2018 State of the Lake James Watershed

Acknowledgements

Chemical Analysis of Water Quality

Summary Acknowledgements Nutrients Conductivity Acidity/Alkalinity Chlorophyll a Fecal Coliform Other Considerations Conclusions, Areas of Concern, and Next Steps

Biological Survey

Summary Acknowledgements Why Monitor Macroinvertebrates? Stream Habitat Assessment LJEA Field Assessment Procedures Macroinvertebrate Data and Biotic Index Scores Other Biological Surveys in the Watershed Habitat Data and Scores Conclusions, Areas of Concern, and Next Steps

Erosion and Sedimentation

Summary Acknowledgements Importance of Erosion and Sedimentation to Water Quality River and Lake Sediment and Turbidity Monitoring in the Lake James Watershed LJEA Stream Assessments Lake James Shoreline Erosion Lake James Sedimentation Mapping Related Materials

Land Cover Analysis

Summary Acknowledgements Land Use / Land Cover and Water Quality Methods used in the LJEA 2018 Land Cover Analysis Land Cover changes for each Hydrologic Unit Land Cover changes in the riparian zone for each Hydrologic Unit Conclusions, Areas of Concern and Next Steps

Trash Assessment

Summary Acknowledgements Background Conclusions

State of the Fishery

Summary Acknowledgements About the NC Wildlife Resources Commission Lake James Watershed State Fish Hatcheries Trout Program Watershed Trends and Threats Actions

2017 Survey of Public Opinion

Other Lake James Watershed Organizations

Have Comments or Questions?

Conclusions

At the end of the day, littering and its negative impacts on the Lake James environment and potentially people’s health is controllable, but requires people to accept personal responsibility for their actions. It’s not sufficient to claim a lack of awareness regarding the harm litter is causing in our watershed, nor is it OK to rationalize that someone else will clean it up. One way or another there is a significant cost (including taxpayer dollars and potentially future economic prospects) to pay for illegal and careless littering behavior. The residents of Burke and McDowell Counties, their leading government and private institutions, as well as the Lake James Community at large need to immediately come together to better understand the problem and begin to implement real and necessary solutions to stop trash at its source.