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Working towards environmental restoration through small scale engagement in coastal North Carolina
Abstract
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is a pervasive problem throughout the United States.
In coastal North Carolina, NPS most commonly takes the form of stormwater carrying
large quantities of bacteria into neighboring estuarine waterways. Elevated levels
of bacteria can have significant effects on water quality and result in area closures
for commercial shellfish harvesting.
This masters project investigates stormwater retrofitting potential in a small coastal
neighborhood located within the White Oak River watershed. Applying Geographical Information
Systems (GIS) to estimate impervious surface and model stormwater runoff, a mixed
method approach is used to better evaluate areas of concern within a subwatershed
of the White Oak River. In analyzing both state-level stormwater management guidelines
and interviewing local residents on their perceptions of water quality, a goal of
this study is to determine what considerations are needed to guide current and future
stormwater projects.
The results of this study indicate that the current stormwater regulatory framework
operates on a temporal scale that hinders comprehensive funding, implementation, and
monitoring of Best Management Practices (BMP) retrofitting projects. Modifications
on the subwatershed level highlight impervious surface coverage from development may
be significantly increasing sheet stormwater runoff. Qualitative findings demonstrate
the educational outreach could be useful in gaining community support for future BMP
projects. Further research in applying participatory mixed methods to study local
stormwater may provide greater stakeholder engagement and successful implementation
of low-cost BMPs in continuing efforts of water quality improvement.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3686Citation
Rootes-Murdy, Kirby (2011). Working towards environmental restoration through small scale engagement in coastal
North Carolina. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3686.Collections
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