Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This fall, the Orange County Commissioners are scheduled to approve a new Comprehensive Plan; the first such vote in nearly thirty years! If you work, live or own land in Orange County, the Plan affects you; it sets a vision for how the county will develop over the next 20 years.
Please take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of Orange County by voicing your interests and concerns to the Orange County Planning Board and County Commissioners.
Once adopted, the new Comprehensive Plan will begin to impact decisions about our tax base, the kind of jobs and housing created in the county, where new development will occur, what that development will look like, and how we will move about the county.
The draft Comprehensive Plan expresses a desire that growth be sustainable, but Orange County needs to hear from the public about how sustainability should be put into practice. For example, if you think Orange County needs more public transportation options or more mixed-use developments, let them know!
Public comments received this summer will have the most impact. There are two main ways to provide input: 1) submit written comments to the Planning Board before their next regular meeting on July 9 and 2) attend the August 25 Public Hearing and address the County Commissioners directly.
Written comments may be sent via email (CompPlanUpdate@co.orange.nc.us) or postal mail (Orange County Planning Board, Attn: Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning Supervisor, Orange County Planning and Inspections Department, 306-F Revere Rd., PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278). Comments received after July 9 but before August 13 will be seen by the County Commissioners and Planning Board before the August 25 Public Hearing.
The Comprehensive Plan guides the policy framework for a wide range of issues including land use, transportation, economic development, housing, energy conservation and production, and environmental protection. The County maintains a website for the Comprehensive Plan update. The draft plan is available in its entirety here (warning: large file!). To view specific sections of the draft plan, click on the links below.
Table of Contents
Plan Overview
Commissioners’ Planning Principles
Economic Development Element
Housing Element
Land Use Element
Natural and Cultural Systems Element
Parks and Recreation Element
Services and Facilities Element
Transportation Element
Appendices
This message is brought to you by the Orange County Comprehensive Plan Coalition, a group of 9 local organizations that joined together to monitor and give input on the Comprehensive Plan update. At our website, you can find our Vision Statement, the written comments we've submitted to date, and a list of participating groups. Our work is made possible in part by generous support from the Strowd Roses Foundation.
Throughout this summer, the Coalition will provide public education about the Comprehensive Plan at several community events. To be notified of these events, please email cpufeedback@gmail.com or call Rita Leadem at (919) 923-2535.
Thank you for your interest in the future of Orange County!
The Orange County Comprehensive Plan Coalition
Coalition Site
Showing posts with label Orange County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orange County. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
GROUND WATER IN ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
With reference to conditions in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces
Charles C. Daniel, March 2008
SUMMARY
1. Ground water is the most abundant available fresh water resource.
2. Ground-water systems store water and transmit water. Thus, a ground¬water system serves both as reservoir and conduit.
3. The aquifer system in Orange County is a two-part system composed of fractured bedrock overlain nearly everywhere by regolith.
4. Most ground water in the County is stored in the regolith. The average
saturated thickness of regolith is about 27 ft. On average, available water in
storage in the regolith is slightly less than 1 million gal/acre.
5. The saturated thickness of regolith varies with topographic setting and hydrogeologic unit.
6. Ground water in storage is less affected by drought than surface water.
7. Ground water is recharged by the infiltration of precipitation in upland areas.
Mean ground-water recharge in Orange County, based on data from 12 rainage basins, is 365 (gal/day)/acre.
8. Recharge varies seasonally with precipitation and evapotranspiration.
9. Ground water in Orange County is obtained primarily from wells.
10. The average well yield in Orange County is 17.6 gal/min. 90 percent of all
wells yield more than 2 gal/min, and half of all wells yield more than 10 gal/min.
11. Two areas in the county contain wells with maximum yields ranging from
25 gal/min to more than 100 gal/min. There areas are in the northwestern and
southwestern parts of the County.
Charles C. Daniel, March 2008
SUMMARY
1. Ground water is the most abundant available fresh water resource.
2. Ground-water systems store water and transmit water. Thus, a ground¬water system serves both as reservoir and conduit.
3. The aquifer system in Orange County is a two-part system composed of fractured bedrock overlain nearly everywhere by regolith.
4. Most ground water in the County is stored in the regolith. The average
saturated thickness of regolith is about 27 ft. On average, available water in
storage in the regolith is slightly less than 1 million gal/acre.
5. The saturated thickness of regolith varies with topographic setting and hydrogeologic unit.
6. Ground water in storage is less affected by drought than surface water.
7. Ground water is recharged by the infiltration of precipitation in upland areas.
Mean ground-water recharge in Orange County, based on data from 12 rainage basins, is 365 (gal/day)/acre.
8. Recharge varies seasonally with precipitation and evapotranspiration.
9. Ground water in Orange County is obtained primarily from wells.
10. The average well yield in Orange County is 17.6 gal/min. 90 percent of all
wells yield more than 2 gal/min, and half of all wells yield more than 10 gal/min.
