SEDIMENTATION & EROSION CONTROLS

What Is It?

The State of North Carolina has adopted regulations that stipulate measures that need to be taken to control sedimentation and runoff as a result of development. The State's regulations do not specifically address runoff resulting from the development of individual residential lots and may not provide the level of protection that some cities and counties would like. Locally adopted regulations can exceed State standards and provide better protection.

Shared Impact and Benefits

• Local sedimentation and erosion controls help a community grow by mitigating some of the negative effects of construction.
• Sedimentation degrades water quality by clogging streams and smothering the habitat for fish and other aquatic life. This limits the ability of the ecosystem to absorb other water pollutants as well.
• Erosion controls decrease runoff velocity, allowing more water to percolate down into the ground and replenish ground water supplies.
• Sedimentation reduces the storage capacity of reservoirs and the navigability of recreational and commercial waterways. All require costly dredging to amend.
• Erosion and sedimentation controls benefit land values. The Urban Land Institute, the American Planning Association and the National Association of Home Builders have all stated that developments with runoff management requirements have realized economic benefits.
• Sedimentation reduces the aesthetic and economic value of lakes, rivers and streams. Protecting water bodies from sediment pollution results in higher adjacent real estate values.
• Improvements in local water quality create a cumulative effect in water quality for the region.