The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that the state officials have listed an 8.2-mile section of the French Broad River, south (upstream) of Asheville as being one of many “impaired” waterways in the region. The updated list is open for public review at
From the AC-T
:
Two years after making its debut on the list of the state’s impaired waterways, an 8-mile section of the French Broad River upstream from the city retains its unflattering status, although some say the river on a whole is cleaner than it has been in many decades.
The 8.2-mile impaired section beginning at Mud Creek, which is upstream (or south) of Asheville Regional Airport, was placed on the state’s impaired waters list in 2012 because of high levels of fecal coliform. It returns to the 2014 list, along with many returning streams, and about 15 newly listed streams in Western North Carolina. …
The testing is required by the federal Clean Water Act. Cam McNutt, of the Division of Water Resources, said some factors that can lead to a waterway’s listing include bacteria, chemicals, sediment, turbidity or excessive mud, and stormwater that carries oil, grease and other pollutants from roads and parking lots.
McNutt said anyone, from residents to cities to river stewardship organizations, is encouraged to review and comment on the list. The deadline for public comment is March 14.
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