NC Chowan River Basin
Adeja Cheek
8th Grade Science & Technology
30.Nov.15

Profile & Map

• The 12th largest river basin in NC
• Enters NC in the northeastern portion and empties into the Albemarle Sound; located in the NC Coastal Plain Physiograpic Region
• 15,600 estuary acres
• Human Population - 61,548
• Mostly a hardwood forests and swampy lowlands.

Profile & Map (con.)

• Population Density - 48 persons/ square mile
• No major reservoirs
• Has 136 miles of impaired streams
• Has flat land
• Alternating layers of sand, silt, clay, and limestone
• Low flow in warmest months of the year which leads to limits in a streams ability to maintain High DO levels

MAjor Tributaries in Basin

• Meherrin River
• Wiccacon River
• Potecasi Creek
• Ahoskie Creek
• Bennetts Creek
• Indian Creek
• Rockyhock Creek

Chowan River

Municipalities In Basin

• The Chowan River Basin is in both NC and VA (75% of it located in the latter)
• The basin contains 5 counties in NC:
• Bertie
• Chowan
• Gates
• Hertford
• Northamptom

The Chowan River Basin contains small millponds:
760 acre Merchant's Millpond & Bennett's Millpond, near the upper Rockyhock Creek near Edenton

Wildlife & Vegetation

• Scientists mostly use fish in this ecosystem to determine if the water quality is helathy or not
• Vegetation includes:
• Cypress trees
• Spanish moss
• Water tupelos
• Wildlife includes:
• Herring, Black Crappie, Bluegills, Largemouth Bass, and Chain Pickerels

Untitled Slide

Water Tupelos

Wildlife & Vegetation (Con.)

• Bobcats
• Black Bears
• River Otters and Minks
• Green-backed Herons
• Gray Foxes
• Ospreys
• Alligators
• Cottonmouth snakes

This is a Mink

Green-backed Heron

Priority Aquatic Species in BAsin

• Fish:
• Atlantic Sturgeon
• Blackbanded Sunfish
• Glassy Darter
• Shortnose Redhorse

Priority Aquatic Species (Con.)

• Mussels:
• Eastern Lampmussel
• Triangle Floater
• Notched Rainbow
• Crayfish:
• Chowanoke Crayfish

Here is something I found out about this river basin.
(Added to post on Edmodo.)

Places To Go: For hiking

• "This 250-foot riverfront boardwalk in Tyner provides not only a glimpse of the wildlife and natural history of the Chowan region, but also commemorates its cultural history."
• Cannon's Ferry Heritage Riverwalk/ J. Robert Hendrix Park
• Bibliography #2
• N.C. Environmental Education

Gatesville Waterfront Park

• "Short nature trail on banks of Bennett’s Creek."
• N.C. Environmental Education
• Bibliography #2

Merchants Millpond State Park

• "l9 miles of trails, including a .33-mile wheelchair-accessible trail."
• N.C. Environmental Education
• Bibliography #2

Places to go: For Paddling

• Bennett’s Millpond / Rockyhock Creek Paddle Trail
• "5-mile paddle trail beginning at the old milldam."
• Cannon's Ferry Heritage Riverwalk / J. Robert Hendrix Park
• "Canoe launch at the Chowan River."
• N.C. Environmental Education
• Bibliography both as #2

chowan swamp game land

• "Access via Cannon’s Ferry or Gatesville access areas."
• N.C. Environmental Education
• Bibliography #2

Places To Go: For Paddling (Con.)

• Gatesville Waterfront Park
• "Access to Bennett's Creek."
• Merchants Millpond State Park
• "Paddling on the millpond and access to 6-mile Bennett's Creek Paddle Trail via Lassiter Swamp."
• N.C. Environmental Education
• Bibliography both are #2

Wiccacon River Trail

• "13-mile paddle trail."
• N.C. Environmental Education
• Bibliography #2

The Chowan River Basin's BIGGEST problem is its Water Quality.

Water quality

• The site of NC's first known large scale Coastal Algal Bloom in 1972
• Resulted from excessive levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in wastewater and runoff
• Led to the killing of large numbers of fish and diseases in the water
• Became the first river basin in NC to receive "Nutrient Sensitive Waters" classification in 1979

Threats to Water Quality

• Experiences chronic episodes of Hypoxia from late June to September in both basin and its tributaries
• DO levels reach 3.0 mg/L and below
• Cyclonic events and rainfall
• Storm surge
• Inundation
• Flushing of bottom land swamp habitats

NonPoint Source Pollution

• Agriculture
• Animal Operations
• Urban Development
• Hydrologic Modifications
• Septic Systems

Example of Non-point Source Pollution

Point Source pollution

• Municipality wastewater treatment plants
• Industrial facilities
• Urban & Industrial Stormwater Systems

Example of Point Source Pollutiom

Protecting the Basin for the future

• Provide land protection and stream restoration.
• Understand stewardship in this basin.
• Promote and support conservation and restoration throughout this community.
• Identify important areas that are or near habitats.

Join Programs For Volunteer Work

• Ecosystem Enhancemet Program
• NC Natural Heritage Program
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• US Forest Service
• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• The Nature Conservancy

US Army Corps Engineers

vocabulary

• River Basin- the land that water flows across or under on its way to a river; a drainage for a river
• Groundwater- the water found in cracks and pores in sand, gravel and rocks below the earth’s surface
• Ecosystem- a natural system linked by living (plants, animals) and nonliving (soil, air, water) things.

Vocabulary

• Wetland- an area where the water table is at, near or above the land surface long enough during the year to support the growth of specially adapted plants.
• Biodiversity- the totality of genes, species and ecosystems in a region
• Riparian- pertaining to the edges of streams or rivers

vocabulary:

• Tributaries- a river or stream that flows into a larger river or lake
• Municipality- a city or town that has corporate status and local government
• Millpond- the pool that is created by a milldam and provides the head of water that powers a water mill.

Vocabulary

• Non-point Source Pollution- Pollutants that comes from land use activities
• Point Source Pollution- Pollutants that comes from a central point or location
• Sediment- eroded soil particles that wash or blow into rivers
• Storm surge- a rising of the sea as a result of atmospheric pressure changes and wind associated with a storm

Vocabulary

• Algal Blooms- rapid, dense growth of algae that robs the water of oxygen as it dies and decomposes
• Stormwater- surplus water from rain and melted snow
• Macroinvertebrates- animal that lacks a backbone and is visible to the naked eye
• Inundation- flooding

Vocabulary

• Estuary- a semi-enclosed area where fresh water from a river meets salty water from the sea
• Aquifer- a porous rock layer underground that is a reservoir for water
• Vegetative Buffer- plants and trees surrounding a stream
• Watershed- all the land drained by a river, stream or lake.

Vocabulary

• Topography- the description of the physical features of a place, or the terrain
• Ecological footprint- the amount of land and water needed to support one’s lifestyle using current technology
• Greenway- : open space or connector along a natural corridor (such as a river) used for parks and trails

bibliography:

• "14. Chowan River Basin." NC Wildlife Resources Commission. NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. .

Bibliography (con.):

• "Chowan River Basin." CSREES North Carolina Water Quality Program. NC State University & NC A&T State University. Web. 19 Nov. 2015..
• "Discover North Carolina's River Basins." Eenorthcarolina.org. N.C. Environmental Education. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. .

Bibliography (Con.):

• "Chowan River Basin." Eenorthcarolina.org. N.C. Environmental Education. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. .