TOPTO BOTTOM: River Bend Mayor John Kirkkmd and 

 Town Manager Eric Pearson are pleased with their storm- 

 water wetland demonstration. • This stormwater wetland in 

 River Bend directs runoff from U.S. 17 toward water-loving 

 vegetation. • This outlet weir at Smithfield-Selma Senior High 

 School wetland is equipped to measure flow and temperature 

 of water leaving tlie wetland • The Smith field demonstration 

 wetland removes pollutants from runoff, slows discharge of 

 stormwater, and can limit flooding and erosion downstream. 



1K SPRING 2004 



Travel downstream toward the mouth of the Neuse River. First, stop at 

 the Town of Smithfield, which derives its drinking water from the Neuse. Then, 

 float on to the City of Kinston, home to BMP pioneers. Finally, visit the Town 

 of River Bend, where citizens are all too familiar with the word "floodplain." 



Come travel and experience success — success that pays tribute to the 

 recent fifth anniversary of the Neuse Rules. 



Wet Feet in Smithfield 



The fastest growing county in North Carolina — 47 percent of homes 

 have been built within the last 10 years — Johnston County and specifically the 

 City of Smithfield acknowledge the need for increased awareness of innovative 

 solutions to water quality issues. 



The Johnston County public utilities department had initiated a water 

 reclamation program prior to the Neuse Rules, making an immediate, positive 

 impact on the Neuse River. When the Neuse Rules came into debate and finally 

 execution, extension activities at a local level became a priority. 



Because the Neuse Rules were the first basinwide rules in North Carolina, 

 farmers and municipal leaders alike initially met them with apprehension. 

 'It was a change from the status quo. They thought it meant new regulations 

 that would increase their cost of production. It was different, and it wasn't 

 production oriented," explains Kenneth Bateman, county extension director in 

 Johnston County. 



Yet, Bateman facilitated education efforts and gave credibility to a project 

 that would set the groundwork and spark interest in extension activities 

 in Smithfield and elsewhere — the Smithfield-Selma Senior High School 

 Stormwater Wetland. 



An eyesore ditch filled with broken concrete, algae and trash was trans- 

 formed into an attractive wetland to treat runoff, reduce downstream flooding, 

 and serve as an outdoor classroom at both the high school and university levels. 



Nearly 50 percent of the 26-acre high school campus drains water 

 through the wetland — which removes pollutants, slows discharge of 

 stormwater and can limit downstream effects such as flooding and erosion. 



As NC State student Amy Lewis drew up site plans that contributed to her 

 senior design project, the N.C Division of Water Resources (DWR) funded the 

 $14,280 wetland. 



And with the direction of Area Environmental Agent Bill Lord and 

 the Nease River Education Team — part of the N.C. Cooperative Extension 

 Service (NCCES) — and the combined efforts of Johnston County, the Natural 

 Resources Conservation Service, and the Town of Smithfield the stormwater 

 wetland demonstration has become the focus of three international tours. 

 Moreover, its design is being adopted by the mainstream development com- 

 munity. 



Not only is this outdoor classroom exceeding the educational expectations 

 of the professionals involved in the project, but it's also doing its job. 



According to Lord, studies have shown a drastic reduction in nitro- 

 gen concentrations as well as temperature of the stormwater treated by the 

 wetland. 



Two underground storm drains provide almost continuous flow to the 

 wetland. Three deep wells, fed by both stormwater and groundwater, stay wet 

 even during dry periods. The goal is to disperse stormwater flow across the 

 wetland in a thin sheet — encouraging contact of the water with vegetation 

 and pollutant-removing microbes before flowing into the receiving stream. 



