• By Phyllis Smith
• Posted Wednesday, September 21, 2022

New Fertilizer Application Rules on the Horizon for the Upper Yadkin River Basin

The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is having a stakeholders meeting to discuss the Upper Yadkin River Basin (aka High Rock lake) Nutrient Management Strategy that will be implemented in the near future. Two identical in-person meetings will be held, one from 1:00-3:00pm and the other from 6:00-8:00pm, at the Yadkin County Extension Center at 2025 Agricultural Way in Yadkinville, NC on September 29, 2022 to collect stakeholder input.

The goals of the September 29th meeting are:

• Inform stakeholders about ongoing nutrient issues that impact the water quality and ecological health of High Rock Lake and limit the lake’s use by the surrounding population and citizens of the state.
• Solicit input from anyone who will potentially be impacted by regulations to control nutrient sources such as stormwater runoff and wastewater.
• Describe statutory obligations to address the water quality impairment and outline the plan for developing a reasonable and effective regulatory strategy that will help achieve long-term water quality improvement in High Rock Lake for all users.
• Offer sign-ups for technical workgroups and steering committee.

RSVP for this meeting is not required, but encouraged so there will be enough chairs and tables. To RSVP for the In-Person Meetings visit : https://forms.office.com/g/FrekYXiMWj

Learn more about non-point pollution and this project at https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-planning/nonpoint-source-planning/high-rock-lake-nutrient-management-strategy#overview

For more information, email, Phyllis Smith, Extension Agent, Natural Resources and Environmental Systems at pbsmith4@ncsu.edu or call 336-703-2858.