FEBRUARY 24, 2011 ISSUE
Watauga Commissioners Discuss Proposed New River Watershed Restrictions
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My understanding is this is going to have very little change on what [property owners] can do anyway.
” —Commissioner Jim DealThe Watauga County Board of Commissioners will further discuss a letter of support for the Town of Boone’s planned raw water intake project at its annual retreat this weekend.
The next step in the Town of Boone’s efforts to secure a permit to build a new raw water intake facility on the South Fork of the New River is to obtain a reclassification of the stream’s surface water classification by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Division of Water Quality.
The commissioners held a workshop to gather information about the ramifications of the proposed reclassification on February 22, hosting Boone town officials and their engineers for the project, as well as representatives from the Division of Water Quality.
Surface water classifications are designations applied to surface water bodies, such as streams, rivers and lakes, which define the best uses to be protected within these waters and carry with them an associated set of water quality standards to protect those uses. Sources used for drinking water are classified Water Supply (WS) I through V, with WS-I carrying the most restrictive standards.
The Town of Boone is seeking a WS-IV classification for the area located upstream from its proposed water intake site in the Brownwood area, which includes areas along N.C. Highway 194, Big Hill Road, Three Top Road, Castle Ford Road and Railroad Grade Road, as well as the tributaries of Pine Orchard Creek, Elk Creek, Little Elk Creek and Grassy Creek.
The proposed WS-IV watershed would include about 12 square miles in Watauga County and about half as much area in Ashe County. Deron Geouque, deputy county manager for Watauga County, said recently that about 1,200 parcels belonging to about 800 property owners in Watauga County would be affected by the reclassification.
The WS-IV classification designates a critical area within a half-mile of the water intake site, which will only affect three parcels in Watauga County. The rest of the watershed is the protected area, which includes all areas 10 river miles upstream from the intake.
The changes to restrictions for properties within the proposed WS-IV watershed would be minimal, however.
A portion of the proposed watershed on the southeastern side—including four square miles in Watauga—is already classified by the state as a High Quality Water Zone, which carries many of the same restrictions as WS-IV.
Watauga County’s watershed ordinance already requires a minimum of one half-acre per dwelling unit, which is the standard for WS-IV in both the critical and protected areas. The most significant change for properties within the WS-IV watershed would be density restrictions for uses other than single-family dwelling units. Any development other than a single-family dwelling unit would be restricted to a 24 percent built-upon area. However, developments without a curb and gutter street system would be allowed up to 36 percent built-upon area and a maximum of three dwelling units per acre.
WS-IV would require a minimum stream buffer of 30 feet; the county ordinance currently requires a 25-foot buffer if an erosion control plan is required. In the critical area of the WS-IV watershed, a 10-foot vegetated buffer from perennial surface waters would be required for agricultural activities, and no landfills would be permitted.
In addition, animal feed lots of a certain size within the WS-IV must have permits, approved animal waste management plans and buffer zones. The town’s engineers will provide more information about what constitutes a feed lot to the commissioners.
The planned water intake facility would draw 4 million gallons per day from the New River. In November 2008, Boone voters approved a $25 million bond referendum for a new water source.
The planned facility includes an intake on the river and a 30-by-50-foot raw water intake pump station constructed along the south bank. Raw water would then be transmitted by water lines to Boone’s water treatment plant on Deck Hill Road. Boone’s wastewater treatment plant discharges treated wastewater back into the New River about 23 river miles upstream of the proposed intake site. The town already has one water intake site located on the New River in the Boone area.
The Town of Boone is seeking letters or resolutions of support from area municipalities to support its reclassification request. Its application and supporting materials will first be considered by the state’s Water Quality Committee and, if deemed sufficient, forwarded to the Environment Management Commission for approval. The Water Quality Committee meets every two months, with a meeting coming up on March 9.
Ashe County Manager Dan McMillan said that Ashe County has already sent a letter to DENR stating the county neither endorses nor condemns the Town of Boone’s plans for a raw water intake facility and that the county has in place the necessary ordinances to support a WS-IV classification.
Watauga Commissioner Tim Futrelle suggested the board approve a letter of support for the project during the workshop to allow the town to get on the agenda for the Water Quality Committee’s March meeting. But Commissioners Nathan Miller and Vince Gable said they want to hear from citizens before approving a resolution of support for the reclassification.
The board tentatively scheduled a public hearing on the proposed reclassification for its second monthly meeting in April. If the reclassification is approved, the county will amend its ordinance to comply with WS-IV restrictions.
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