Welcome to the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation
We appreciate your interest in protecting the water in the Catawba-Wateree Basin and we hope that you will find the information in the website to be helpful. The Basin includes approximately 5000 miles of waterways flowing through 11 major lakes. The watershed includes portions of 24 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina. In 2008, the Catawba-Wateree River was named by American Rivers as the Most Endangered River in the United States. The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works to educate people about the Catawba-Wateree River, to protect the River, and to advocate for the River.
Catawba Riverkeeper Featured in Charlotte Magazine
Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman was profiled in the Feburary issue of Charlotte Magazine. If you ever wondered what the Riverkeeper does, this article provides a good glimpse of the life of the Riverkeeper. To read the article, go to the Charlotte Magazine web site: http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Charlotte-Magazine/February-2010/One-Man-and-a-River/.
Community Coordinator Job Opening
Catawba Riverkeeper is currently seeking applicants for the Community Coordinator Position. Detailed information about the position is available at Community Coordinator Job.
Catawba Video
Link to more video about the Catawba
Discharge Permits Being Reviewed
Did you know that every one of the 200+ permits to discharge pollutants into the streams and rivers in the North Carolina portion of the Catawba Basin comes up for renewal in 2010? These permits include sewage treatment plants, industrial facilities, stormwater discharges and many other sources of pollutants. A list of the permits that are currently being reviewed by DENR in the Mooresville Regional Office of DENR is at http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/bims/reports/permits/pendingNPDESSWMRO.pdf. Catawba Riverkeeper needs your help identifying permit applications that raise significant environmental concerns and commenting on the permit applications. Please contact David Merryman if you are interested in helping provide comments on permit applicaitons.
Catawba Threatened by Coal Ash According to EPA Report
Four of EPA's 44 High Hazard Coal Ash Impoundments reside along the Catawba River in Catawba and Gaston Counties. Two of EPA's High Hazard Coal Ash Impoundments are located on Mountain Island Lake upstream from the primary water intakes for the Charlotte, Gastonia, Mt. Holly and Belmont, which supply water to approximately 750,000 people. According to 2005 U.S. Dept. of Energy numbers, over 200,000 tons of Coal Ash Waste is stored adjoining the Catawba River in Gaston County and 33,500 tons of coal waste is stored adjoining the Catawba River in Catawba County. The problem of coal ash was recently featured in a report by the CBS news program "60 Minutes" and numerous other publications. Recent studies indicate that contaminants from the coal ash ponds, are infiltrating the groundwater under the ash ponds in addition to being discharged directly into the reservoirs that are used as a source of drinking water along the Catawba River. The Catawba Riverkeeper is urging local governments that rely on the Catawba River for water to develop contingency plans in the event of a catastrophic failure of any of the ash ponds, as happened in Tennessee in December 2008. For more information about coal ash visit our Coal Ash Fact Sheet. For our press release click here. For a video about coal ash click here. For information about possible recycling/reuse methods for Coal Ash click here.
Riversweep and Big Sweep Cleanups Trash Previous Records
Several related cleanup events were held up along the Catawba River during the past month. The Lake Wylie event, which was sponsored by Catawba Riverkeeper and Aquarius Spring, removed approximately 31 tons of garbage from Lake Wylie. Links to photos from some of the cleanup events appear below:
We will post additional pictures from the events as we receive and digest the additional photos
Relicensing of Catawba-Wateree Hydropower Project
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the 13 hydroelectric dams along the Catawba and Wateree Rivers during the summer of 2009. The FEIS includes as recommended actions many of the of the actions requested by the Catawba Riverkeeper, but we believe that there are significant areas where the recommendations in the FEIS are not adequate to protect the River. For example, the Catawba Riverkeeper urges FERC to require higher minimum flows in the River. If you are interested in viewing the FEIS or the Catawba Riverkeeper's comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, click here.
In related news, FERC is considering the impact of the denial of a water quality certification for the hydro project by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). Duke is arguing that FERC should ignore the denial of the water quality certification and proceed with the issuance of the license for the project.
Youth Kayaking Program
During the summer of 2009, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation (CRF) took over 200 youth out on the water through its newest program –Youth Kayaking River Expedition (YKRE). The Catawba Riverkeeper worked with the Salvation Army and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte to take youth out on the River who would not otherwise have the opportunity to go kayaking or get out on the River. This program was made possible by a grant from REI to purchase the kayaks and other equipment. However, CRF is looking for volunteers and funding to keep the program going in 2010. For more information about the YKRE program, click here.
Get Out On The River!
The Catawba Riverkeeper conducts periodic family paddling trips on different sections of the Catawba River and its tributaries. Come out and canoe or kayak with the Catawba Riverkeeper. In the alternative, get out and paddle on your own.
Our next group paddling event open to the general public will be the Spider Lily Eco-Tour on May 22, 2010. Photos from the 2009 Spider Lily Eco Tour are posted at 2009 Spider Lily Eco Tour Photos. In addition, we will have a paddling trip with the Riverkeeper in July 2010 and our annual Fall Leaf Tour on Lake James in October 2010. Additional information about the Leaf Tour is at Fall Leaf Tour. To access maps and other information about where to paddle in the basin, click here. Please join us for a paddling trip with the Riverkeeper.
Video About Current Issues
Click below for a 9 minute video about issues facing the Catawba River:
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FOR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT THE CATAWBA RIVER AND WATEREE RIVER, CLICK HERE.
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For more information about the Covekeeper programs please contact the Catawba Riverkeeper david@catawbariverkeeper.org. You can view information about each of the covekeeper programs by clicking on the following links:
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The CRF site's banner photographs have been generously contributed by
Bill Stokes and Randy Miller.
