Pasquotank River Basin
By: Will Finnegan and Rachael Cronin
Facts about the Pasquotank River basin
- The Pasquotank river basin is located in North Carolina's coastal plains and drains into the Albemarle sound. The rivers headwaters are located in Gates County, Virginia.
- The entire river basin is 41% water and has a total of 2,000 miles of rivers and streams.
- 118,913 people live in the Pasquotank river basin.
- The mouth of the Pasquotank river basin is in Camden and Pasquotank county.
Point and Non-point source Pollution
- Some of the non-point source pollutants include waste from agriculture and animal operations, trash from developing cities, sediments from deforestation, Storm water discharge, rural residential development, and septic system waste.
- The point source solutions include waste water treatment plants, industrial facilities dumping chemicals, and urban storm water systems that bring trash into the river.
Important Rivers and bodies of water
- Lake Phelps- is the second largest natural lake in the state and holds acidic, crystal clear water.
- Alligator River- a major river in the Pasquotank river basin.
- Chesapeake bay- a body of water that was connected to the Pasquotank river basin through slave labor.
- Dismal Swamp- was where the river basin first originated from. It was drained down to only 166 square miles and is now the largest protected swamp in the eastern U.S.
- Albemarle Sound- one of the main bodies of water the river basin flows into.
Solutions to Point and Non-Point source pollution.
- One way to help stop Non-Point source pollution is to help educate the public on how to properly dispose of animals wastes, storm water, septic tank waste, and trash from new developments. If we can show the American public how their pollution is affecting drinking water, then we may be able to have cleaner water.
- Point source pollution can be helped by requiring routine inspections of waste water treatment plants, industrial facilities, and urban storm water systems. By inspecting these facilities, they will have no choice but to properly dispose of waste and eventually prevent serious water pollution.