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River Edition
The Chowan River and
Albemarle Basin are fragile. This
was not news prior to 1972 but it
blossomed along with the algae.
Since then thousands of words
have been written and dollars
spent in assessing the problem.
Today’s newspaper could well
be called a “River Edition”
because of the coverage given the
subject. It is by design, rather
than accident.
State and federal management
of one of a great natural resource
has been the target of our
criticism for a long time. The
“green tide” of the early ’7os
didn’t deter the Southside Hamp
ton Roads Area of Virginia from
going pell mell into a water with
drawal program.
At first the Coastal Resources
Commission thought intervention
was premature, but later
discovered, at the insistence of
local voices, that the problem was
so serious as to not delay.
If there is anything more pic
turesque than the Chowan River
and Albemarle Basin, as well as
an economic stimulus, it has not
yet been identified; Regardless of
where you live in Tar Heelia, you
have a stake in its future.
Protection of this natural
resource must be protected from
the courthouse to the statehouse.
That is what is being done as
representatives of local govern
ment and Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr.,
take a strong stand on any with
drawal of water which might
affect the flow in the already
fragile river.
While we might weep for our
neighbors in Virginia, we main
tain that the integrity of the
waters along the Public Parade
and throughout Northeastern
North Carolina must be main
tained. It is comforting to have
CRC, NR&CD and Gov. Hunt on
our side.
Back On Track
Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr., a
foremost advocate of regionalism,
has asked his newly formed Local
Government Advocacy Council to
develop a state policy on Multi
county planning regions. And by
the time the council acts, it ap
pears that the 10-county
Albemarle Regional Planning &
Development Commission will
have its act together—again.
R.S. Monds, Jr., of Hertford,
ARPDC chairman, declared at a
recent meeting that the agency
operated on a “good financial
keel” for a 15-month period ending
September 30, 1977. He said the
“dark hours” of the past were to
be forgotten and the agency was
starting anew.
Th£se are 'bold statements
which couldn’t have been made
had the regional organization gone
back to the drawing board to draft
a plan in keeping with its pur
pose-comprehensive planning
rather than program operation.
In our opinion, had the agency
not gotten greedy and carried
away with the “big bucks” and
“visibility”, which program
operation brings the black eye it
has sported over the past months
would have never appeared.
Multi-county regions were not
designed to be in the,; program
operation and-or administration
business in the first place. Staff
was intended to consist of a
Continued on Page 4
Algae Bloom V*
Threatens River
SANDBANKS The Chowan
River may be on the verge of
having another algae bloom,
according to an Environmental
Management Commission, report.
Nutrients are building in the
river which could spark another
bloom, a commission report
reveals.
Any addition input of nutrients
from industry or agriculture could
cause an algae bloom, the report
staged.
The Chowan River project is a
study that was begun in 1973 to
establish the basis of a water
quality management plan to
prevent the algae blooms that
have at times choked the North
eastern river.
A mathematical model has been
developed to predict the effects of
changes in the river on algae
growth.
This can be used to give an idea
what effect a proposed industrial
discharge may have, according to
Dr. David Howells, one of the
authors of the report and the
former director of the Water
Resources Research Institute.
The worst bloom of algae in
recent history took place in 1972.
“People living along the river,”
the report noted, “were in an
uproar over the green scum
coveringt heChowan. ’ ’ Commercial
fishing and recreation were
harmed.
Continued On Page 4
Program Offers
Summer Jobs
Summer jobs are available to
economically disadvantaged
youth in Region R, ages 14-21, the
Employment Security Com
mission reports.
Applications for the program
may be obtained from the local
high school principals, Em
ployment Security Commission
office on North Broad Street, or
from the Economic Resource
Center on Oakum Street.
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ROOT OF PROBLEM—A bird flew into a high voltage switch at
5:40 A.M. Thursday at the Vepco substation on Freemason Street,
putting some 3,200 homes and businesses in the dark. It was 8:32
A.M. before authorization was given from Richmond, Va., to
restore current to electric customers of the Town of Edfenton,
Eden ton Cotton Mills and some Electric Membership Cor
poration subscribers. Ttoe culprit is shown in the foreground.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XLIVNo. 21
Water Plan Shifts To Lake Gaston
MANTEO A complete airing
of possible water withdrawal from
the Albemarle Basin and its
tributaries for the Southside
Hampton Roads Area was
scheduled this week at the Coastal
Resources Commission meeting
here.
