Lands in Need of Protection: Watersheds

Water-supply watersheds have specific State-mandated protection regulations. These regulations attempt to maintain or restore the natural stormwater infiltration and purification process by:

• Limiting housing density by restricting the maximum number of housing units per acre
• Limiting the built-upon area, or the amount of land covered by pavement and structures
• Maintaining natural vegetative buffers along streams
• Requiring engineered stormwater controls that trap sediment and other pollutants before reaching streams

Protected watersheds in Forsyth County include Salem Lake, Abbotts Creek, Lake Brandt, Oak Hollow, Kernersville Lake, and the Yadkin River. Each watershed is regulated according to State classifications.