Why do we need to control stormwater?
Increased impervious surface (asphalt, concrete, and rooftops) limits the amount of water that can absorb into the ground and creates high stormwater runoff volumes. This increases the amount of water that runs directly into our creeks and streams without being filtered thru the soil. This increases the amount of nutrients reaching the stream including nitrogen and phosphorus. The increased volume also creates a “flashy” condition in the creek and streams, causing them to rise very quickly. This can increase amount of stream bank erosion and stream movement to the left or right, oxbows, etc.
What is a stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP)?
BMP consists of various controls to help manage the excess runoff. Types of stormwater contrls include:
What about mosquitoes, snakes, and beavers?
The BMP’s should drain within 72 hours. Constructed wetlands and wet detention should primarily stay wet and act as a natural system. There are many native predators of mosquitoes including: dragonflies, gambousia or mosquito fish, birds/waterfowl, and bats.
Most snakes are harmless. There are only two in Wake Forest that are poisonous: cottonmouth and the copperhead. Snakes like to eat mice and other rodents that are more of a pest.
Beavers love all of our trees and juveniles like to build dams in our creeks here in Wake Forest. They are mainly a nuisance but can cause flooding problems. They can be professionally trapped but are not taken to another pond or “special farm”. Also, the dams can indirectly create better water quality conditions and habitat for fish. The jury is still out on what to do with them.
What is the hydrologic cycle?
The Hydrologic cycle is how water travels around the earth. To the right, is a typical water cycle diagram. The volume of water on earth never changes, although it does change forms. There is only 0.0001% of fresh water available on earth for human consumption. During a drought conserving as much of our drinking water is extremely important!
What is a watershed?
A watershed is an area that all drains to one location. Wake Forest is in the Neuse River Watershed, which has four subwatershed inside of it within our jurisdiction, Horse Creek, Richland Creek, Smith Creek and Tom’s Creek.
What is a stream buffer?
Areas in the Neuse River watershed have 50 foot buffers on each side of the creek, stream or river. Type I is the area within the first 30 feet. Nothing can be removed or touched here without NC DWQ approval. Type II is the area in the remaining 20 feet. Minimal clearing can be done here of dead trees. No grading or filling shall occur in this area.
Why are floodplains important? 
Floodplains act as energy dissipaters for creeks when they become overwhelmed by large storms. The water rises over the banks of the creek, it spreads out into the floodplain instead of speeding down the creek and tearing up a bank. Many creeks are no longer connected to their floodplains and have bank erosion and down cutting problems.
The Town of Wake Forest protects up to the 500-year floodplain. See the Planning Department for more information.
Who can I call if I have a question?
The Town of Wake Forest's Engineering Department handles stormwater issues.