News-Record.com

From the lede of a story I wrote for today's (Sunday's) Paper:

RALEIGH - The Haw River sweeps pollution from sewage plants and rainwater runoff in the Triad downstream to Jordan Lake near Raleigh. Critics say hundreds of millions in tax dollars will soon follow in an effort to clean the 26-year-old reservoir.

Environmental groups say the cost of proposed state regulations - about $70 million just to make called-for upgrades to Greensboro's sewage treatment plants - are worth it to restore the lake, a key drinking water supply, recreation area and home to wildlife.

Communities in Guilford, Rockingham, Alamance and Caswell counties are upstream from the lake, which regulators say is impaired by overdoses of nitrogen and phosphorus.

Click here to link to the full story.

I should acknowledge up front that while I have a fairly good layman's understanding of the science here, I'm by no means qualified to referee the fight and say which side has god or the numbers supporting their cause.

But I do know what it looks like when boys and girls start choosing up sides for a political street fight. And friends, if this were West Side Story, the Jets and Sharks would be snapping away right about now.

Some linkage to other resources on this topic:

• The Piedmont Triad Council of Governments doesn't seem to be a fan of the rules, but has a lot of information on their site.

• The Haw River Assembly is an environmental group who think the rules are needed.

• The state parks and rec division has lots of info on Jordan Lake, including a brief history.

• The Army Corps of Engineers has a big ol' picture of the dam on their site. More from the corps.

• I guess it shouldn't surprise me (but it did) that there's a Wikipedia page on the lake.

• The N.C. Division of Water Quality has lots of info on Jordan Lake, but you sort of have to hunt for it on their site. I'd look here for water quality data and here for some good info on nonpoint source pollution.

• The N.C. Conservation Network also has some Jordan Lake information.
  

As always, the comment lines are open.