGS Gages
  • Recommendations Of Coastal Ecological Flows Working Group
  • RTI USGS Presentation
  • Summary

July 17, 2013

  • Agenda
  • Coastal Ecological Flows Working Group Update
  • Summary

July 16, 2013

  • 80 Flowby Percent Trial Balloon Expectations
  • Ad Hoc WG Recommendations
  • Adjustment To Seasonal Percent Flows Example
  • Agenda
  • Alberta Approach
  • Ecological Response Curves
  • Meitzen TNC SummaryJuly162013 For Distribution
  • MinFlowsComparison-2013-07-11
  • Mountain PHABSIM Analysis
  • Seasonal Percent Flows Proposal
  • Summary
  • TNC Final Recommendation
  • Trial Balloon 304050 And 203040 AMF And MMF
  • Trial Balloon - Alberta Method
  • Water Supply Proposal Comparisons

June 18, 2013

  • Agenda
  • Biological - Environmental Classification (BEC) System
  • Link Eco. Responses & Flow Deficits To Eco. Condition
  • RTI BEC Study Update
  • SAB 80Percent Update(DWR)
  • Summary
  • Threatened And Endangered Species Subcommittee
  • Trail Balloon (Barwick)
  • Update Of Coastal Ecological Flows Working Group

May 14, 2013

  • Agenda
  • Aquatic Federal ET May 2013
  • BEC Project Update
  • Eco Curve Methodology
  • Model Run Example
  • Summary

April 16, 2013

  • Agenda
  • DWR Trial Balloon Frmwrk W Supporting Graphs
  • Ecodifference Trial Balloon
  • EDF Biological Environmental Classification Update
  • SARP River Classification Framework
  • Summary

March 19, 2013

  • Agenda
  • FALL Combo 11 Guilds
  • FALL Combo 8 Guilds
  • SPRING Combo 11 Guilds
  • SPRING Combo 8 Guilds
  • Summary
  • SUMMER Combo 11 Guilds
  • SUMMER Combo 8 Guilds
  • WINTER Combo 11 Guilds
  • WINTER Combo 8 Guilds

February 19, 2013

  • Agenda
  • All Site - Tables
  • Buckhorn Creek
  • Buffalo Creek
  • Eno River St Park
  • First Broad (Lower, Mid, Upper)
  • Nature Conservancy Env. Flows (Meitzen)
  • OASIS-WaterFALL Flow Comparison (DWR)
  • Preface To Developing Path Forward (DWR)
  • Review Of Findings Of WaterFALL Ecoflow Metrics As Compared To The Gage Metrics
  • Rocky River
  • Summary
  • Tar River
  • West Fork Eno River

November 27, 2012

  • Agenda
  • BEC Proposal
  • DWR EFlow Planning Scenario Big River
  • DWR Hydrologic Modeling Validation
  • ECO Flows Are A Planning Tool
  • OASIS Overview - Hydrologics
  • Rocky River Flows 80pct
  • RTI WaterFALL
  • Summary

October 23, 2012

  • Agenda
  • Biofidelity Analysis (RTI)
  • Coastal Issue (Tarver)
  • Habitat Modeling (Payne)
  • Recording (am)
  • Recording (pm)
  • Stream Classification And EFlows (Tarver, Mead)
  • Summary

August 28, 2012

  • Agenda
  • Coastal Systems And Issues (Christian)
  • DWR Options For PathForward (Tarver)
  • Fish To Guilds (Godreau)
  • June 4, 2010 - Habitat Guilds For Suitability Criteria & Aquatic Life Decline Rate
  • NC Fish Guilds (Godreau)
  • Practical Guide Eflows For Policy (Meitzen)
  • RTI Biofidelity Update
  • Summary
  • TNC ENVIRONFLOW PROJECT (Meitzen)

June 19, 2012

  • Agenda
  • Fish Flow-Biology Hypotheses
  • Jim Mead Three Project Overview
  • NCDENR Biofidelity
  • Recording (am)
  • Recording (pm)
  • RTI Flow Alteration
  • RTI IRD Flow Metrics
  • Summary
  • USGS Macroinvertebrate Assemblage

April 24, 2012

  • Agenda
  • Summary

February 21, 2012

  • Agenda
  • Marc Anderson NEAFWA Aquatic Classification Overview
  • Michele Cutofello StreamClassMap
  • RTI Biofidelity
  • Steve Reed Tar Model
  • Summary

