New Hope Creek & Little Creek Watershed Improvement Plan (SP-2019-01)

Watershed Information 

New Hope Creek and Little Creek watersheds are part of the Cape Fear River Basin, which discharges into the Atlantic Ocean near Wilmington, NC. Approximately 20 square miles of the greater New Hope Creek watershed lies within Durham city limits. The Little Creek watershed has approximately 1.5 square miles of the watershed located within the current Durham City Limits. This watershed improvement plan will include evaluation of the Little Creek watershed as well as the greater New Hope Creek watershed, which includes Sandy Creek, Mud Creek, and New Hope Creek proper. Together these watersheds drain into the New Hope Arm of B. Everett Jordan Lake in Durham County. The lower portions of these watersheds contain large tracts of land that are under Federal protection for B. Everett Jordan Lake. Jordan Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' reservoir that was impounded in 1983 to provide flood control, water supply, protection of water quality downstream, fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation. 

The greater New Hope Creek watershed is subject to several regulatory protection programs. New Hope Creek has appeared on the State 303(d) list of impaired streams due to exceeding criteria for benthos. Mud Creek and Sandy Creek are Water Supply-V, Nutrient Sensitive Waters (WS-V; NSW) and New Hope Creek in Durham County is classified as WS-V from its source to Old Chapel Hill Road in Durham County. From Old Chapel Hill Road to Stagecoach Road New Hope Creek is classified as Water Supply-IV Nutrient Sensitive Water (WS-IV; NSW). Little Creek is classified as WS-IV Nutrient Sensitive Water from the confluence of Booker Creek and Bolin Creek in Orange County to a point 0.7 mile downstream of Farrington Road in Durham County. Jordan Lake has been declared a Nutrient Sensitive Water (NSW) and is subject to the Jordan Lake Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nutrients in order to meet the water quality criterion for chlorophyll-a. The Jordan Lake Nutrient Management Strategy (Jordan Lake Rules) was developed to restore and maintain water quality, protect the lake’s classified uses and maintain or enhance protections currently implemented by local governments in existing water supply watersheds. In brief, the Jordan Lake Rules require reductions of nitrogen and phosphorus loading into the lake. Additional information about the Jordan Lake Rules may be obtained from the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) | http://www.jordanlake.org/ .

New Hope Creek & Little Creek Field Assessment

The Stormwater and GIS Services Division (Department of Public Works) will work with the consultant team to conduct an assessment of the New Hope Creek & Little Creek watersheds. An assessment is like a health check-up for a watershed and its streams. This assessment will evaluate existing stream conditions and water quality throughout the watershed to identify potential projects to improve the health of these watersheds and create value for the community. Field work is scheduled to begin December 16, 2019 and will run through February, 2020. Field workers will wear safety vests and carry identifying credentials and they will also have project information sheets available upon request.

Additional Project Information

Stormwater Control Measures (SCMs) (PDF) can be physical devices (e.g. stormwater ponds) or activities (e.g. picking up pet waste) that protect the environment from stormwater pollution. SCMs can be used to prevent, reduce or offset stormwater runoff and pollution. They are also referred to as “Best Management Practices” or BMPs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines BMPs as “techniques, measures or structural controls that are used to manage the quantity and improve the quality of storm water runoff in the most cost-effective manner.”