Piedmont Triad Regional Council, NC

In early 2023, PTRC, in partnership with the Centralina Regional Council (CRC), was awarded funding from NCDEQ Division of Water Resources through the Clean Water Act Section 205j/604b to launch a focused integrated water management program.  A One Water approach will cultivate the mindset that “all water has value” and will work to collectively improve the High Rock Lake watershed quality.

This project will provide a coordinated management approach of One Water, a bold vision that all water (drinking, wastewater, stormwater, lakes, rivers, etc.) is valued and should be managed holistically and sustainably. The US Water Alliance states that “One Water advocates for innovative, inclusive and integrated water stewardship at all levels- from individuals to governments and everyone in between.” One Water is a transformative approach to how we view, value, and manage water. 

Project Goals/Outcomes

1. Stakeholder Engagement and Education
2. Communication Strategy
3. Produce a "One Water Roadmap Issue Brief for High Rock Lake"

Created in 1929, High Rock Lake serves as the boundary between Davidson and Rowan County in the western Piedmont of North Carolina.  It is the second largest lake in North Carolina (15,180 acres) and is a reservoir for hydroelectric power generation. The lake also provides many recreational opportunities including boating and fishing.   

The High Rock Lake watershed covers 3,974 square miles and includes 5,394 miles of streams and rivers beginning in the Appalachian Mountains in southern Virginia.  This region includes 46 municipalities and 20 counties. The watershed is only partially a drinking water resource and has not been subject to any NPS pollution rulemaking outside of basic floodplain regulation.

High Rock Lake has faced high nutrient levels since the 1970s and was declared “one of the most eutrophic lakes in NC” in 1992 by the NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR).  Targeted monitoring and data collection regarding the Lake’s water quality began in 1989. Since that time various approaches to monitoring, public engagement and education has occurred and been led by different groups concerned with the nutrient rich waters in the Lake.  In 2005, PTRC was part of a Technical Advisory Committee convened to guide the lake and watershed monitoring efforts. Data collected was used to create the High Rock Lake Hydrodynamic and Nutrient Response Models (2016). There is a need to restore and protect the High Rock Lake watershed through alternative approaches, partnerships, collaborations and consensus building.

High Rock Lake has faced high nutrient levels since the 1970s and was declared “one of the most eutrophic lakes in NC” in 1992 by the NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR).  Targeted monitoring and data collection regarding the Lake’s water quality began in 1989. Since that time various approaches to monitoring, public engagement and education has occurred and been led by different groups concerned with the nutrient rich waters in the Lake.  In 2005, PTRC was part of a Technical Advisory Committee convened to guide the lake and watershed monitoring efforts. Data collected was used to create the High Rock Lake Hydrodynamic and Nutrient Response Models (2016). There is a need to restore and protect the High Rock Lake watershed through alternative approaches, partnerships, collaborations and consensus building.