Chatham County Watershed Protection Department

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Chatham County Watershed Protection Department

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Chatham County Watershed Protection Department, Government Organization, 80 East Street, Pittsboro, NC.

06/01/2026

National Rivers Month
June is National Rivers Month and provides the opportunity to celebrate the rivers in our County. Chatham County lies within the largest river basin in the State, the Cape Fear River Basin. The headwaters of the Cape Fear are the Deep, Haw, and Rocky rivers. The entire watershed drains to the mouth of the Cape Fear just past Wilmington in the Atlantic Ocean. What we do here in the County affects what happens to the water quality downstream.
For more information about local watersheds, rivers and National Rivers Month, check out these following sites:

https://www.chathamcountync.gov/government/departments-programs-i-z/watershed-protection
https://www.neefusa.org/story/water/celebrate-rivers
https://www.eenorthcarolina.org/resources/river-basin-program
https://river-runner.samlearner.com/
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7073e9122ab74588b8c48ded34c3df55/
https://www.americanrivers.org/about/

05/27/2026

Wetland Wednesday!
Take a look at one of Chatham County’s larger wetlands found along the banks of Jordan Lake; a Freshwater Marsh!
Freshwater marshes are often found along the edges of lakes where a tributary enters the lake. These marshes usually do not have many trees, but instead have a large number of herbaceous plants like cattails, rushes, sedges, and broad leaf plants like Arrow Arum and Lizard’s Tail.
Watch out when you step into these marshes because they have deeply saturated hydric soils which result from the thick deposits of dead plant material and fine sediments that allow you to sink deeply into the wetland.
Freshwater marshes are very important to our state. They control flooding during storms and provide a diverse habitat for wildlife to feed, breed and stop by for a break in migration. They also provide people with a variety of recreational opportunities like bird watching or paddling.
The photo below came from a wetland off Big Woods Road that runs along the West side of Jordan Lake at Bush Creek. Note the beaver lodge and the flowering lily pads as well as all the other plants that make up the marsh. "It's so green!"
Want to know more about freshwater marshes? Check out the websites below...
https://www.carolinawetlands.org/types-of-wetlands
https://www.ncwetlands.org/learn/aboutncswetlands/types/
https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/coastal-management/estuarine-shorelines/wetlands
https://www.ncwetlands.org/wp-content/uploads/NCWetlands.org-wetland-plants-factsheet.pdf
https://www.ncwetlands.org/wp-content/uploads/NCWetlands-Functions_Of_Wetlands.pdf
https://www.ncwetlands.org/wp-content/uploads/Things_to_do_in_a_Wetland_infographic2.pdf

05/20/2026

Wetland Wednesday
Is it a wetland? In the world of stormwater treatment, one method of slowing water down is to create a stormwater wetland. Stormwater wetlands are constructed systems that mimic the functions of natural wetlands and use physical, chemical, and biological processes to treat stormwater pollution. These constructed wetlands can be used for treating the quality and the quantity of stormwater runoff from subdivisions and commercial properties. They utilize the three H’s of Hydrology, Hydric soils and Hydrophilic plants to allow stormwater to collect, soak in and remove nutrients by plant roots.
For more about these man-made wetlands, check out the following websites:
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-11/bmp-stormwater-wetland.pdf
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/stormwater-wetland-construction-guidance
https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/Water%20Quality/Surface%20Water%20Protection/SPU/SPU%20-%20BMP%20Manual%20Documents/BMPMan-Ch09-SWWetlands-20090710-DWQ-SPU.pdf
https://www.dragonflypondworks.com/blog/stormwater-wetlands-101

05/13/2026

In celebration of American Wetlands Month, we are taking a look at what makes a wetland, a wetland.
Wetlands are determined based on the three H’s; Hydrology, Hydric Soils and Hydrophilic Plants!
Hydrology
Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. How much water there is, how quickly it moves around, or how long it stays determines the type of wetland and what can live there.
Hydric Soils
Wetland soils are hydric, meaning they form under very wet conditions and have little to no oxygen. Water saturates the soil and changes the color and chemistry of the soil. When wetland soil gets saturated, microbes use up all the oxygen and the soil becomes anaerobic giving hydric soils their usual gray color.
Hydrophilic Plants
Plants that like a lot of water are called hydrophilic, or “water plants.” Wetlands are full of hydrophilic plants. Arrow arum, Lizard’s Tail, rushes, sedges, willow trees, maple trees and ferns are all types of local wetland plants.
To learn more about the three H’s, visit the following websites:
https://www.ncwetlands.org/wp-content/uploads/NCWetlands.org-wetland-hydrology-factsheet.pdf
https://www.ncwetlands.org/wp-content/uploads/NCWetlands.org-wetland-soils-factsheet.pdf
https://www.ncwetlands.org/wp-content/uploads/NCWetlands.org-wetland-plants-factsheet.pdf
https://www.ncwetlands.org/

05/01/2026

May is American Wetlands Month!
American Wetlands Month is a time when we can celebrate the wetlands in our County (and around the Country!)
This month-long celebration of wetlands was created in 1991 by EPA to celebrate the vital importance of wetlands to the Nation's ecological, economic, and social health, and to educate Americans about the value of wetlands as a natural resource.
Wetlands benefit fish wildlife as well as people. They provide habitat for numerous species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals and are important for flood protection, improving water-quality, erosion control, recreation, and food.
This month we will celebrate wetlands by hosting some programs to experience local wetlands. Keep a lookout for those program announcements on the Chatham County Watershed Protection Department website ( https://www.chathamcountync.gov/government/departments-programs-i-z/watershed-protection ) this month.
For more about wetlands, visit these sites:
https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/what-wetland
https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/classification-and-types-wetlands
https://www.ncwetlands.org/
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/wetlands/why.htm
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/5-reasons-why-we-love-wetlands
https://www.chathamcountync.gov/government/departments-programs-i-z/watershed-protection

