Randleman Rule 15A 02B.0721: ALL waters of the Randleman watershed are CRITICAL WATER SUPPLY WATERSHED

The Randleman Watershed Rules Nutrient Strategy [item 15A NCAC 02B .0720, adopted June 15, 2020] states that ALL waters of the Randleman water supply watershed are classified for water supply uses and designated by the state as CRITICAL WATER SUPPLY WATERSHED, and that the “entire drainage area upstream of the Randleman Lake Dam” shall follow rules .0721, .0722, 0724 for Stormwater Management, Wastewater Discharges, and Riparian area protection and maintenance, and that failure to do so may result in civil penalties, criminal penalties and injunctive relief:

The text of Randleman Rule NCAC 02B .0721 defines the SUB-watersheds:

IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITY. The requirements of Randleman Rule 02B .0721 shall be implemented by local governments that have land use authority within the Randleman Lake watershed.

RANDLEMAN WATERSHED’s SUBWATERSHEDS. For the purpose of this Rule, the Randleman Lake Watershed is divided into subwatersheds as follows:
(a) the upper portion of the watershed is defined as those waters and lands of the Deep River watershed that drain to the Oakdale-Cotton Mill Dam;
(b) the lower portion of the watershed are those waters and lands of the Deep River upstream and draining to the Randleman Lake Dam, from the Oakdale-Cotton Mill Dam to the Randleman Dam;

(c) Oak Hollow Lake subwatershed is defined as all land areas draining to Oak Hollow Lake;
(d) High Point Lake subwatershed is defined as all land areas draining to High Point Lake, East Fork Deep River and West Fork Deep River from Oak Hollow Lake Dam; and
(e) Deep River 1 subwatershed is defined as all land areas draining to the Deep River from High Point Lake Dam to Freeman Mill Dam

COMPREHENSIVE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS. All local governments with jurisdiction in the Randleman Lake watershed shall implement and maintain stormwater management plans that meet or exceed the criteria set forth in this Item of this Rule. Stormwater management plans shall include the following:

(a) evaluation of existing land use within Oak Hollow Lake subwatershed, High Point Lake subwatershed, and Deep River 1 subwatershed in the Randleman Lake watershed with recommendations that show how overall built upon area (for existing and future development) for each subwatershed can be minimized and high intensity land uses can be targeted away from surface waters and sensitive receiving waters as defined by 15A NCAC 02H .0150. This evaluation shall be done by the local governments having jurisdiction in those watersheds, working in cooperation with the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority;

(b) coordination between all affected jurisdictions to encourage their development in the existing urban areas. The planning effort shall include provisions for areas of contiguous open space to be protected through conservation easements or other long-term protection measures and provisions to direct infrastructure growth towards existing urban development corridors rather than to rural lands;
(c) evaluation of existing ordinances, municipal programs (maintenance, street cleaning, etc.), and other local policies to identify opportunities for stormwater quality improvements, including reducing the amount of built-upon area that is required for uses such as parking, building setbacks, road widths, and cul-de-sacs. The evaluations shall consider development options such as multiple story buildings, mixed use to encourage pedestrian travel and mass transit, and an identification of municipal activities and procedures that may be modified to allow for stormwater pollution prevention opportunities;
(d) implementation of watershed protection public education programs;
(e) identification and removal of illegal discharges; and
(f) identification of suitable locations for potential stormwater retrofits (such as riparian areas) that may be funded by various sources.

RANDLEMAN LAKE WATERSHED ORDINANCES. Local governments with jurisdiction in the Randleman Lake watershed shall implement local ordinances that meet or exceed the provisions of Items (5) and (6) of this Rule in accordance with their location in the Randleman Lake watershed and in coordination with the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority. All revisions to these local ordinances shall be submitted to the Commission for review and approval. Ordinances that meet or exceed the provisions of Items (5) and (6) of this Rule shall be approved by the Commission.

UPDATE November 1, 2025: In July 2024, “The NC Department of Environmental Quality found Jamestown “deficient of meeting all permit requirements” but renewed the MS4 permit with a FOCUS ON FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM.

UPDATE March 18, 2024: The 2020 Randleman Water Supply Watershed Rules state that local governments in the Randleman Watershed are REQUIRED to implement and maintain stormwater management plans that meet or exceed the criteria set forth in the Rules. They also state that local governments shall implement local ordinances that meet or exceed the provisions of the Rules. This should be the top priority action given D.R. Horton’s proposed 1,500-unit development to be built on 470 acres of undeveloped land in the Randleman Watershed along the banks of Bull Run stream and three tributaries.