Environmental Issues around Chapel Hill

Since I am now living in The Research Triangle, I thought I would look at environmental issues concerning my new home. Lake Jordan is located near Chatam and Durham County. For the past few years, there has been a dispute between the two counties concerning an area of about a mile around the boundary of the lake. This area around the lake is the watershed boundary of the lake. The problem began when a private land owner in Durham County conducted his own survey that redrew the lake’s boundaries. As a result, the land that he planned to build on was removed outside of the lake’s water shed boundaries. The area where the development is being proposed is called the 751 assemblage and would compose office and retail space. Chatam County does not want this type of development on the land around the lake. Jordan Lake supplies drinking water for Chatam County’s, Cary’s, Apex’s, and Mooresville’s. It is also on the Environmental Protection Agency’s list for impaired water quality for the past few years. On the other hand, Durham Country advocates the idea of developing the land for retail. The disagreement about Lake Jordan’s water shed boundary has been going on for a couple of years and is still a heated debate between Chatam and Durham County.