. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. extra protections against degradation. Like a principal honoring her best stu- dents with scholarships, the state chose its most pristine coastal waters and placed more stringent water quality standards on them. From the public to the Congress, the move has garnered praise as an aggres- sive program to protect coastal resources. But some scientists and environmental groups say it's not enough. North Carolina's coast boasts approxi- mately 2,044,374 acres of saltwater estu- aries and sounds. Of that, 1
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. extra protections against degradation. Like a principal honoring her best stu- dents with scholarships, the state chose its most pristine coastal waters and placed more stringent water quality standards on them. From the public to the Congress, the move has garnered praise as an aggres- sive program to protect coastal resources. But some scientists and environmental groups say it's not enough. North Carolina's coast boasts approxi- mately 2,044,374 acres of saltwater estu- aries and sounds. Of that, 181,000 acres, or about 9 percent, were nominated as ORWs. Carteret County's Core Sound and the Alligator River in the Albemarle region make up 85 percent of that. Photo by Scott Taylor Black bear, red fox and even alligators roam its borders. Like every water body in North Carolina, the Alligator River is classified by how it's used. Each classification also specifies the maximum amount of pollutants the water can handle before there's damage, says Derb Carter, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. At the coast, SA waters, for example, protect shellfishing and demand the toughest water quality standards. SB waters, designated for recreation and fisheries, accept some sewage, bacteria and other pollutants. SC waters are safe for fishing and swimming but have a higher risk of pollution than SB waters. The federal Clean Water Act in 1972 recommended states take a step beyond such measures and protect unspoiled rivers, lakes and sounds. By 1986, North Carolina began its ORW program inland in places such as the South Toe River in Yancey County and the Cataloochee River in Haywood County. The push for coastal ORWs began a year later with a petition to the EMC, a 17-member environmental commission that adopts regulations for controlling pollution. Industry waste, failing septic tanks, con- struction, mining, and stormwater runoff from development, farms and forestry
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
