You have to see it from the air to really appreciate how muddy the incomingwater is. Crabtree Creek seems to be the source of a dirty stream that'ssnaking more than 100 miles to the east.
North Carolina Environmental Health official Don Reuter calls the murkywaters a plume of tremendous magnitude. He says the dirt reaches from theTriangle areas to the coast-- an event that appears to be unprecedented.
Right now, no one is sure why. But researchers are making a bee-line tolocal construction sites to see if they're part of the problem. Duringthe rainy season, a moderate amount of soil from construction projectsis expected to flow into creeks and streams.
State Engineer John Holley says that doesn't mean that there arenotproblems. There may be construction projects thatare not taking proper measures. Right now, the state is making sure theprojects have good sedimentation control plans.
This could result in fish kills if the dirt robs the water of too much oxygen. But officials say it isn't dangerous to humans. Still, it'sanother sign of pain for the embattled Neuse River-- a body of water thestate is working diligently to protect.
Regulators tell us the fact that there is clay sediment in the water isn'tunusual at all. That happens every time it rains just because we haveclay in this area. What they're saying is unusual is the sheer amount ofthe stuff that's in the water stretching all the way out to the coastline.
This could become a permanent thing with as much construction as we havein the Triangle. It could just be a sign of growning pains.
Sky5 Photographer: Gill Hollingsworth
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