Chatham Partnership receives grant to study Rocky River watershed

Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008

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Pittsboro, NC - A Chatham County partnership will receive a $198,000 grant from North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore and protect water resources in the Rocky River watershed. The partnership includes Chatham County's Environmental Resources Division, the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service-Chatham County Center, Chatham County Soil & Water Conservation District, North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the Rocky River Heritage Foundation.

The Watershed Education for Communities and Officials Program at N.C. State University will coordinate and administer the Clean Water Act Section 319 grant by bringing together local stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and implement water resource management and restoration efforts in the Rocky River watershed.

The grant will also focus restoration efforts in the Tick Creek watershed, which is rated as impaired by the NC Division of Water Quality, primarily because it no longer supports aquatic life as it normally should and is affected by stormwater or non-point source runoff, according to Chatham County's Director of Environmental Resources Fred Royal.

"We are excited that this partnership has been successful by receiving the EPA grant to help our county protect vital water resources, and we also are excited to have a strong team of partners collaborating on this effort," Royal said. The project will begin this fall.