Natural Floodplain Functions
- Local Watersheds. The Town of Beaufort lies within the White Oak River Basin and has three (3) main watersheds: Town Creek, Taylor Creek, and Davis Bay (encompassing
Turner Creek and Gibbs Creek). These watersheds encompass the majority of the Town and the surrounding areas, spanning over 3,050 acres, and receive the majority of the town’s stormwater runoff.
The Town Creek and Taylor Creek watersheds include the majority of commercial business in the Town and have the most development. Residential and commercial development within the watersheds has resulted in an increase in impervious surfaces and, consequently, contributed to the amount of flooding issues and impaired water quality for some streams.
Stormwater runoff is carried to the Newport River and North River delta estuaries, which are part of the White Oak River Basin. The Newport River and the North River are High Quality Waters, and all streams within this basin are classified at Tidal Salt Waters (SC), which are protected for secondary recreation such as fishing, wading, boating, and other activities involving minimal skin contact; fish and noncommercial shellfish consumption; aquatic life propagation and survival; and wildlife. Flow from the Newport and North Rivers flow either out to sea or into Back Sound, which is classified as Outstanding Resource Waters (Town of Beaufort Stormwater Capital Improvements Plan, 2019)
- Inventory of Natural Features. The inventory of natural features includes a description of Areas of Environmental Concern (AECs), soil characteristics, water quality classifications and use support designations, flood hazard areas, storm surge areas, non-coastal wetlands, water supply watersheds, and other environmentally fragile areas. Fragile areas within the Beaufort planning jurisdiction that could easily be damaged or destroyed by inappropriate or poorly planned land uses include floodplains, freshwater marshes, saltwater and brackish marshes, beneficial non-coastal wetlands, and estuarine waters (Town of Beaufort Core Land Use Plan). Additional information and maps are available in the Core Land Use Plan – Section 3.2.
Report dumping in the drainage system by calling the Town of Beaufort Water Department at (252) 838-0197.
Office Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
After Hours Emergency Phone Numbers
Water: (252) 241-3525
Sewer: (252) 241-5164 or (252) 723-9760
Report illegal floodplain development by calling the Town of Beaufort Inspections office at (252) 728-2142.