In the first year of this study, the EFC highlighted the ongoing work of local governments and that of the State of North Carolina aimed at improving the water quality in Jordan Lake. Fragmented spending, political tension, rising costs, and emerging challenges have been evident in the Jordan Lake watershed; however, as the research continued in the subsequent two years of the study, the efforts and intention with which state and local representatives are continuing to work to more efficiently and holistically address water quality has stood out.

What the EFC research team was not able to find is a quick fix to a complex challenge—it does not exist. There is not one approach which has worked perfectly somewhere else and could be implemented tomorrow in the Jordan Lake watershed. Instead, the EFC found that there are lessons learned, strategies proven effective, and lots of promising frameworks across the country and within North Carolina itself. This report aims to highlight those lessons, strategies, and frameworks so that decision-makers can tailor an approach to the unique landscape of both the Jordan Lake watershed and North Carolina as a whole. Click the link above to download the report.