Jump Run Creek Shellfish Restoration Project

The objective of this multi-agency project is to 1) quantify the effects of land use change on shellfish closures and 2) assess techniques that can be used mitigate those impacts. This report is based on preliminary analyses conducted over the last 18 months. The project focuses on the 320-ha waters hed in Carteret County, North Carolina, that is the drainage for Jump Run C reek. Bacterial data from 1970 through 1998 indicate increased loading sinc e 1974, which is when closure management began. Recent grab sample data fro m the tributaries indicate high levels of bacteria during storm events and moderate levels during dry weather. The majority of the lending is coming f rom the portion of the watershed draining an older, medium density neighbor hood (single family houses and a trailer park. A door-to-door survey found two malfunctioning septic systems, more than 100 pets, and the presence of wildlife. Change analysis of land use/land cover shows hydrologic modificat ions were instituted in the 1970s. Dye studies confirm that water moves thr ough the watershed in hours, indicating that lime for bacterial mortality i s insignificant. Future analyses include ground water sampling, automated s torm water monitoring, and DNA tracking of fecal sources. Planned mitigatio n practices will include riparian buffer restoration, stormwater wetland, b io-retention, pent filters, and education. Locations and sizing of practice s will be determined through GIS-based hydrologic analysis of the watershed in conjunction with a community-design/educational approach involving neig hborhood citizens.