The Environmental Committee
of CRC, headed by Dr. Gene
Huntsman of Havelock, asked the
Norfolk District, Corps of
Engineers, to have represen
tatives at the meeting at the
Marine Resources Center,
Roanoke Island.
This committee became in
volved in the question several
months ago at the insistance of
W.B. Gardner, Edenton town ad
ministrator, and L.F. Amburn,
Jr., Edenton publisher. Both serve
on the Executive Committee of the
CRC Advisory Council.
Frank Furlough of Columbia, a
CRC member, raised questions
over the past months of the effect
withdrawal of water from any
Memorial Day
Schedule Set
The Postal Service, town and
county offices, and local banking
institutions will be closed this
Monday in observance of
Memorial Day, but otherwise the
Edenton Chamber of Commerce
states that it will be business as
usual for merchants and other
firms.
Joining stepped up enforcement
of highway laws by the N.C.
Highway Patrol will be safety and
travel assistance offered to
motorists by professional safety
men and patrol cars from the
North Carolina Motor Carriers
Association.
Col. John T. Jenkins, com
mander of the Highway Patrol
stated that “the wide experience
of these safety professionals and
their record of motorists’
cooperation will certainly help us
during this period of high density
traffic as motorists return from
the long holiday week-end.”
Continued on Page 4
ARPDC Day Care Deficit Is Discussed
COLUMBIA Albemarle
Regional Planning & Development
Commission operated on a “good
financial keel” for the 15-month
period ending September 30, 1977,
yet some member governments
objected to Chowan County and
Edenton-Chowan Schools not
being billed for a deficit of some
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, May 25, 1978
tributary of the Albemarle Basin
would have on the quality of the
water. He has voiced the opinion
that the Norfolk District’s
proposal to tap the source at Lake
Gaston would be equally as bad as
Petersburg c/\ A
_ '* Chesapeake
■ Franklin
N~C. CHOWAN RIVER
Arrow shows Tentative Reccomendation of Lake Gaston As Future Source Os Water For
Tidewater Virginia. Map by Steve McCracken, Virginian-Pilot.
Water Level Major Factor In Algae Growth
A recent study of the Chowan
River has shown that a reduction
of water flow is a major factor
contributing to the algae growth in
the body of water.
So says a comprehensive study
of the Chowan River System
Petitioners Oppose Vepco Increase
A petition bearing some 3,000
names was presented to the State
Utilities Commission May 16 by
Edenton Chamber of Commerce in
opposition to a proposed rate in
crease by Virginia Electric Power
Company. W.L. Norvell,
president, was spokesman.
Speaking for “concerned
citizens of Chowan County” he
presented seven reasons why the
commission is being asked to deny
SIB,OOO from a previous Day Care
project.
In presenting the 1977 audit
report Thursday night, Speight
BurrOs of Elizabeth City said
deficits from the Day Care and the
Integration of Services projects,
amounting to more than $20,000
may be reduced to about $6,000
because some ARPDC funding
agencies have not requested
payment of fund balances.
R.S. Monds, Jr., of Hertford,
chairman, said the commission
decided months ago “to forget the
dark hours and to start anew.” He
said since then “We have done
pretty good...and in the past 15
months this organization is on a
good financial keel.”
Burrus said “positive balances”
in existing programs have allowed
the 10-county regional commission
to continue to operate. And he said
all findings in a September, 1976,
management letter have been
handled “to our satisfaction.”
While he didn’t find any ex
ceptions in the 15-month audit
(brought about by the Doard’s
decision to go to the federal
government’s fiscal year) his firm
“does not express an opinion on
the financial condition (of ARPDC)
because of possible liability to
funding sources due to inability to
track some expenditures in past
years.”
