CAPE FEAR RIVER BASIN STUDY

 I. LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Center for Transportation & the Environment (CTE), as a sub-consultant to Moffatt & Nichol,  to Conduct a Literature Search of NCSU Library, State of NC Library, USGS Library — For All Studies Done in Cape Fear River Basin (State Public Health Studies in 1950’s, Irrigation Studies, Population Statistics, Land Use Plans, Water Use Reports, Reports of Man-made Discharges Into Rivers Within the Basin, etc.)
2. Using CTE's Bibliography of Reports and Studies Determine the Items Most Beneficial to The Study
3. Conduct searches of other University libraries, as well as the Corp of Engineers, Wilmington District's library.
4. Summarize and Incorporate Information in Reports and Studies

1. Establish Web Site to Allow Posting of Data, References, Proposed Modeling Plan, Proposed Model Inputs, Calibration/Verification Process and Results
2. Set up Capability for Threaded Discussions and E-Mail Exchanges Among All Interested Parties, Including the General Public
3. Set up Web Site to Alert Subscribers That Changes In Content Have Been Made

1. Export All Weather Station Data (Precipitation, Evaporation, Snowfall, Max & Min Temperature) From EarthInfo CD’s for Stations Within and Immediately Surrounding the Basin and Place in MIKE BASIN Format
2. Export All USGS Gage Records From EarthInfo CD’s for Gages Within and Immediately Surrounding the Basin and Place in MIKE BASIN Format
3. Collect DEM’s for the Entire Basin (To Compute Drainage Areas for Withdrawals, Discharge Points and Other Points of Interest (Other Than USGS Gages) Not Matching the Hydrologic Units GIS Layer as designated by the USDA-NRCS.
4. Collect Population Statistics, Land Use Plans and SCS Soil Mapping for the Entire Basin (For Reasonableness Check of Urbanization Trend Analysis)
5. Collect Reservoir Data for All Significant Impoundments
6. Determine Cutoff Size of  Impoundments to Be Included Within the Model After All Data Is Collected
7. Collect Geometric Relationships, Outlet Structures, Operating Rules, User Allocation Accounts From COE-Wilmington, Piedmont Triad Water Authority, Dam Safety Group
   1. Jordan Lake
   2. Randleman Lake
   3. Harris Lake
   4. Other Impoundments?
8. Collect and Tabulate All Water Withdrawal and Discharge Data (Start with Only Surface Water)
   1. Local Water Supply Plans
   2. Water Use Data From 1991 & 1993 From DWR Databases
   3. USGS Water Use by County Reports
   4. 1981-1983 Cape Fear River Basin Study
   5. Survey of Municipal Water Supplies of NC: 1977 by NC NRCD
   6. NC Water Use Data Collection Program Planning Document: 1978 by NC NRCD
   7. Public Water Supplies of NC: 1972 NC Office of Air & Water Resources
   8. Use of Water in NC – Self-Supplied Industrial Use for 1981 for NC NRCD
   9. Consumptive and Non-consumptive Uses for the Following Classes (Match USGS Report Format):
      1. Public Supply,
      2. Domestic,
      3. Commercial,
      4. Industrial,
      5. Mining,
      6. Livestock,
      7. Irrigation,
      8. Thermoelectric
   10. NPDES Discharges
   11. Other Point Source Discharge Info (Cross-reference NPDES Database with USGS Water Use Reports (Total Withdrawal – Consumptive Use & Other Losses = Return to System, Need Exact Locations)
   12. Non-point Discharge Estimates (if applicable and available)
   13. Other Documents, Reports, and Studies Found by CTE Dealing with Water Uses (Public Supply, IBT’s, Domestic, Commercial, Industrial, Mining, Livestock, Irrigation, and Thermoelectric Uses) and Water/Wastewater Discharges
   14. In Studies with Breakdown by County, Backup Data Will Be Needed to Determine Exact Locations of Withdrawals and Discharges for Model Input
   15. Specific Study to Estimate Agricultural Water Uses and Discharges (Dr. Ronald Sneed Will Oversee)
   16. Distribute Questionnaire To Collect Data Needed
   17. Meet With County Extension Agents to Review Questionnaire
   18. Meet with Gene Maples of the NC Turfgrass Growers Association to Account for Golf Course Irrigation and as a Check of Turfgrass Farmer Irrigation Data Collected From Extension Agents
   19. Seasonal Water Requirements for Significant Crops (by acreage) Identified Within the Cape Fear River Basin to be Developed by Dr. Sneed
   20. Cross-reference Data With DWR and DWQ Databases to Eliminate Double Counting
   21. Dr. Sneed to Review the Final List of Users and Dischargers for Reasonableness or Major Ommisions
   22. Cross-reference All Data Sources to Create a Consolidated Listing of Surface Water Withdrawals and Discharges in the Basin

