The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting public comment through Aug. 4 on the draft 2026 basin plan for Cape Fear River Basin, the most populous and largest river basin contained entirely within the state.
The basin plan focuses on water quality data collected between 2000 and 2020, and outlines areas needing additional protection, restoration or preservation to ensure waters of the state are meeting water quality standards. It also provides an overview of water use and availability in the basin, and addresses ongoing studies and actions to manage and reduce pollution from emerging compounds, including PFAS, or per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances, and 1,4-dioxane.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment and can build up in humans and animals. 1,4-Dioxane is a synthetic industrial chemical that’s likely to cause cancer in people. Scientific studies indicate that exposure to these compounds can lead to significant health effects.
The headwaters of the Cape Fear River Basin extend from near Greensboro and Reidsville down to the Atlantic Ocean near Southport. The basin’s major rivers include the Haw, Deep, Cape Fear, Black, South and Northeast Cape Fear. The area includes parts of the urban population centers in the Triad and portions of the Triangle, as well as Fayetteville and Wilmington.
The highest concentration of developed land is in the upper half of the basin, while the lower half is dominated by agricultural lands. Based on the 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture, agriculture in the basin has seen an overall decrease in cattle and swine numbers but a substantial increase in poultry production.
Increased growth, poultry production and expanded stormwater and wastewater treatment discharges in the basin have led to increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, which stimulate plant and algal growth. The basin plan includes a brief discussion of changes in water quality over a 20-year timespan as well as existing management strategies and approaches for addressing point and nonpoint sources of pollution in the basin.
Comments will be accepted through August 4 by email at DEQ.DWR.BasinPlanning@deq.nc.gov. Written comments can be mailed to:
N.C. DEQ Division of Water Resources ATTN: Nora Deamer, Basin Planner 1611 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1611
For more information on DWR’s basin plans, visit Basin Planning Branch | NC DEQ.