227 / 634
APPENDIX B – WAKE COUNTY PROGRAMS TO MITIGATE SECONDARY AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
B-19
Nitrogen and phosphorus limits have been set, with a nitrogen export limit of 2.2
pounds per acre per year (lbs/acre/year) in the Neuse River (Falls Lake) area and 2.2
and 4.4 lbs/acre/year for the Upper and Lower New Hope Creek watersheds
respectively of the Jordan Lake watershed. Phosphorus exports limits are 0.33
lb/acre/year in the Neuse River watershed and 0.82 and 0.78 lb/acre/year in the Upper
and Lower New Hope Creek watersheds.
Stormwater Management Task Force
In 2004, the County established a stormwater management task force as part of an inter-
local agreement to evaluate, develop, and possibly implement a county-wide
collaborative stormwater management program.
The Wake County Collective Stormwater Management Evaluation was completed in
August 2005 and focused on defining the need for a new, more coordinated approach to
county-wide stormwater management. It included a facilitated focus group composed of
staff-level representatives from the County and each of the 12 municipalities. Individual
needs assessments were performed for each jurisdiction for existing and future
stormwater management programs. The assessments identified the existing levels of
service provided in the three major stormwater program areas: operations and
maintenance, program management, and capital improvements. The evaluation focused
on water quality protection and flood prevention through stormwater management and
compliance with regulatory mandates, and identified how these programs should
respond to future growth. Deficiencies identified in the current levels of service include:
Lack of adequate staffing and program funding exists to enforce current policies.
Operation and maintenance of drainage systems is mostly reactive.
Planning for stormwater impacts resulting from future growth has yet to be
considered in many cases.
Unfunded federal mandates, such as NPDES Phase II stormwater regulations, will
further strain local organizational resources used to manage stormwater.
Rapid and inevitable growth should be considered when projecting future
expenditures for stormwater management because the same service must be
provided over a larger and more developed area.
The Wake County Collective Stormwater Management Evaluation report recommended
the creation of a representative residents’ Task Force. The County and 12 municipalities
appointed a 20-member Task Force, which met from February 2006 through August
2007 and was charged with the following activities:
Review and assess current and future required stormwater levels of service.
Identify citizen expectations for stormwater levels of service.
Develop recommendations for a county-wide collaborative stormwater program.
Develop program funding recommendations, where appropriate.
Develop an implementation plan.