11. Two areas in the county contain wells with maximum yields ranging from
25 gal/min to more than 100 gal/min. There areas are in the northwestern and
southwestern parts of the County.
RESOURCES FOR WATER CONSERVATION
Landscaping:
www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm, NCSU Biological & Agricultural Engineering Dept. /NC Cooperative Extension/Water publications/Water Use - "Wise Water Use in Landscaping"; "Drought Tolerant Plants"; "Efficient Irrigation" plus more like subjects. Also, /Storm Water - "Designing Rain Gardens" a good way to slow down water in your landscape.
www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/CIL/WRRI/uwc/xeriscape.pdf, "Xeriscape in North Carolina" published by NC Water Resources Research Institute, has list of plants for dry condition and how to create a drought tolerant landscape.
www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/. Natural Resources Conservation Service "Water Conservation in Your Backyard"
www.ces.ncsu.edu. NC Cooperative Extension/Lawn and Garden/Drought Information/ Extension's Successful Gardener; publications "Dealing with Drought", "Water Use and Landscaping", "Gardener's Guide to Protecting Water Quality" plus more like subjects.
www.smarthomeowner.com/archives "Eco-Landscaping" article
Books:
"Gardening with Native Plants of the South" by Sally&/Andy Wasowski
"Southern Gardener's Book of Lists" by Lois Trigg Chaplin
"The Dry Garden" by Beth Chatto
Rain Water Harvesting: rain barrels & cisterns
www.rainwatersolutions.com Rain Water Solutions; Durham NC -residential, commercial
www.braewater.com Brae Water; Oakboro, .NC - residential, commercial
Water Conservation:
www.watermgt.com Water Management, Inc. - water and energy conservation for businesses, housing, individuals; Alexandria, VA
www.siemens.com Siemens Water Technology - water conservation for businesses; branch in Durham, NC
www.americanwater.com Water Saving Tips
www.h2orange.org Orange County Information
Reports:
www.nicholas.duke.edu/drought - Bill Holman articles www.nicholas.duke.edu/institute/waterreport.pdf The Future of Water in North Carolina, Strategies for Sustaining Abundant and Clean Water, 11/07
Climate Change:
www.ncsu.edu/wrri/publications/SECimate-Aug.2007.pdf, report by NC Water Resources Research Institute "What Experts Say about Affects of Climate Change on
Rainfall and Stream Flow in NC". .
www.nicholas.duke.edu -RobertJacksonpresentation.1/8/08 Durham Town Hall Drought Meeting, 1/8/08
www.emergingissues.org -Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Laureate lecture, .Raleigh, .NC. 2/12/08
www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm, NCSU Biological & Agricultural Engineering Dept. /NC Cooperative Extension/Water publications/Water Use - "Wise Water Use in Landscaping"; "Drought Tolerant Plants"; "Efficient Irrigation" plus more like subjects. Also, /Storm Water - "Designing Rain Gardens" a good way to slow down water in your landscape.
www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/CIL/WRRI/uwc/xeriscape.pdf, "Xeriscape in North Carolina" published by NC Water Resources Research Institute, has list of plants for dry condition and how to create a drought tolerant landscape.
www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/. Natural Resources Conservation Service "Water Conservation in Your Backyard"
www.ces.ncsu.edu. NC Cooperative Extension/Lawn and Garden/Drought Information/ Extension's Successful Gardener; publications "Dealing with Drought", "Water Use and Landscaping", "Gardener's Guide to Protecting Water Quality" plus more like subjects.
www.smarthomeowner.com/archives "Eco-Landscaping" article
Books:
"Gardening with Native Plants of the South" by Sally&/Andy Wasowski
"Southern Gardener's Book of Lists" by Lois Trigg Chaplin
"The Dry Garden" by Beth Chatto
Rain Water Harvesting: rain barrels & cisterns
www.rainwatersolutions.com Rain Water Solutions; Durham NC -residential, commercial
www.braewater.com Brae Water; Oakboro, .NC - residential, commercial
Water Conservation:
www.watermgt.com Water Management, Inc. - water and energy conservation for businesses, housing, individuals; Alexandria, VA
www.siemens.com Siemens Water Technology - water conservation for businesses; branch in Durham, NC
www.americanwater.com Water Saving Tips
www.h2orange.org Orange County Information
Reports:
www.nicholas.duke.edu/drought - Bill Holman articles www.nicholas.duke.edu/institute/waterreport.pdf The Future of Water in North Carolina, Strategies for Sustaining Abundant and Clean Water, 11/07
Climate Change:
www.ncsu.edu/wrri/publications/SECimate-Aug.2007.pdf, report by NC Water Resources Research Institute "What Experts Say about Affects of Climate Change on
Rainfall and Stream Flow in NC". .
www.nicholas.duke.edu -RobertJacksonpresentation.1/8/08 Durham Town Hall Drought Meeting, 1/8/08
www.emergingissues.org -Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Laureate lecture, .Raleigh, .NC. 2/12/08
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