Development of a Watershed Action Plan for the Lockwood Folly River, Brunswick County, North Carolina

by Batt, Lynnette

Increasing urban and residential growth poses one of the greatest threats to water quality and aquatic resources on the North Carolina coast. The Lockwood Folly River watershed, located within Brunswick County, faces significant water quality issues associated with this growth and development. Future rapid increases in residential development will further degrade water quality if management is not improved. To address this, the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program and the Lockwood Folly Roundtable, a citizen group in the watershed, began a watershed planning process to protect and restore water quality.

The focus of this Masters Project was to continue the watershed planning process by organizing, synthesizing, and expanding this work into a single Watershed Action Plan for the Lockwood Folly River. The purpose of the Plan is to: 1) summarize current conditions and issues, 2) state environmental/water quality goals, 3) develop a set of action strategies to reach these goals, and 4) offer ideas on implementation and evaluation. The six action strategies represent areas where management could be improved to better protect water quality. They include sustainable development, land conservation, stream and wetland management, regulatory program coordination, working waterfronts, and public education and participation. The Plan will be presented to Brunswick County staff and commissioners for potential adoption and use in decision-making, and will be made available to the public.