Water Resources in NC

Typical Water Budget for North Carolina

North Carolina Surface Water

http://nc.water.usgs.gov/projects/index_basins.html

Get NC’s Groundwater Picture

Cross-Section of the Eastern United States

Mountains Beach

Groundwater in NC

Some aquifers in this region are being overused such that they will fail to meet the area's water supply needs in the near future. Regulation is needed to decrease withdrawals from these aquifers to a sustainable rate of use.

Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area

Groundwater in NC

Wetlands in North Carolina

Original Wetland Acreage: 11,089,500

Acreage Lost: 5,400,000 or 49%

Remaining Wetland Acreage: 5,689,500

The Albemarle-Pamlico Estuaries are among the most productive natural systems on Earth. Due to the mixing of nutrients from land and sea, estuaries produce more food per acre than the richest farmland. North Carolina has the largest system of estuaries of any Atlantic Coastal State. Estuaries provide habitat for 75 percent of America’s commercial fish catch and for 80-90 percent of the recreational fish catch. In North Carolina, commercial and recreational fishing is a $1 billion-a-year industry, and keeping the estuarine system healthy is essential to a sustainable economy.