Skip to main content
APNEP logo APNEP

Topical Navigation

  • Home
  • About APNEP
    About APNEP
    • Committees and Teams
    • APNEP Staff
    • Our History
  • Our Estuary
    Our Estuary
    • The Albemarle-Pamlico Region
    • Fast Facts
    • A to Z in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary
  • Our Work
    Our Work
    • Identification and Research
    • Protection
    • Restoration
    • Outreach and Engagement
    • Monitoring
    • Past Projects
  • News and Events
    News and Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Soundings Blog
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Articles and Press Releases
    • Press Kit
  • Resources
    Resources
    • For Educators
    • For Local Governments
    • For Scientists
    • Publications and Reports
    • Grant Opportunities
    • APNEP Maps
  • Contact Us
  • NC.GOV
  • AGENCIES
  • JOBS
  • SERVICES
APNEP »   Our Work »   Outreach and Engagement »   Interstate Collaboration in Shared Waterways »   Chowan Healthy Waters Initiative

Chowan Healthy Waters Initiative

While most public and private resources are dedicated to restoring impaired waters, the preservation of high quality waters is one of the most cost-effective ways to lower drinking water costs, provide protection against storms and floods, and maintain habitat for fish and game species. Identification of these pristine waters is a necessary first step in the ultimate preservation of these valuable areas.

APNEP worked with a bi-state team composed of representatives led by Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Commonwealth University, the N.C. Natural Heritage Program, and the N.C. Division of Water Resources to identify and protect the healthiest waters and watersheds of the Chowan River Basin. This work included surveys of rivers and streams throughout the Chowan Basin, as well as the integration of available data from both states. The reports were released in winter 2016 and can be found here:

  • Stream Ecological Health Assessment for the Chowan River Basin, Virginia and North Carolina
  • Watershed-based Ecological Health Conservation Plan for Raccoon Creek

In conjunction with other conservation tools and strategies, the Chowan River Basin Healthy Waters Conservation Implementation Plan will help advance interstate watershed management efforts between North Carolina and Virginia. This project will expand and leverage existing activities underway within the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, Virginia’s Healthy Waters Program and entities such as The Nature Conservancy and Virginia Department of Forestry.

Overall, the project develops a Ecologically Healthy Watershed Conservation Plan that will be used to identify critical areas for protection and be used as the basis for the healthy watershed protection goals of the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. It assures these ecologically healthy streams are incorporated into the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Natural Heritage Biotics Database and integrated into land conservation and land planning projects in Virginia.

In addition, this effort provides the foundation for further bi-state collaboration efforts as team members integrate various data sources (Virginia and North Carolina share seven river basins).

CCMP actions: A1.1, B2.3 

 

Related Content

Virginia Healthy Waters Program
Developing a Watershed-Based Ecological Health Conservation Plan for the Chowan…

Interstate Collaboration in Shared Waterways

  • Chowan Healthy Waters Initiative

Share this page:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

How can we make this page better for you?

Back to top

Contact Information

Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership

217 West Jones St., Raleigh NC 27603

apnep@ncdenr.gov

Sign up for our mailing list

Recent Tweets

Tweets by APSounds

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • NC.GOV HOME
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Open Budget
APNEP
https://apnep.nc.gov/our-work/outreach-and-engagement/interstate-collaboration-shared-waterways/chowan-healthy-waters