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Let's Talk Stormwater! Introducing NC House Bill 511

Ryan Carter • April 11, 2023

Catawba Riverkeeper pushes for a law in North Carolina that would allow local communities the option to require developers to include stormwater management features on redevelopment projects.

Let’s talk about stormwater. 


We know that stormwater is a problem when a high volume hit our creeks at a high velocity. Both occur when rain hits impervious surfaces and is not sent to some sort of retention pond or rain garden. Untreated stormwater, as it’s called, hits the impervious surface then flows directly into a stream or into a storm drain. Our basin and the state of North Carolina have some very old storm drain systems that we simply do not know where all these pipes go. In cases in Hickory and Morganton, we have abruptly found some when sinkholes form where stormwater pipes are overwhelmed by, again, a high volume and velocity of stormwater. Once this water leaves the pipes, wherever that may be, it sends a wall of water down the creek. This high volume and velocity of water leads to erosion of streambanks, leading to a loss of land, depositing it into downstream communities. This water also degrades water quality and chokes out aquatic life. Think of it as smog for fish. If you live in Gaston County, check out Duharts Creek. If you’re in Mecklenburg, check out where Sugar Creek flows into South Carolina. 


What can we do about it? Right now? Not much. North Carolina law prohibits local communities from having ordinances that could require stormwater features to be added to redevelopment projects. No community in NC had stormwater management requirements prior to the late 1970s. Even then, our first ordinances focused on getting water off paved surfaces quickly, ignoring the impact of this runoff on downstream communities. In short, we have a lot of impervious surfaces that is contributing to this stormwater runoff problem. 


The week of March 27 was a remarkable time in the fight to improve water quality in NC. The week started with the Medicaid expansion ceremony, followed by a gubernatorial veto override, a massive vote on online sports gambling, and, the House’s budget was released. If that wasn’t enough, visiting the General Assembly was everyone from nursing students to realtors to community college advocates and even your NC Riverkeepers! 


In the midst of all this commotion, a critical piece of legislation was filed. House Bill 511 was introduced by Representatives Donnie Loftis (R-Gaston), Terry Brown (D-Mecklenburg), and Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke). 14 additional legislators have signed on in support with roughly half coming from the Catawba Basin Delegation.  These 17 legislators represent communities from the NC-TN border to the urban areas of the Piedmont to the coastal planes to the tide waters. An interesting note is that the first, four legislators who signed on the bill (the three previously listed and Representative Dudley Greene (R - Avery, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey) represent the two headwaters' districts and the last two districts of our river before it crosses the state line. 


So what does HB 511 actually do? It’s all about those existing impervious surfaces. Think of an old mill or an old strip mall or just a big parking lot not doing anything, other than contributing a high volume and velocity of stormwater to your local creek. If a property like this was going to be redeveloped or turned into something new, this bill would allow a local community the option to require the developer to include stormwater management features. This would apply to industrial, commercial, multifamily, or mixed-use redevelopment. 


This bill has a long way to go before we see local communities in NC having this kind or ordinances but we’ve taken a big step. We are grateful for our basin delegation’s leadership and implore them to keep up the great work. 

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Navigating the Legislative Process: How You Can Help Shape Laws to Protect the Catawba-Wateree River

By Ellie Riggs • January 17, 2025
On January 8th, the Policy Team traveled to Raleigh to kick off the 2025-2026 Legislative Session and celebrate the swearing-in of North Carolina’s 170 new lawmakers. Just a week later, South Carolina’s 126th General Assembly convened in Columbia. Congratulations to all the new legislators! We are excited to work with you to protect the waters of the Catawba-Wateree River. Before we dive into the details of our advocacy work this year, let’s take a step back to your middle school civics class. What exactly is a General Assembly? What is a legislative session? And how does an idea become a law? In both North and South Carolina, the General Assembly is the government body responsible for making state laws. It’s divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each member of the General Assembly is elected for a two-year term to represent the constituents from their district—including you! In January of each odd-numbered year, the new NC and SC General Assemblies convene for the first time in Raleigh and Columbia to begin their legislative sessions. During this time, legislators meet with constituents, lobbyists, government staff, and each other to discuss issues and solutions, introduce bills (drafted proposals for new laws), and vote on legislation. The goal of a legislative session is to create and pass laws that address state needs and shape the future of our communities. In NC, the General Assembly meets on a biennial schedule, with a “Long Session” from January to August of odd-numbered years and a “Short Session” in May of even-numbered years to adjust the budget. SC’s General Assembly convenes annually from January to May. So, how does a bill become a law? The process begins when a concerned citizen or advocacy group, like Catawba Riverkeeper, presents an idea to a legislator. If the idea gains support, it’s drafted into a bill and introduced into one chamber, where it’s debated and refined by a committee. If the bill passes the first chamber (in NC, this must happen before May 9th of the Long Session), the process repeats in the second. Once both chambers approve the bill, the governor can sign it into law. However, it’s rarely as simple as the Schoolhouse Rock “I’m Just a Bill” song suggests. Proposing a bill requires a tremendous amount of work, including extensive background research, numerous meetings with legislators, and meticulous conversations and email exchanges to fine-tune the text. Even after this, the bill can face delays, revisions in committee, or a veto from the governor. No wonder “Bill” from “I’m Just a Bill” looks so worn out! There is still one crucial step in the process that Schoolhouse Rock left out, and it involves YOU! As a constituent, your voice can directly influence laws that impact your life. Legislators derive their power from the people they represent, and their decisions are shaped by your concerns. Urging your Senator and Representative to support bills that matter to you is a powerful way to help pass legislation. It’s easy to do! Visit ncleg.gov or scstatehouse.gov to find your lawmakers’ contact information. You can email them to express your support for bills you care about. These websites also let you track the progress of bills as they move through the legislative process. Despite the challenges and complexity of the legislative process, advocating for our river is a central part of Catawba Riverkeeper. Every piece of our 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda and every bill we support has the potential to make meaningful impact on the health of our streams, rivers, lakes, and communities. Advocacy is also a team effort. While the Policy Team is brainstorming new ways to address stormwater runoff, meeting with legislators to discuss the importance of outdoor recreation, and drafting legislation to support disaster recovery, the work of advocating for our waterways requires all our voices coming together to create positive change. We hope that you will join us in being a voice for our waters this legislative session! Visit our Advocacy Page to learn more.
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