The agency had some sl-million
in revenue during the past audit
period and showed in excess of
$38,000 in fund balances. The
auditor found a “considerable
amount” of improvements in in
ternal control and procedures.
Eddie McDuffie, Gates County
manager, presented a resolution
seeking ARPDC support in op
position to abandonment of a rail
withdrawal from the Nottoway
and Blackwater rivers which join
south of Franklin, Va., to form the
Chowan.
Late last month, Col. Newman
A. Howard of the corps’ Norfolk
published by the Water Resources
Research Institute of the
University of North Carolina.
The development of the
publication was headed by David
H. Howells, former director of the
institute, and Grover Cook,
the 22 per cent rate increase.
Norvell also noted that Vepco’s
rate in North Carolina rs already
15 per cent higher than what other
electric utilities in the state
charge.
Following are the seven points
Norvell made:
That the rate increases are
excessive and inflationary and
would cause significant impact on
Continued on Page 4
line transversing the county. The
resolution said such action “will
inhibit positive growth for a
county that has long sought state
and federal help to bridge the gap
between it and its surrounding
counties.”
The ARPDC staff was directed
to “use all resources” to help
Gates County in defeating this
effort that “will be so detrimental
to its future growth.”
Mrs. Pam Whitley reported that
the newly established regional
Clearinghouse Committee had
met earlier and reviewed 27
projects.
In other business, the board,
meeting in the new Tyrrell Hall
facility here, approved the budget
for 1978-79.
Postal Rate Increases Set
The cost of mailing a letter will
advance to 15 cents Monday, May
29, the first increase in two and
one-half years, it was announced
today by the Postal Service’s
Governors.
At a special meeting today, the
Governors considered and ap
proved higher rates for letters and
other classes of mail that were
recommended May 12 by the
Postal Rate Commission.
The new rates and fees, ef
fective at 12:01 A.M. (Local Time)
May 29, are expected to increase
Postal Service revenues by $1.9
billion per year.
The Governors expressed con
cam that the sharp increase in
parcel-post rates (fourth-class)
recommended by the Postal Rate
Commission could “threaten the
survival” of this class of mail. The
Commission had recommended
Single Copies 15 Cents.
District, said he favored the Lake
Gaston alternative for “economic
and environmental” reasons. His
choice is tentative because public
hearings must be held before a
Continued on Page 4
coordinator of the Chowan River
project. Cook is now en
vironmental coordinator of the
Division of Health Services, N.C.
Department of Human Resources.
A mathematical model was
developed by the U S. Geological
Survey to estimate flows in the
Chowan River. The study, through
this model, has determined that
the flow exerts a strong influence
on the growth of the algae The
growth says the report will decline
with rising flow will and intensify
with the low flow.
In addition, the study indicated
that concentrations of nutrients
and algae vary greatly with
location and time
“During the summer, tem
perature, light and flow are more
favorable to algae growth than at
any other time of the year.
Because of the intensity of the
growth at this time, levels of
nutrients dissolved in the water
are greatly reduced,” according
to the study.
The limiting factor for the algae
growth in summer is nitrogen
concentration. The study indicates
that most nitrogen assimilated by
algae during this period comes
from recyling processes such as
the regeneration of dissolved
inorganic nitrogen from dead
organic matter in the water and
sediments.
Little can be done about this
process except to reduce the total
amount entering the river, ac
cording to the report. “Rooted
aquatic plants growing in the
Chowan do not have a significant
impact on algae production.” the
study says.
It is pointed out in the study that
Continued on Page 4
rates 35 per cent higher, on the
average, then the current rates.
Chairman M.A. Wright said as a
result of the fourth-class rates
going into effect May 29 the Postal
Service will “not be as com
petitive as it should be. We need a
restructuring of rates.” The
Governors directed the Postal
Service to prepare a new parcel
rate proposal for consideration by
September.
Concurrently with the domestic
rates, international surface rates
will go up 10 per cent, on the
average. There is no increase in
postage for international air mail
or air parcel post.
Highlights in the rate package
include:
- Presorted first-class rate of
13 cents.
- Priority mail rates (first-
Coatinued On Page 4