What Do The Highway Signs Mean?

The highways are cluttered with so many signs that most people have never noticed one sign that can make a difference to a fish: a watershed sign. To a person driving on a highway, a sign saying, "Haw River Basin" or "Approaching Neuse Watershed" may be confusing. After all, every other sign tells drivers what to do (like a speed limit sign) or informs them of something they might need (like a blue information sign). So what is a driver to do in response to a watershed sign?

Just like the information signs tell you that you are approaching a rest area or an exit with gas stations or restaurants, watershed signs tell you that you are approaching a watershed. Why? To raise awareness that everyone lives in the watershed or river basin, to encourage people to take care of the river basins by cleaning up litter and using natural products at home, and to remind people that their actions at work, at home and on the road affect the water quality.

These signs also inform the public that the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) and the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) are committed to preserving wetlands and controlling water pollution. Like the agricultural and construction industries, any new transportation or road project requires a NPDES permit before any work can be done. In fact, NCDOT has a wetland and stream restoration program that creates wetlands wherever a highway project will impact a wetland or watershed site. You can find out more about this project by viewing the NCDOT Soil and Water Engineering Section site. You can find out more about the partnership between NCDOT and NCDENR by reading the River Basin Web page.