Officials with the N.C. Division of Water Resources are seeking public comment on a proposed water supply reclassification of the Catawaba River, including Lake James. All persons interested and potentially affected by the proposal are encouraged to read the full announcement available for download below. All comments received by the closing date of Jan. 31, 2017 will be considered in the final determination of the proposed reclassification.
Summary
McDowell County has requested that a Catawba River segment, including Lake James, in McDowell and Burke Counties (Catawba River Basin) be reclassified for a water supply. These waters are proposed to be reclassified to the Class Water Supply-IV (WS-IV) classification, including the Critical Area (CA) and Protected Area (PA) designations. This reclassification is needed to construct a new water supply intake in Lake James that McDowell County intends to use. A public hearing is going to be conducted in order to receive public comments on the proposed reclassification and associated fiscal note.
Public Hearing
In addition to submitting written public comment by mail and email, the public may also provide comments at a Jan. 5, 2017 public hearing. The hearing will be held at McDowell Technical Community College, Harold Smith Building (Building 19), 54 College Dr., Marion, N.C., 28752. Speaker registration begins at 5 p.m. The hearing begins at 6 p.m.
Submit Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed reclassification and fiscal note for the Catawba River segment may be submitted to:
Elizabeth Kountis, DEQ-Division of Water Resources, Planning Section
1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611
Phone (919) 807-6418
Fax (919) 807-6497
Email: elizabeth.kountis@ncdenr.gov