Nonpoint Source Planning
What's New
- January 2025 - The Jordan, Falls, Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rules readoption schedules were approved by the Environmental Management Commission and accepted by the Rules Review Commission.
- January 2025 - Award list of Fiscal Year 2024 205j Grants.
- June 2025 - The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Water Resources (DWR) is reviewing proposals for the Fiscal Year 2025 Clean Water Act Section 319 (h) Grant to implement projects that restore the quality of waters impaired by nonpoint source (NPS) pollution; the application deadline was May 30, 2025.
Nonpoint source pollution, or polluted runoff, occurs when water picks up pollutants from surfaces like rooftops, roads, constructions sites, and farms, then carries them into groundwater, lakes, rivers, and estuaries. This pollution, which can include sediments, nutrients, and metals, is the leading cause of water quality degradation in North Carolina and nationwide, affecting waters used for fishing, swimming, and drinking.
The Nonpoint Source Planning Branch manages the state’s pollution control efforts in two main ways. First, it leads the development and oversight of nutrient strategies to restore key waters like the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse Estuaries and Falls and Jordan Lakes. Second, it oversees federal grants supporting planning and restoration projects: the 319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant and 205(j) Watershed Planning Grant.
In addition to these direct efforts, 319-funded and other staff across various state agencies work together to carry out USEPA’s charge for states to manage nonpoint source pollution in a planned and coordinated manner. This approach is outlined in North Carolina’s Nonpoint Source Management Plan (2018).
Staff Contacts
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