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Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Study Unit

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By South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) September 9, 2020

The Albemarle-Pamilco Drainage Study Unit (ALBE) is part of the National Water Quality Program (NWQP, formerly National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA)). NWQP is an ongoing program of the U.S. Geological Survey to provide an understanding of water-quality conditions; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions.

The ALBE drainage basin encompasses about 28,000 square miles in central and eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia and includes four major river basins—the Chowan, Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse. The study area extends through parts of four physiographic provinces—Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.

Assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico study area (ALBE) began in 1991 (Cycle I) with an intense 3-year period of surface-water, ground-water, and ecological data collection. Data collection from 1993 to 2000 included ground-water flow path sampling and monthly surface-water sampling at two sites selected for long-term trend evaluation. Intensive sampling began again in 2001 (Cycle II), with a focus on evaluating the effects of urban development on ecology and water quality (Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems (EUSE)), nutrient source and delivery modeling (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes (SPARROW) modeling), and studying water quality of the Castle Hayne aquifer.

Currently the ALBE project is in Cycle III, which consists of the following science goals:

  1. Assess the current quality of the Nation’s freshwater resources and how water quality is changing over time (Status and Trends)

  2. Continuing: Evaluate how human activities and natural factors, such as land use and climate change, are affecting the quality of surface water and groundwater (Understanding Causes)

  3. Determine the effects of contaminants, excess nutrients, sediment, and streamflow alteration on aquatic ecosystems (Understanding Effects)

  4. Predict the effects of human activities, climate change, and management strategies on water quality and ecosystem condition (Forecasting)

Related Information:

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 52

Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory-Processing, taxonomy, and quality control of benthic macroinvertebrate samples

Qualitative and quantitative methods to process benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) samples have been developed and tested by the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water Quality Laboratory Biological Group. The qualitative processing method is based on visually sorting a sample for up to 2 hours. Sorting focuses on attaining organisms that are likely to result in taxonomic identifications to
Authors
Stephen R. Moulton, James L. Carter, Scott A. Grotheer, Thomas F. Cuffney, Terry M. Short
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, National Water Quality Laboratory

Ground-water quality in three urban areas in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States, 1995

Ground-water quality is generally good in three urban areas studied in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States?Ocala and Tampa, Florida, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. The hydrology of these areas differs in that Ocala has many karst depressions but virtually no surface-water features, and Tampa and Virginia Beach have numerous surface-water features, including small lakes, streams, and
Authors
M. P. Berndt, D.R. Galeone, T. B. Spruill, C. A. Crandall

Water quality in the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia, 1992-95

The NAWQA Program is assessing the water-quality conditions of more than 50 of the Nation's largest river basins and aquifers, known as Study Units. Collectively, these Study Units cover about one-half of the United States and include sources of drinking water used by about 70 percent of the U.S. population. Comprehensive assessments of about one-third of the Study Units are ongoing at a given tim
Authors
Timothy B. Spruill, Douglas A. Harned, Peter M. Ruhl, Jo Leslie Eimers, Gerard McMahon, Kelly E. Smith, David R. Galeone, Michael D. Woodside
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in shallow ground water of the Coastal Plain of the Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Study Unit, North Carolina and Virginia

The Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Study Unit is one of 20 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) studies begun in 1991 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assess the Nation's water quality. This report presents findings on nitrate and related constituents from studies conducted between 1991 and 1995 by the USGS's Albemarle-Pamlico NAWQA and the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ).
Authors
Timothy B. Spruill, Jo Leslie Eimers, A. Elizabeth Morey
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Radon in ground water in Guilford County, North Carolina

Approximately 30 percent of the water used in Guilford County, North Carolina, is from ground-water sources. All rural supplies are from ground water; approximately 65,000 residents used ground water for their domestic water supplies in 1990.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Guilford County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Guilford County Department of Health,
Authors
Timothy B. Spruill, Janie B. Williams, David R. Galeone, Douglas A. Harned
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Distribution of fish, benthic invertebrate, and algal communities in relation to physical and chemical conditions, Yakima River basin, Washington, 1990

Biological investigations were conducted in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, in conjunction with a pilot study for the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Ecological surveys were conducted at 25 sites in 1990 to (1) assess water-quality conditions based on fish, benthic invertebrate, and algal communities; (2) determine the hydrologic, habitat, and chemical facto
Authors
T. F. Cuffney, M. R. Meador, S. D. Porter, M. E. Gurtz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oregon Water Science Center

Water-quality assessment of the Albermarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia— A summary of selected trace element, nutrient, and pesticide data for bed sediments, 1969-90