1. Include Low Flow Targets
2. Make Output Compatible with EPA Water Quality Models
3. Stream Flow Profiles (including 7Q10 conditions)
4. Improved Drought Management and Forecasting
5. Enhanced Graphical User Interface (GUI)
6. Include Agricultural Consumptive Use
7. Improved Flood Routing/Flood Release Procedures
8. Incorporate Specific Drought Management Policies
9. Develop More Detailed Model Documentation

1. Model Setup and Required Input
   1. Node Locations
      1. USGS Gages
      2. Withdrawal Sites
      3. Discharge Sites
      4. Other Sites of Interest (Based on DWR Input + Steering and Technical Committees)
2. Computations or Values Needed at Each Node
   1. Drainage Areas (GIS Coverages & DEM’s)
   2. Naturalized Flow (Ratio Drainage Areas and Known Flows from Gaged Locations to Ungaged Sites)
3. River Network (Branches)
   1. Routing Coefficients
   2. Other Coefficients (?)
4. Reservoirs
   1. Geometric Relationships
   2. Precipitation
   3. Inflows and Releases
   4. Evaporation From the Pool
   5. Operational Polices & User Allocation Account

1. Selection of Calibration/Verification Period
2. Print Gantt Chart of All Input Data Over Time
3. Discuss Data Set with DWR to Reach Agreement on Model Calibration/Verification Period(s)
4. Place Gantt Chart and Proposed Model Run Times On Web Site For Committee Approval
5. Execute Model Run(s)
6. Discuss Ways to Vary Input Parameters Match Measurements (Calibrate Model)

1. Extrapolation of USGS Gage Records (Methodology Needs DWR Approval & Committee Approval)
   1. Estimate Urbanization Trends
      1. Compute SCS Curve Number for Each Year Using Yearly Runoff Volumes, Drainage Areas, and Precipitation
      2. Analyze Trend of SCS CN’s
      3. Cross-reference with Land Use Plans to Ensure Reasonableness
      4. Use Other Methodologies if Better Suited to Analysis
   2. With New CN’s Recreate a Wet, Dry, and Normal Year of River Q with Wettest, Driest, and Normal Precipitation Year (Create for as Many Years As Desired or Until Full Reasonable Build-out Reached)
2. Adjustment of Other Model Input Parameters Related to Discharge Change
3. Extrapolation of Water Withdrawals and Point & Non-point Discharges based Historical Trends
4. Model Run
5. Results and Conclusions

1. Compute 7Q10 Statistics for All Gaged Locations and Extrapolate for Ungaged Locations By Drainage Area Ratios
2. 7Q10 Run with Current Allocations
3. 7Q10 Run with Current Approved Future Allocations
4. 7Q10 Run with Other Allocations Requested by NCDWR
5. Results and Conclusions

IX. CONCLUSIONS AND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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In Association With Our Funding Partners .. 

Cape Fear River Assembly

The Towns of Apex, Cary and Morrisville

Wake County.

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Last updated: April 28, 1999.