Falls Lake Nutrient Strategy

Rules to reduce the development of algae blooms on the Falls Lake reservoir are now in the early stages of development. These rules, like the Jordan Lake rules that were developed earlier, will address the flow of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphate compounds, into the lake and the streams that flow into the lake.

Part of the development of the rules is the stakeholder process, a series of meetings with representatives from county and municipal governments, home builder organizations, environmental organizations, and others. I attend these meetings, representing WakeUP Wake County. This stakeholder process is facilitated by the Triangle J Council of Governments; the rules are being written by the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) of the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Math models of the Falls Lake watershed and of the lake will be used to estimate the effect of different amounts of nutrient loading on the lake.