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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
12,900copiesofthispublicdocumentwereprintedatacostof$1,499.93or$0.11percopy.
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)