Sediment is the number one source of pollution in North Carolina waterways. The primary sources of sediment include: construction site activities, farmland erosion, streambank erosion and alterations, and the removal of vegative buffers along streams. As the stormwater swiftly enters the stream it scours away the stream beds and erodes the stream banks, causing instability within the stream system.
Sediment in the water, buries aquatic nurseries, reduces water clarity and suffocates fish. Sediment can also carry harmful pollutants such as fertilizers and pesticides, pathogens, fecal matter, and heavy metals that further hinder the aquatic conditions for fish and other wildlife within the ecosystem.
Learn how to prevent stormwater runoff at construction sites!
