Water Quality in the Lower Cape Fear River System, 1997-1998

1.0 Introduction

    The Lower Cape Fear River Program is a unique science and education program which has a mission to develop an understanding of processes which control and influence the Cape Fear River, and to provide a mechanism for information exchange and public education. This Program provides a forum for dialogue among the various Cape Fear River user groups and encourages interaction among them. Overall policy is set by an Advisory Board consisting of representatives from citizen’s groups, local government, industries, academia, the business community, and regulatory agencies. This report represents the scientific conclusions of the UNCW researchers participating in this Program, and does not necessarily reflect opinions of all other Program participants.
    The scientific basis of the Program consists of the implementation of an ongoing basinwide coordinated physical, chemical, and biological monitoring program. Another part of the mission is to develop and maintain a data base on the Cape Fear basin and make use of this data to develop management plans. Using this monitoring data as a framework, the Program goals also include focused scientific projects and investigation of pollution episodes. The scientific aspects of the Program are carried out by investigators from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Center for Marine Science Research. The monitoring program was developed by the Cape Fear River Program Technical Committee, which consists of representatives from UNCW, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, The NC Division of Marine Fisheries, the US Army Corps of Engineers, technical representatives from streamside industries, the City of Wilmington Wastewater Treatment Plants, Cape Fear Community College, Cape Fear RiverWatch, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, the US Geological Survey, forestry and agriculture organizations, and others. This integrated and cooperative program is the first of its kind in North Carolina.
    Broad-scale monthly sampling at 16 stations in the estuary and lower river system began in June 1995. Sampling was increased to 34 stations in February of 1996, and 35 stations in February 1998. Detailed information will be presented for the lower 16 stations, and selected summary information provided for the remaining stations. The Cape Fear River Program added another component concerned with studying the benthic macrofauna of the system in 1995. This component is directed by Dr. Martin Posey of the UNCW Biology Department and has the benefit of additional data collected by the Benthic Ecology Laboratory under a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-sponsored project in the Cape Fear Estuary. The third major biotic component (added in January 1996) is an extensive fisheries program directed by Dr. Mary Moser of the UNCW Center for Marine Science Research. This program involves cooperative sampling with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
    With over three years worth of consistent sampling we were able to begin to assess how meteorological variations affect estuarine water quality parameters. We have conducted statistical analyses to that effect, combined this with our previously published nutrient limitation analysis, and present results in Chapter 3.

1.1  Site Description

    The mainstem of the Cape Fear River is formed by the merging of the Haw and the Deep Rivers in Chatham County in the North Carolina Piedmont. However, its drainage basin reaches as far upstream as the Greensboro area (Fig. 1.1). The mainstem of the river has been altered by several dams and water control structures. In the coastal plain the river is joined by two major tributaries, the Black and the Northeast Cape Fear Rivers (Fig. 1.1). These blackwater streams drain extensive riverine swamp forests and add organic color to the mainstem. The watershed is the most heavily industrialized in North Carolina, with 641 NPDES discharges (NCDEHNR 1996) and approximately 27% of the state’s population (NRCS 1995). Approximately 25% of the land use in the watershed is devoted to agriculture and livestock production (NCDNR 1983; EA Engineering 1991), particularly swine and poultry operations. Thus, the watershed receives considerable point and non-point source loading of pollutants.
    For water quality monitoring nine stations were sampled by boat in the Cape Fear Estuary and one station in the Northeast Cape Fear Estuary (Table 1.1; Fig. 1.1). Riverine stations sampled by boat include NC11, AC, DP, IC, and BBT (Table 1.1; Fig. 1.1). NC11 is located upstream of the influence of the International Paper discharge near Rieglewood, and is considered to be a measure of water quality entering the lower system. BBT is located on the Black River between Thoroughfare and the mainstem Cape Fear, and is considered to be influenced by both. We consider B210 and NCF117 to represent water quality entering the lower Black and Northeast Cape Fear Rivers, respectively. Data has also been collected at stream and river stations throughout the Cape Fear, Northeast Cape Fear, and Black River watersheds (Table 1.1; Fig. 1.1). Data collection at a station in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway was initiated in February 1998, and this will be discussed in next year’s report.

Table 1.1. Description of sampling locations in the Cape Fear Watershed, 1997-1998, including UNCW designation and NCDWQ map number.

High order river and estuary stations

Small order stream stations

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