File:Coast watch (1979) (20039903053).jpg

Left: Oysters and other bivalves provide filtration as part of the Wilson Bay restoration. Right: The view of a growing Wilson Bay from the 27-foot biotower will remain a steadfast feature of Sturgeon City post construction.

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_17 (find matches)
Year: 1979 (1970s)
Authors: UNC Sea Grant College Program
Subjects: Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology
Publisher: (Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program)
Contributing Library: State Library of North Carolina
Digitizing Sponsor: North Carolina Digital Heritage Center

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rebounded, according to a CWMTF report. Hydrocarbons in sediments decreased nearly 70 percent, total nitrogen has been reduced, and fecal coliform levels have been significantly reduced. Donovan-Potts says that the project also succeeded in restoring dissolved oxygen levels in Wilson Bay from zero to near normal levels. As a result, the WBI has maintained a bottom community since Spring 2001 and has achieved a higher diversity offish and waterfowl. "We reopened the river and the bay to recreational and commercial uses in 2001 — what was closed for 10 years we reopened in two," she says. Students gain hands-on experience through activities — ranging from wetlands restoration to water quality monitoring and even leadership development. In time, many become volunteer teachers. The synergy of the Wilson Bay project has attracted about $6 million dollars in grants from various sources. Both Hargett and Donovan-Potts attest that much of the overwhelming response reflected in funding, com- munity participation and local media attention can be attributed to the undeniable success of the project. However, before there were suc- cesses with WBI, the city and its many partners took a science-based leap of faith. "You have to believe in the pos- sibility," says Donovan-Potts. An extra $4.2 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will help keep the bay clean in the future by focusing on wetland restoration and storm water management in the area. "We're addressing stormwater runoff from all of the neighborhoods that border Wilson Bay and this portion of the river," says Donovan- Potts. Twenty-seven projects in these neighbor- hoods will filter, reroute and change stormwater flow through use of bioswales, rain gardens and other options to filter the water before it makes its way to the bay or river. Donovan-Potts was hired as the field coordinator for the Jacksonville water quality initiative along with technician Dubois. Their duties are ever increasing as the WBI continues to grow and spawn new projects. "The lessons learned in Wilson Bay's we'd like to see them return," says Donovan- Potts. However, because this species is endan- gered, a full return is unlikely, she adds. But it's not just about the symbolic stur- geon. Donovan-Potts hopes that, if anything, her students will take home the message that "with privilege comes responsibility." This sense of stewardship is encouraged
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LEFT: Oysters and other bivalves provide filtration as part of the Wilson Bay restoration. RIGHT: The view of a growing Wilson Bay from the 27-foot biotower will remain a steadfast feature of Sturgeon City post construction. rapid recovery should encourage restoration projects around the state," adds North Carolina Sea Grant Director Ronald Hodson. STURGEON CITY VISION Sturgeons are the ghosts of Wilson Bay. Once swimming right up to the shore to feed, sturgeons now are nonexistent in the New River and endangered throughout their range. "Sturgeons are indigenous to the river, and after school, on weekends and over summer through an array of environmental educational programs — Wilson Bay Keepers, Science Explorers and seven Sturgeon City Institutes. Students gain hands-on experience through activities, ranging from wetlands restoration to water quality monitoring and even leadership development. In time, many become volunteer teachers. Kira Alsop, an eighth grader recruited 10 HIGH SEASON 2004

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