Watershed Restoration Plan for the White Oak River Basin i

SECTION 2: OVERVIEW OF THE WHITE OAK RIVER BASIN
The White Oak River Basin covers much of Onslow and Carteret Counties as well as
small portions of Craven and Jones Counties. The basin encompasses a 1,264-square mile
watershed area which includes the drainages of four separate river systems: the New River and
its tributaries in the southwestern section; the White Oak River and its tributaries; the Newport
River and its tributaries; and the North River in the eastern section. The basin also includes
Bogue and Core Sounds. Large portions of the basin are publicly owned areas such as the
Croatan National Forest adjacent to the White Oak River, Hoffman State Forest, and Camp
Lejeune Military Reservation on the New River.
The 1990 population for the White Oak basin was approximately 150,000, with over 75%
of this total residing in Onslow County. Jacksonville [in Subbasin 02] is by far the most
populous and fastest growing of the 16 municipalities located in the basin, with a current
population of over 66,000. Other municipalities in the White Oak basin -- with populations
between 3,000 and 8,000 -- are Beaufort, Emerald Isle, Morehead City, and Newport. The 1990
population density in the basin was 141 persons per square mile, exclusive of Subbasin 05 which
is sparsely populated National Seashore lands. The most densely populated areas of the Basin
are Jacksonville and Camp Lejeune on the New River, and Morehead City and Beaufort on
Bogue Sound and the Newport River]. The basin is expected to see a 26% increase in population
from 1998 to 2015 [DWQ, 2001.
The NC Division of Water Quality [DWQ] subdivides each of the 17 major river basins
in the state into component subbasins, which are designated with 6-digit codes. The White Oak
River Basin consists of 5 such subbasins, designated 03-05-01 [Subbasin 01] to 03-05-05
[Subbasin 05]. The basin includes 417 miles of streams, over 130,000 acres of estuarine waters
[including over 60,000 acres of Outstanding Resource Waters in Bogue and Core Sounds], and
91 miles of Atlantic Coastline [DWQ, 2001].
Figure 2.1 presents a general map of the White Oak River Basin with major rivers,
municipalities, county boundaries, and subbasin boundaries depicted.
.
Watershed Restoration Plan for the White Oak River Basin 3