January 17, 2012

  • Agenda
  • Basinwide Hydrologic Model Dev Status Report 11-2011
  • Summary
  • USGS(Mary Freeman)

November 15, 2011

  • Agenda
  • Mary Davis(Slides 1-77)
  • Mary Davis(slides 1-96)
  • Steve Reed
  • Summary
  • Tom Cuffney

October 18, 2011

  • 01 River-Basin-Hydrologic-Modeling-Tom-Fransen
  • 02 Hydrologic-Stream-Classification-parts-1-&-2-Sam-Pearsall-and-Chris-Goudreau
  • 03 Hydrologic-Stream-Classification-part-3-Jim-Mead
  • Agenda
  • EFSAB Oct 18 2011 Appendices
  • Habitat Model Sites By Classification 1-5-2012
  • October 18, 2011 Meeting Summary
  • October 18, 2011 Meeting Summary Appendices
  • Summary

September 20, 2011

  • Agenda
  • Eno River State Park-comparison Of Flow Scenarios
  • Eno River State Park Site - Habitat Results For Deep Guilds
  • Eno River State Park Site - Habitat Results For Shad, Redhorse And Benthos
  • Eno River State Park Site - Habitat Results For Shallow Guilds
  • Summary

August 16, 2011

  • Agenda
  • Eno State Park Flow Stats
  • Eno State Park Habitat Vs Flow Curves
  • Eno State Park Shallow Guilds Percent Inflow Habitat Scenarios
  • RTI WaterFALL Michelle Cutrofello
  • Summary

June 21, 2011

  • 01 Flow Scenarios
  • Agenda
  • Guilds And Species For Eno River Habitat Modeling
  • Summary

May 17, 2011

  • 01 Eno State Park Eco Flow Study
  • 02 Aquatic Habitat Vs Flow Study Sites In NC
  • 03 Eno River State Park Study Transects - Track
  • Agenda
  • Summary

March 15, 2011

  • 01 IFIM-Aquatic-Habitat-Modeling-Ty-Ziegler
  • Agenda
  • Summary

November 8, 2010

  • 01 HB-1743-SAB-Purpose-Brief-Tom-Reeder
  • 02 Ecological-Flows-Jim-Mead
  • Agenda
  • Summary

Analyses

All Sites Combined

  • ALL SITES FALL 11 Shallow Guilds
  • ALL SITES FALL 8 Deep Guilds
  • ALL SITES SPRING 11 Shallow Guilds
  • ALL SITES SPRING 8 Deep Guilds
  • ALL SITES SUMMER 11 Shallow Guilds
  • ALL SITES SUMMER 8 Deep Guilds
  • ALL SITES WINTER 11 Shallow Guilds
  • ALL SITES WINTER 8 Deep Guilds
  • Seasonal Box Plots 11 Shallow Guilds
  • Seasonal Box Plots 8 Deep Guilds

Background Overview

  • Notes About Habitat Modeling Analysis
  • Site Descriptions

Buckhorn Creek

  • Buckhorn Ck Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • Buckhorn Ck Habitat Below 80 Pct

Buffalo Creek

  • Buffalo Ck Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • Buffalo Ck Habitat Below 80 Pct

Eno River State Park

  • Eno River State Park Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • Eno River State Park Habitat Below 80 Pct

First Broad River, Lower Site

  • First Broad Lower Site Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • First Broad Lower Site Habitat Below 80 Pct

First Broad River, Middle Site

  • First Broad Middle Site Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • First Broad Middle Site Habitat Below 80 Pct

First Broad River, Upper Site

  • First Broad Upper Site Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • First Broad Upper Site Habitat Below 80 Pct

Rocky River, Siler City

  • Rocky River Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • Rocky River Habitat Below 80 Pct

Tar River, Louisburg

  • Tar River Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • Tar River Habitat Below 80 Pct

West Fork Eno River

  • West Fork Eno Habitat Above 120 Pct
  • West Fork Eno Habitat Below 80 Pct

Public Education

  • Assessment Summary 2262013
  • EFSAB Index Of Meeting Information Nov 2010 To Oct 2013
  • Emerging Issues Ecological Flows DWR 2014-03-21
  • Gaging Stations And Their Stream Classification
  • NC Classes And Geology
  • Neuse River Basin - Instream Flow Study Sites

Ecological Flows

  • Science Advisory Board & Related Files

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