Site data are analyzed at NC State through use of rain gauges, computer- 

 ized monitoring of water level, flow and temperature, and water samples. 



The project has not been without challenges, especially when "wetland" 

 evoked images of a swamp — stagnant standing water full of mosquitoes and 

 other health hazards. 



But through careful management and maintenance of a very diverse eco- 

 system — manipulation of water level, control of invasive cattails and stocking 

 of mosquito fish — the wetland came about without a single mosquito larvae 

 being spotted by Lord. 



Unexpected benefits have warmed public perception of wetlands. 

 When Ellen Ennis started teaching at the high school four years ago, one 

 environmental science class had only partial enrollment. Now there are eight 

 classes, all full. 



High school senior Drew Shumate visited the wetland a few times a week 

 during his zoology class last semester. "It's helped me learn more about what 

 can go on and how much life is in one little area," Shumate says. 



Smithfield also has seen marked improvement in developments in the 

 area, specifically through the installment of bioretention areas at K.S. Bank and 

 Johnston Memorial Hospital. 



"Generally it's a nonevent for us," says Ted Godwin, senior bank 

 manager of K.S. Bank, regarding his experience with bioretention areas. And in 

 the business of stormwater management, that's exactly what professionals are 

 seeking. 



Bateman and Lord are ecstatic. The BMPs are installed in landscape that 

 generally goes unnoticed. They work. Everybody's happy. 



Kinstonians Know "Best" 



A 1998 Urban Stormwater Management Conference, sponsored by 

 NCCES Biological and Agricultural Engineering and North Carolina Sea 

 Grant, spurred Kinston City officials into action. 



"The pending rules we knew were coming, and we wanted to be able to 

 show people that they weren't as scary as they sounded. We also wanted the 

 positive press in being proactive in order to counteract the negative press that 

 was being received with regards to wastewater issues," explains Scott Stevens, 

 Kinston's public services director. 



Compliance with the Neuse Rules has generated a mixed response from 

 developers. As Kinston Water Resources Manager Stephen Miller explains, 

 overall watershed policy has led many regional developers to expect stormwa- 

 ter regulations, while local developers are surprised that Kinston is affected. 



Kinston emphasizes public education through the cable access channel, 

 public hearings, brochures, and participation in the Cleanwater Education 

 Partnership, which includes all governments that are required to meet the 

 stormwater rules in the Neuse River Basin. 



Public perception of standing stormwater is negative, but alternatives 

 can be positive, Miller says. Bioretention areas are very popular because they 

 lack a permanent water body and are less likely to attract mosquitoes and other 

 nuisances, he adds. 



Rain gardens are a type of bioretention area gaining favor because they 

 give the developer design freedom. They can be landscaped to blend into the 

 surrounding surface features or planted for quite the opposite effect — to serve 

 as a functional aesthetic feature. 



Continued 



