North Carolina’s Riparian Buffer

Protection Rules

Know the basics of riparian buffer rules in the

Neuse and Tar-Pamlico river basins.

Uncertain if a water body may be subject to these rules?

Please contact N.C. Division of Water Quality staff for an on-site determination.

• RaleighRegionalOffice 3800BarrettDr.,Suite101 Raleigh,N.C.27609 (919)791-4200

• WashingtonRegionalOffice 943WashingtonSquareMall Washington,N.C.27889 (252)946-6481

• WilmingtonRegionalOffice 127CardinalDr.Extension Wilmington,N.C.28405-2845 (910)796-7215

• CentralOffice 2321CrabtreeBlvd.,Suite250 Raleigh,N.C.27604 (919)733-1786

RiparianBufferRulesandApplicationsareavailableonline:http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/swp/ws/401/riparianbuffers.

Neuse River BasinTar-Pamlico River Basin

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Tar-Pamlico River BasinNeuse River Basin

Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River BasinsPerson Vance

Orange

GranvilleWarren

Halifax

Durham

Wake

Johnson

Wilson

Wayne

Franklin

Nash

Edgecombe

Pitt

Beaufort

Hyde

Pamlico

Carteret

Jones

Craven

Greene

Lenoir

Onslow

Martin

Washington

TyrrellDare

Ariparianbufferisastripofforestedorvegetatedlandborderingabodyofwater.

Thevegetationandrootsystemsinariparianbufferstabilizethestream-bank,preventingsoilfromerodingintothewater.

Riparianbuffersalsoactasafiltertoremovepollutants.

Preservingriparianbuffersiscriticaltoprotectingourwaterresources.

What is a riparian buffer?

Riparian buffers have many benefits:

• Filteringstormwaterrunoff.• Providingfloodcontrol.• Stabilizingstreambanks.• Protectingproperty.• Addingscenicvaluetocommunities.• Absorbingexcessnutrients.• Preventingerosion.• Providingfishandwildlifehabitat.• Moderatingwatertemperature.

What is allowed in riparian buffers?Theriparianbuffermustremainundisturbed,regardlessofpropertysizeortypeoflanduse,unlesstheuseislistedintherulesasexempt,potentiallyallowableorpotentiallyallowablewithmitigation.

Refer to the Table of Uses in the rules for specific activities. • Exempt usesareallowedintheriparianbufferwithoutapprovalfromtheN.C.DivisionofWaterQuality(DWQ)ordelegatedlocalauthority.

• Potentially AllowableusesmayoccurinthebufferonlyafterwrittenauthorizationfromDWQordelegatedlocalauthority.

• Potentially Allowable with MitigationusesmayoccurinthebufferonlyafterwrittenauthorizationfromDWQordelegatedlocalauthoritythatincludesamitigationstrategy.

• ProhibitedusesarenotallowedinthebufferunlessavarianceisgrantedfromtheN.C.EnvironmentalManagementCommission.

• Activitiesnotlistedareprohibited.

Where do the riparian buffer rules apply?Theriparianbufferrulesapplytothefollowingtypesofwaterbodiesthatareshownonthemost recent published version of the soil survey mapspreparedbytheNaturalResourcesConservationServiceorthemost recent 1:24,000 scale quad-rangle topographic mapspreparedbytheU.S.GeologicSurvey:

• Perennialstreams• Intermittentstream• Modifiednaturalstreams• Lakesandreservoirs• Ponds(includingbeaverponds)• Estuariesandrivers

How are riparian buffers measured?Forstreams,theriparianbufferismeasuredlandwardfromthetopofthestreambankoneachsideofthestream.

Forponds,lakesandreservoirs,theriparianbufferismeasuredfromthenormalwaterlevel.

Inthe20coastalcounties,theriparianbufferismeasuredfromthelandwardedgeoftheN.C.DivisionofCoastalManagement’swetlandboundary.

The benefits of riparian buffers are maximized when there is diffuse flow of stormwater runoff.

What is diffuse flow?Diffuseflowreferstooverlandwaterflowthatisspreadoutoverthelandscape,notconcentratedintoadefinedchannel.

When is diffuse flow required?Diffuseflowisrequiredonallbufferedstreams,regardlessofpropertysizeortypeoflanduse.Itmustbeachievedbeforestormwaterrunoffenterstheriparianbufferfromanynewditchormanmadeconveyance.

How can you achieve diffuse flow?Diffuseflowmaybeachievedbyinstallingalevelspreaderorotherdiffuseflowdevice.LevelspreadersandotherdevicesmustbedesignedaccordingtotheN.C.StormwaterBMPManual(http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/ws/su/bmp-manual).

Zone 1: 30’ undisturbed

forest vegetation

Zone 2: 20’ managed

vegetation

Bu�er Zones onStreams and Ponds

50’

Top of bank ornormal water level

Streamor Pond

How wide are the riparian buffers?Therulesrequirea50-footriparianbufferthatisdividedintotwozones.The30feetclosesttothewater(Zone1)mustremainundisturbed.Theouter20feet(Zone2)canbemanagedvegetation.

Zone 1: 30’ undisturbed

forest vegetation

Zone 2: 20’ managed

vegetation

Bu�er Zones onCAMA Wetlands

Stream,Pond orEstuary

Normal highwater level

CoastalWetlands(CAMA)