Spatial distributions of metals and trace elements, nutrients, and pesticides and polychiorinated biphenyls (PCB's) in bed sediment were characterized using data collected from 1969 through 1990 and stored in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Data Storage and Retrieval (WATSTORE) system and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Storage and Retrieval (STORET) system databases. Bed-se
Authors
S. C. Skrobialowski
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia; trace elements in Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) soft tissues and redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) livers, 1992-93

The analysis of potential contaminants in biological tissues is an important part of many water-quality assessment programs, including the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Tissue analyses often are used to provide information about (1) direct threats to ecosystem integrity, and (2) the occurrence and distribution of potential contaminants in the environment. During 1992-93, tr
Authors
P. M. Ruhl, K.E. Smith
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Basin, North Carolina and Virginia; organochlorine compounds in Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) soft tissues and whole redbrest sunfish (Lepomis auritus) 1992-93

The analysis of potential contaminants in biological tissues is an important part of many water-quality assessment programs, including the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Tissue analyses often are used to provide information about (1) direct threats to ecosystem integrity, and (2) the occurrence and distribution of potential contaminants in the environment. During 1992-93, As
Authors
K.E. Smith, P. M. Ruhl
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico Basin, North Carolina and Virginia; chemical analyses of organic compounds and inorganic constituents in streambed sediment, 1992-93

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey began full-scale implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. Long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface-water and ground-water resources and to describe the primary natural and human factors that affect these resources. One of the f
Authors
M. D. Woodside, B.R. Simerl
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia environmental setting and water-quality issues

The Albemarle-Pamlico drainage study unit is one of 60 units of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, and includes the large river basins which drain into the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds-the Chowan, Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico, and Neuse River Basins. The study unit includes about 28,000 square miles and has an interrelated set of environmental characteristics which str
Authors
Gerard McMahon, Orville B. Lloyd

The U. S. Geological Survey's Albemarle-Pamlico National Water-Quality Assessment Study; background and design

The Albemarle-Pamlico Study Unit is one of 20 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) studies begun in 1991 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assess the Nation's water quality. One of the missions of the USGS is to assess the quantity and quality of the Nation's water resources. The NAWQA program was established to help accomplish this mission. The Albemarle-Pamlico Study Unit, located in
Authors
T. B. Spruill, Douglas A. Harned, Gerard McMahon

The Albemarle-Pamilco Drainage Study Unit (ALBE) is part of the National Water Quality Program (NWQP, formerly National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA)). NWQP is an ongoing program of the U.S. Geological Survey to provide an understanding of water-quality conditions; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions.

The ALBE drainage basin encompasses about 28,000 square miles in central and eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia and includes four major river basins—the Chowan, Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse. The study area extends through parts of four physiographic provinces—Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain.

Assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico study area (ALBE) began in 1991 (Cycle I) with an intense 3-year period of surface-water, ground-water, and ecological data collection. Data collection from 1993 to 2000 included ground-water flow path sampling and monthly surface-water sampling at two sites selected for long-term trend evaluation. Intensive sampling began again in 2001 (Cycle II), with a focus on evaluating the effects of urban development on ecology and water quality (Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems (EUSE)), nutrient source and delivery modeling (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes (SPARROW) modeling), and studying water quality of the Castle Hayne aquifer.

Currently the ALBE project is in Cycle III, which consists of the following science goals:

  1. Assess the current quality of the Nation’s freshwater resources and how water quality is changing over time (Status and Trends)

  2. Continuing: Evaluate how human activities and natural factors, such as land use and climate change, are affecting the quality of surface water and groundwater (Understanding Causes)

  3. Determine the effects of contaminants, excess nutrients, sediment, and streamflow alteration on aquatic ecosystems (Understanding Effects)

  4. Predict the effects of human activities, climate change, and management strategies on water quality and ecosystem condition (Forecasting)

Related Information:

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 52

Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory-Processing, taxonomy, and quality control of benthic macroinvertebrate samples

Qualitative and quantitative methods to process benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) samples have been developed and tested by the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water Quality Laboratory Biological Group. The qualitative processing method is based on visually sorting a sample for up to 2 hours. Sorting focuses on attaining organisms that are likely to result in taxonomic identifications to
Authors
Stephen R. Moulton, James L. Carter, Scott A. Grotheer, Thomas F. Cuffney, Terry M. Short
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, National Water Quality Laboratory

Ground-water quality in three urban areas in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States, 1995

