New River (eastern North Carolina)

It rises in northwestern Onslow County and flows east-southeast past Jacksonville, where it widens into a tidal estuary approximately two miles (3.2 km) wide.

As an estuary it meanders through Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and enters the Atlantic in Onslow Bay, via the New River Inlet between two barrier islands.

Jacksonville rapidly expanded during World War II and thereafter due to the growth of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, putting strain on the municipal wastewater infrastructure.

The additional nutrients dumped into the river led to algal blooms, reduced oxygen levels, and fish kills.

Jacksonville's government replaced its sewage plant and consulted with scientists from North Carolina State University on ways to remediate the river's water quality.