Links
November, 2008
Phase III Watershed Restoration Plan – Final .pdf format - 10MB
August, 2008
Phase II Watershed Assessment Report - Final .pdf format - 5MB
Downloads – all maps & reports
Little Alamance & Travis/Tickle Creek
Little Alamance & Travis/Tickle Creek Watershed Plan
The Little Alamance & Travis/Tickle Creek Local Watershed Plan, completed in 2008, identified potential sites along the creeks of Little Alamance Creek, Travis Creek, and Tickle Creek for conservation and restoration. Little Alamance & Travis/Tickle Creeks are located in the Upper Cape Fear River Basin. The Cape Fear River Basin is the largest and longest in North Carolina.
The purpose of this plan was to clean the waters of these creeks and restore their full use to the communities and ecosystems that rely upon them. The health and function of these lands and waters will be restored through a number of approaches, including:
- Improving natural conditions for people living in the watershed;
- Restoring and protecting streams and wetlands;
- Protecting water quality and habitat through conservation partnerships;
- Identifying needed improvements to stormwater and wastewater systems; and
- Working with community leaders to foster stewardship in our watershed.
Watershed planning is guided by local governments, non-profits, and citizens. Various agencies and organizations are already working to protect the watershed, led by the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments (PTCOG) and the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP). Maintaining strong partnerships amongst these groups, and between them and the larger watershed community, is critical for success. The communities that impact and rely upon these streams include Burlington, Elon, Gibsonville, Graham, and parts of Alamance and Guilford Counties.
Watershed planning relies upon methods that are proven to work. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allows us to use complex computer analysis to determine which areas of the watershed are having the most negative effects on water; ordinance reviews allow us to work closely with community planning and administrative staffs to discuss possible local solutions to water quality issues; and good old-fashioned stream walks and field work let us get a close look at the worst areas of the streams, and plan out some possible projects to restore these areas. Solutions to the water quality issues of all three creeks include "traditional" mitigation tools such as stream and buffer restoration projects, and more "flexible" approaches, such as urban and agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) that control the flow of water over land. There are a number of county, state, and federal partnership opportunities for agricultural landowners to help improve the waters on their lands, preserve their agricultural identity, and possibly receive compensation for their contributions. The PTCOG developed watershed-specific presentations about the planning process and voluntary landowner options to improve watershed health and function.