Ground-water quality is generally good in three urban areas studied in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States?Ocala and Tampa, Florida, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. The hydrology of these areas differs in that Ocala has many karst depressions but virtually no surface-water features, and Tampa and Virginia Beach have numerous surface-water features, including small lakes, streams, and
Authors
M. P. Berndt, D.R. Galeone, T. B. Spruill, C. A. Crandall

Water quality in the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia, 1992-95

The NAWQA Program is assessing the water-quality conditions of more than 50 of the Nation's largest river basins and aquifers, known as Study Units. Collectively, these Study Units cover about one-half of the United States and include sources of drinking water used by about 70 percent of the U.S. population. Comprehensive assessments of about one-third of the Study Units are ongoing at a given tim
Authors
Timothy B. Spruill, Douglas A. Harned, Peter M. Ruhl, Jo Leslie Eimers, Gerard McMahon, Kelly E. Smith, David R. Galeone, Michael D. Woodside
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in shallow ground water of the Coastal Plain of the Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Study Unit, North Carolina and Virginia

The Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Study Unit is one of 20 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) studies begun in 1991 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assess the Nation's water quality. This report presents findings on nitrate and related constituents from studies conducted between 1991 and 1995 by the USGS's Albemarle-Pamlico NAWQA and the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ).
Authors
Timothy B. Spruill, Jo Leslie Eimers, A. Elizabeth Morey
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Radon in ground water in Guilford County, North Carolina

Approximately 30 percent of the water used in Guilford County, North Carolina, is from ground-water sources. All rural supplies are from ground water; approximately 65,000 residents used ground water for their domestic water supplies in 1990.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Guilford County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Guilford County Department of Health,
Authors
Timothy B. Spruill, Janie B. Williams, David R. Galeone, Douglas A. Harned
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Distribution of fish, benthic invertebrate, and algal communities in relation to physical and chemical conditions, Yakima River basin, Washington, 1990

Biological investigations were conducted in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, in conjunction with a pilot study for the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Ecological surveys were conducted at 25 sites in 1990 to (1) assess water-quality conditions based on fish, benthic invertebrate, and algal communities; (2) determine the hydrologic, habitat, and chemical facto
Authors
T. F. Cuffney, M. R. Meador, S. D. Porter, M. E. Gurtz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oregon Water Science Center

Water-quality assessment of the Albermarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia— A summary of selected trace element, nutrient, and pesticide data for bed sediments, 1969-90

Spatial distributions of metals and trace elements, nutrients, and pesticides and polychiorinated biphenyls (PCB's) in bed sediment were characterized using data collected from 1969 through 1990 and stored in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Data Storage and Retrieval (WATSTORE) system and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Storage and Retrieval (STORET) system databases. Bed-se
Authors
S. C. Skrobialowski
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia; trace elements in Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) soft tissues and redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) livers, 1992-93

The analysis of potential contaminants in biological tissues is an important part of many water-quality assessment programs, including the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Tissue analyses often are used to provide information about (1) direct threats to ecosystem integrity, and (2) the occurrence and distribution of potential contaminants in the environment. During 1992-93, tr
Authors
P. M. Ruhl, K.E. Smith
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Basin, North Carolina and Virginia; organochlorine compounds in Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) soft tissues and whole redbrest sunfish (Lepomis auritus) 1992-93

The analysis of potential contaminants in biological tissues is an important part of many water-quality assessment programs, including the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Tissue analyses often are used to provide information about (1) direct threats to ecosystem integrity, and (2) the occurrence and distribution of potential contaminants in the environment. During 1992-93, As
Authors
K.E. Smith, P. M. Ruhl
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico Basin, North Carolina and Virginia; chemical analyses of organic compounds and inorganic constituents in streambed sediment, 1992-93

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey began full-scale implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. Long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface-water and ground-water resources and to describe the primary natural and human factors that affect these resources. One of the f
Authors
M. D. Woodside, B.R. Simerl
By
Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Water-quality assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia environmental setting and water-quality issues

The Albemarle-Pamlico drainage study unit is one of 60 units of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, and includes the large river basins which drain into the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds-the Chowan, Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico, and Neuse River Basins. The study unit includes about 28,000 square miles and has an interrelated set of environmental characteristics which str
Authors
Gerard McMahon, Orville B. Lloyd

The U. S. Geological Survey's Albemarle-Pamlico National Water-Quality Assessment Study; background and design

The Albemarle-Pamlico Study Unit is one of 20 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) studies begun in 1991 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assess the Nation's water quality. One of the missions of the USGS is to assess the quantity and quality of the Nation's water resources. The NAWQA program was established to help accomplish this mission. The Albemarle-Pamlico Study Unit, located in
Authors
T. B. Spruill, Douglas A. Harned, Gerard McMahon
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