[Jeffonc]

Received this email from the Upper Neuse Riverkeeper today. I added the red.

From : Dean Naujoks
Reply-To : <dean.nrf@att.net>
Sent : Monday, April 16, 2007 12:36 PM
Subject : Neuse River-Most Endangered River

While I am pleased to announce the Neuse River Spring Clean up was a major success, removing 22,490lbs of trash on 80 miles of river (visit Neuse RIVERKEEPER©) , I am deeply saddened to announce that the Neuse River has been nominated as one of the top ten most endangered rivers in the country (4th time in 12 years) by American Rivers. I have provided some information as to why attached and below.

We will be having a press conference tomorrow, Tuesday April 17th at 3:00PM at Moore Square in down town Raleigh (at the corner of Person and Hargett Street). I am urging you to attend this important event to show your support for FallsLake and the NeuseRiver.

• Gerrit Jobsis, from American Rivers will be speaking to explain why American Rivers named the Neuse River one of the most threatened Rivers in the Nation.

• Dr. JoAnn Burkholder from NC State University, a leading researcher on the Neuse River, will explain scientific findings regarding pollution threats to both Falls Lake and the Neuse River.

• I will be speaking about the pollution threats to the Neuse River (both current and future threats) and what our political leaders need to do to ensure a clean and healthy Falls Lake and Neuse River for future generations.

We also plan to have 6th graders from Moore Middle School attending, who recently participated in making a great video called “Give me back my River” that was recently shot on the Neuse River. They explain the threats to the Neuse and ask our political leaders to do what is necessary to protect the NeuseRiver. It is a wonderful video that it is powerful as it is funny, with lots of 6th graders demanding water quality in the NeuseRiver be protected. We will be giving copies of the DVD to all media and running it nationally on You Tube starting on April 17th. I hope you will attend this important event.

Here is some information as to why it was nominated (read short attachment).

Some of the pressing issues are:

• FallsLake: The states second largest drinking water supply will follow JordanLake onto the states 303d list for impaired watersin 2008 due to pollution from nutrients and sediment loading. Provides 400,000 Wake County Citizens with drinking water.
• Sediment and Stormwater Runoff: According to the EPA, this is the nation’s number one water pollution problem and is literally choking the life out of the NeuseRiver. According to the Wake County Watershed Management Plan, more than 500,000 people will move to WakeCounty alone in the next twenty years, making this problem much worse as population continue to expand. The Neuse is one of the fastest growing River basins in the Nation.
• Water Availability:FallsLake has virtually run dry on several recent occasions. We have experienced a drought three of the last five years. This year we are below normal rain fall levels. Is the Army Corps of Engineersallowing enough water out of FallsLake for down stream communities and down stream fisheries? We don’t think so and with an increasing population more water will be taken out of the river and Falls Lake in the future with no real water conservation measures in place, while sewage capacity and storm water runoff to the river increase. Kinston has requested an additional 15 million gallons a day for drinking water.
• PCB’s: PCB contaminated Fish have been found in more than 30 miles of the Crabtree Creek watershed, extending down into the NeuseRiver. The State will now being testing fish in the Neuse to see how far down the contamination goes.
• Sewage Expansion:Raleigh will be expanding its sewage capacity from 60 Million Gallons a Day (MGD) to 75 MGD. Clayton has recently purchased an additional 7000 lbs of nitrogen to expand its sewage discharge. Others will follow.

• While Nitrogen levels in the Neuse have decreases slightlyat best, research from NCSU has shown Ammonia levels have increased by 500%. This is directly linked to raw waste from Hog operations (and poultry), not treated waste water from sewage plants.

Please Read attachment and please come out to the press conference.

Thanks for taking the time,

*******************************
Dean Naujoks
Upper Neuse Riverkeeper
NeuseRiver Foundation
112 South Blount Street
Raleigh, NC27601
919-856-1180
919-839-0767
dean.nrf@att.net
www.neuseriver.org
Working to protect Falls Lake and the Neuse River
Waterkeeper Alliance Member