04/28/2026

Toad Tuesday
This is the final Tuesday of National Frog Month and today’s toad is the Fowlers Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri).
Similar to the American Toad, the Fowlers Toad is a bit less; smaller cranial crests, smaller warts on the leg, a shorter call and a single dark spot on their chest. Other ways to identify them is to look for a pale stripe down their back and 3 – 4 warts in each dark spot on their back. Their call is similar too, but the “waaah” lasts between one and five seconds.
Look for these toads breeding in puddles and ponds from April to June here in NC. Farm ponds are a good spot to find them in large numbers. An interesting fact is that if you grab a male Fowlers Toad from a breeding pool, they will give a “release call” as if another male toad had mistakenly grabbed them.
A benefit to your garden, they eat numerous insects each night, but they are not fond of worms.
And of course, they will not give you warts when held nor turn into a prince when kissed. Sorry.
To learn more about Fowlers Toads and listen to their calls, visit these sites!
https://herpsofnc.org/fowlers-toad/
https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/amphibians/view.php?checklist_number=2.0&show_all=show_all
https://bio.davidson.edu/herpcons/herps_of_NC/anurans/Buffow/Buf_fow.html
https://gonefroggin.com/2018/10/29/fowlers-toad-anaxyrus-fowleri/
https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/the-buzz/myth-buster-frogs-and-toad-don-t-cause-warts

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!
Today is Earth Day 2026 and this year’s theme is “Our Power, Our Planet”.
Earth Day has been celebrated for 56 years and is focused on the health of our planet and in turn, the health of its people.
As John Muir said, “When one tugs at a single thing in Nature, they find it attached to the rest of the world”. Take some time today to think of our interconnectedness with the world around us and what can be done to make the world a better place.
To learn more about Earth Day and what you could do to help the Earth, check out some of the following websites:
https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2026/
https://www.almanac.com/content/earth-day-date-activities-history
https://www.epa.gov/history/epa-history-earth-day
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/documents/ws-earth-day-kids-tips-puzzles.pdf
https://www.earthreminder.com/earth-day-2026-theme-that-demands-action-beyond-one-day/
https://www.tampabaywater.org/blog/celebrate-earth-day-by-conserving-and-protecting-our-drinking-water/

04/21/2026

Toad Tuesday
Today’s toad has to be my favorite toad in the County because of it’s call and shape; the Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)!
This small toad has a small mouth, quite unlike the other toads in the County, but still makes a loud mating call. One thing I like about the call is that it sounds like a small sheep yelling out in the yard. It just makes me smile every time I hear them call.
Because of their diminutive size, they spend a lot of time hidden underground and usually only come out at night to feed on ants. Another neat thing about their tadpoles is that they feed on the plankton in the ephemeral pools where their eggs were deposited all Spring and Summer.
So, want to know more details of the Narrow-mouthed Toad and hear their calls? Visit these websites:
https://herpsofnc.org/eastern-narrow-mouthed-toad/
https://www.ncwildlife.gov/species/eastern-narrowmouth-toad
https://swampschool.org/north-carolinas-weird-and-wonderful-eastern-narrow-mouthed-toad/
https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/eastern-narrow-mouthed-toad/
https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/amphibians/view.php?checklist_number=21.0

04/17/2026

Frog Friday!
This Friday we are going to look at one of our local frogs that is just starting to call, the Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
Northern Cricket Frogs are a common Chatham County frog. As adults, they grow to be about an inch long and can be found near ponds, rivers and wetlands. They can be identified by the green or rust colored “Y” on their back. There is also a Southern Cricket Frog that is similar to the Northern Cricket Frog, but they live down east in the Coastal Plain.
The call of the Northern Cricket Frog sounds like two pebbles being clicked together and they have just started their mating calls here in Chatham in the last week or two. They like it much warmer than the Peepers and Chorus Frogs so listen for them as you go outdoors.
So next time you are out next to a pond or wetland, keep an eye out for these small frogs jumping away from your feet, they are in the tree frog family, but mostly stay on the ground.
Visit the following websites to learn more about these frogs and listen to their calls:
https://herpsofnc.org/cricket-frog/
https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/amphibians/view.php?checklist_number=5.0
https://bio.davidson.edu/herpcons/herps_of_NC/anurans/Acrcregry/Acr_cregry.html
https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/northern-cricket-frog/

04/14/2026

Toad Tuesday?
As part of National Frog Month, Tuesday is a good day to take a closer look at some of our local toads.
This week, the American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is our toad of the week.
You can tell Spring is coming when these large amphibians begin trilling in local vernal pools. American Toads begin calling a month or so after the Peepers and Chorus frogs and have a distinctly different call, a “trill”.
Toad eggs are laid in long strands in water during amplexus; the “mating hug”. The eggs are bicolored so the dark tops can absorb sunlight to warm the egg and are white below for protection from predators.
Toads are welcome in the garden and field because they have a voracious appetite for insects. A few animals will eat toads, like snakes and raccoons, however, toads have two parotoid glands on the sides of their head that secrete a toxin that deters most predators
Visit the following websites to learn more about these toads and listen to their calls:
https://www.ncwildlife.gov/media/1371/open
https://herpsofnc.org/american-toad/
https://wildones.org/toad-habitat/
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-make-a-toad-house-1388582
https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/american-toads-amplexus

Address

80 East Street
Pittsboro, NC
27312

Website

https://www.chathamcountync.gov/government/departments-programs-i-z/watershed-protection

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