Even when septic systems are 

 functioning properly, some studies have 

 shown that sandy soils allow up to 50 

 percent of the bacteria from a leach field to 

 travel quickly more than 100 feet from the 

 field. In the Jumping Run watershed, where 

 septic systems are never far from drainage 

 ditches, this bacterial mobility may present a 

 serious challenge. 



The creek's third tributary, next to the 

 electric cooperative, complicates the issue 

 by adding another pollutant to the mix — 

 fresh water. "Bacteria live longer in fresh 

 water than in salt and it creates the wrong 

 salinity for the oysters," Doll says. "It's 

 almost an issue of habitat as well." 



Slowing the rate of drainage into the 

 creek is a top priority. The project's dye 

 studies revealed that water from the 

 tributaries reaches the main stem of the 

 creek in hours rather than days, so that the 

 shellfish at the mouth of the creek are 

 always marinating in a stew of fresh water 

 and bacteria. In a natural pocosin system, 

 soils would trap and filter the water long 

 before it reached the mouth of the creek, 

 giving bacteria time to die and salt water 

 time to move up the creek with the tide. 



The ditches, which accelerate drainage 

 by funneling water to the creek, are the 

 villains in this scenario. Yet ditches have 

 become an intrinsic part of the coastal 

 landscape, allowing for roads, houses and 

 other development. "You could plug all the 

 ditches, but then people's yards would 

 flood," Doll says. "You've got to convert 

 the ditches to wetlands, or slow the water 

 down before it gets to the ditches." 



Finding Solutions 



To slow the rate of runoff, the project 

 combines the expertise of engineers and 

 land-use planners with the direction and 

 enthusiasm of community members and 

 volunteers. At a series of design workshops 

 for watershed residents and businesses, the 

 project collaborators are introducing the 

 "best management practices" (BMPs) to 

 improve water quality in Jumping Run 

 Creek. They also seek guidance on where 

 to place BMPs. 



"Residents in the watershed help 



decide where to put them, and they 

 volunteer land," Doll says. Locals can also 

 reveal things about the watershed that 

 aerial photos cannot catch, like hidden 

 ditches or a pond that's always filled with 

 algae. 



The CCEC, one of the project's local 

 collaborators, is already working with the 

 N.C. Wetlands Restoration Program to 



Conrad hopes the results of the 

 stormwater wetland will reach far beyond 

 filtering the water, though he looks forward 

 to digging clams if the project is a success. 

 Working with a National Wildlife Federa- 

 tion venture, Wildlife and Industry 

 Together, the CCEC plans to make the 

 wetland a community focal point and an 

 outdoor classroom for local schools. 



It / 



convert five acres of ditched land on its 

 industrial site to stormwater wetlands. "I 

 can't say enough about the cooperation and 

 help we've gotten from them," Line says. 



The restored wetlands will consist of 

 wide, shallow trenches planted with trees 

 and flowering plants that flourish in wet 

 earth. Water draining off parking lots, lawns 

 and roadways will be diverted to the 

 wetlands, where the roots of the plants will 

 filter out pollutants and nutrients. Perhaps 

 most importantly, the wetlands will slow the 

 flow of fresh water to Jumping Run Creek. 



"We're real excited about being a part 

 of this project" says Craig Conrad, vice 

 president of engineering and operations at 

 the electric cooperative. "We know the 

 importance of water quality, and we're 

 happy to do our part to help clean up our 

 water." 



Ultimately, the wetlands will feature 

 boardwalks and signs that will allow 

 students and other visitors to identify 

 wetland foliage and wildlife. The CCEC 

 will encourage wild creatures to settle in the 

 wetland by planting cedars and other trees 

 and installing bluebird boxes and martin 

 houses, Conrad says. 



Extensive stormwater wetlands are not 

 the only options available to nearby 

 residents. Rain gardens are similar, smaller 

 constructions used to trap and filter water — 

 small basins filled with gravel, sand, organic 

 soil and plants. Parking lot medians and 

 other raised plantings are easy to convert 

 into picturesque rain gardens. 



Grassy swales are another simple 

 water-treatment method: wide, shallow 

 pathways lined with grass. As water runs 

 slowly through a grassy swale, pollutants 



22 HOLIDAY 1999 



