Urbanization — and runoff from 

 "hardened" landscape — took a heavy toll on 

 the stream. In 1978, the N.C. Division of 

 Water Quality (DWQ) designated Rocky 

 Branch "the most polluted urban stream in 

 North Carolina" — a dubious distinction with 

 serious environmental implications. Rocky 

 Branch flows more than a mile through the 

 North Carolina State University campus to 

 empty into Walnut Creek, a major tributary of 

 the nutrient-sensitive Neuse River. 



Sediment from land disturbance and 

 runoff from roads, parking lots and buildings 

 that accompany growth and development are 

 major sources of pollution in much of the 

 Neuse River Basin, where waters flow to the 

 Pamlico Sound. 



A starting point 



In the late 1980s the N.C. Department of 

 Environment and Natural Resources 

 developed a water quality management plan 

 that focuses on each of the state's 17 river 

 basins. With DWQ guidance, comprehensive 

 management plans are developed for each 

 river basin every five years. 



The basin approach to water quality 

 planning follows natural ecological bound- 

 aries, explains Barbara Doll, North Carolina 

 Sea Grant water quality specialist. 



A river basin encompasses all the land 



that water flows through on its way to the 

 river, and on to the estuaries and ocean, Doll 

 says. Within each basin lie thousands of 

 smaller watersheds, that is, areas of land 

 draining into smaller streams or lakes. All 

 water runs to the lowest point, carrying with 

 it "calling cards" — sediment, bacteria, 

 chemicals, nutrients and organic matter — 

 that affect the health of aquatic ecosystems en 

 route to and within the state's important 

 estuarine fish nurseries. 



So, finding ways to restore water quality 

 stream-by-stream, watershed-by-watershed 

 has far-reaching benefits. Inland stream 

 restoration is a critical part of improving 

 coastal water quality. 



And, Rocky Branch was a starting point, 

 says Doll. 



Restoring urban streams such as Rocky 

 Branch is important to protecting and 

 restoring water quality in North Carolina, 

 according to William Holman, director of the 

 North Carolina Clean Water Management 

 Trust Fund (CWMTF). But such efforts 

 don't come cheap, he says. 



When completed, the pricetag for the 

 three-phase project will exceed $4 million. 

 Along with a grant from CWMTF, funding 

 sources include NC State; a Federal Environ- 

 mental Protection Agency 319 grant from the 

 N.C. Department of Environment and Natural 



Resources; Federal Emergency Management 

 Agency; an N.C. Department of Transporta- 

 tion/federal transportation enhancement (TEA 

 21) grant; and NCDOT stream mitigation 

 funds. 



"We have partnered with North Carolina 

 Sea Grant and other agencies because we 

 respect Sea Grant's expertise. The Rocky 

 Branch project is a great place to show the 

 public how inland streams can be restored 

 and lessen the impact on the Neuse River 

 basin, and ultimately coastal water quality," 

 Holman says. 



A work in progress 



Rocky Branch waters now flow along 

 the recently completed Phase I of the Rocky 

 Branch Stream Restoration and Greenway 

 Project, Doll reports. That first 3,000-foot 

 stretch represents years of hard work, 

 perseverance, and support from Sea Grant, 

 the university community, and state and 

 federal agencies. 



The phased project aims to improve 

 water quality, enhance aquatic and wildlife 

 habitats, and transform the stream into a vital 

 part of campus and community life. 



"The most compelling reason for this 

 project is the environment," says Charles 

 Leffler, NC State associate vice chancellor 

 for facilities. "To put it simply, we have 

 developed a comprehensive plan to improve 

 the quality of water flowing downstream into 

 the environmentally sensitive Neuse basin." 



"Rocky Branch is expected to become a 

 national model for urban stream revitaliza- 

 tion," says Ronald G. Hodson, director of 

 North Carolina Sea Grant. "This is consistent 

 with the mission of both Sea Grant and a land 

 grant university — leading the way for the 

 nation in addressing major issues." 



The restoration plan employs "natural 

 channel design" to allow the stream to 

 meander through a newly created floodplain. 

 Native vegetation allows views of the creek 

 while providing habitat, cover and food for 

 wildlife. Natural materials, such as rootwads, 

 willow branches and logs, were chosen for 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 13 



