Table of Contents:
If the Little River's water quality is to be improved and
protected, we must all do our part to minimize the effects
of our activities.
With careful planning and a commitment to protect streams, rivers, and ground water, development can occur in a manner that balances the need for jobs and economic development with protection of the natural environment. Development that takes place without such considerations, however, can lead to significant degradation of rivers, streams, and ground water.
It is much more effective and economically efficient to protect our streams, rivers, and lakes through good planning and growth management strategies than it is to restore rivers and streams after development impacts have occurred. We all need to work together to insure that the strengths of the watershed are preserved for many years to come.
The pollution model identifies amounts of suspended
sediment (sediment that is suspended in the water and can be removed using
a filter), total nitrogen, total phosphorous, and zinc (an indicator of
pollution in urban runoff) washed into each tributary watershed from residential,
commercial, industrial, and agriculture areas.
The analysis shows that each land use category contributes significant amounts
of pollution to the Little River.
The model forecasts amounts of these four pollutants in the year 2020 based on projected land use and population change. As the Little River Watershed develops, agricultural and forested lands will continue to be converted to urban uses and pollution originating
from urban sources will increase. By 2020, urban runoff will be the primary
source of three of the four pollutants
examined.
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