Water Use
| Total Water Use-Yadkin River Basin, Forsyth County, North Carolina | ||
| Water Use Category | Total Mgal/d | Percentage |
| Public Supply | 288.69 | 57.34 |
| Domestic | 191.66 | 38.07 |
| Commercial | 0 | 0 |
| Industrial | 0 | 0 |
| Thermoelectric Power | 0 | 0 |
| Mining | 0.30 | 0.06 |
| Livestock | 0.06 | 0.01 |
| Aquaculture | 2.17 | 0.43 |
| Irrigation | 20.55 | 4.09 |
| Hydroelectric Power | 0 | |
| Wastewater Treatment | 0 | |
| Total Water Use | 503.43 | 100 |
Forsyth County, North Carolina, has a total population of 369,019 people as of 2015. Results of the data show that the public supply population served by groundwater, in thousands, is 3,801. The public supply population served by surface water in thousands is 278,633. This indicates that the total public supply of water from both the underground and surface water is 282,434.
Water Pollution
The sources of impairment in Yadkin River (which includes the upper portion of High Rock Lake) include the fish tissue mercury (Nar, FC, NC) and turbidity (50 NTU, AL, FW miles). The fish tissue mercury and turbidity were some parameters used to measure the quality of water in the Yadkin River in 2016. The stream has had the impairments since the introduction of dairy and fish farming in Georgia state. Data results from water use show that pollution of river Yadkin occurs through point and nonpoint sources. However, the majority of pollution comes from nonpoint sources. The findings show that 95.41 percent of the contamination is from domestic use and public supply of water. Nonpoint sources accrue from a wide range of land use activities. Since most of the residents from Georgia county practice dairy and fish farming, nonpoint pollutants are carried into the Yadkin river by surface runoff. Sediments are also a form of nonpoint source pollution. A large number of herds for dairy farming is a contributor to water pollution through hoof action of livestock. This action leads to soil erosion and loose sediments that are transported to the river through surface action. Fecal matter is also a water pollutant in the Yadkin River. Sedimentation and fecal matter lead to the turbidity of the Yadkin River. Waste products from fish farming, including chemicals used during irrigation, lead to a high mercury concentration in the Yadkin River. Domestic water use also entails water for personal use and even for other purposes such as gardening. Effluents from local discharge may also lead to water pollution through high concentrations of mercury and phosphates in the water, which reduces water quality.
Recommendations for watershed Management