As people across North Carolina let their lawns go brown and shortened their showers, the partners of the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative have been working to minimize the impact of the next drought.

The Eno River Association is one of six partners in the initiative that have been protecting land to protect water in the Upper Neuse Basin. The basin provides drinking water for more than 500,000 people via Falls Lake and eight other public water sources.

Many people know that protecting undeveloped land is a cost-effective way to protect water quality. Intact stream buffers filter polluted runoff, decreasing the need to clean up contaminated water. But it's also a great way to help safeguard water supply.

Natural, unpaved areas allow rain to sink into the soil rather than spilling off streets and buildings, through storm drains and then downstream from the basin. Instead, water is stored deep underground, where it recharges both groundwater and streams during dry weather.

The work of the partners -- Eno River Association, Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, Tar River Land Conservancy, Triangle Greenways Council, Triangle Land Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land -- is supported by landowners and local governments, and coordinated by the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.

Together we've protected more than 17 miles of streamside buffer, totaling more than 1,800 acres, and have 26 more projects in the works to protect another 39 miles of stream frontage.

Whether we face another drought or just growing demand, the proactive efforts of the partners should help ensure that we will all have the clean water we need.