My View From the River

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My View From the River

John Searby • December 22, 2022

December 2022

As 2022 comes to a close, I am reflecting on all that we have accomplished as an organization this year. As a member of Catawba Riverkeeper, YOU have been a part of all of the incredible work that we have accomplished, and I hope you enjoy reading about it in this newsletter and in our expanded coverage on the website.

Our Vision 2025 Capacity Campaign has been a huge success thus far and we are planning on putting a bow on it on February 25, 2023 at our 25th Anniversary Gala. That night we will celebrate the work of Catawba Riverkeeper since our founding in 1997 and look forward to the next 25 years. All of the funds raised at the gala will go to growing our organization’s endowment, the funding that ensures that no matter what circumstances are thrown at us, we will always have the resources to employ a Riverkeeper and support that person with a team of scientists, educators, and advocates to do the work of advocating for clean water.

This event is the culmination of three years of effort by countless staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and partners to achieve the two primary goals of our founders: To have a full basin view of the challenges facing our river AND to be a consistent on-the-water presence to engage our communities in coming alongside us in this work. The Vision 2025 campaign has allowed us to do the following towards achieving those goals:

- Open our new headquarters and Boathouse in McAdenville

- Open a satellite office in the Northern Basin in Morganton, NC complete with a state certified lab

- Develop the Outdoor Classroom in Ft. Lawn, SC

- Purchase a Floating Classroom to be docked on Lake Norman in spring 2023

- Expand our education and engagement programs across the basin

- Expand our work to protect our important urban creeks and streams in Mecklenburg County.

For all of you who have participated in Vision 2025, we want to say a huge “thank you” for helping us accomplish so much over the past 3 years. If you haven’t had an opportunity to contribute financially yet to Vision 2025, I would encourage you to stop by The River Room in McAdenville, participate in one of our upcoming programs, or spend some time on our redesigned website learning about all of the work we are doing and let us know where you would like to direct your gift.

It is a beautiful view from the banks of the river today because I can see them from the front patio of our offices and I know that our team of nearly 7,000 members and growing is behind us to ensure clean and plentiful water for generations to come.

For the River,

John Searby

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Announcing our NC State Lab Certification in Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling!

February 5, 2025

Northern basin lab becomes first state-certified non-profit macroinvertebrate sampling lab in North Carolina

Navigating the Legislative Process: How You Can Help Shape Laws to Protect the Catawba-Wateree River

By Ellie Riggs • January 17, 2025

On January 8th, the Policy Team traveled to Raleigh to kick off the 2025-2026 Legislative Session and celebrate the swearing-in of North Carolina’s 170 new lawmakers. Just a week later, South Carolina’s 126th General Assembly convened in Columbia. Congratulations to all the new legislators! We are excited to work with you to protect the waters of the Catawba-Wateree River. Before we dive into the details of our advocacy work this year, let’s take a step back to your middle school civics class. What exactly is a General Assembly? What is a legislative session? And how does an idea become a law? In both North and South Carolina, the General Assembly is the government body responsible for making state laws. It’s divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each member of the General Assembly is elected for a two-year term to represent the constituents from their district—including you! In January of each odd-numbered year, the new NC and SC General Assemblies convene for the first time in Raleigh and Columbia to begin their legislative sessions. During this time, legislators meet with constituents, lobbyists, government staff, and each other to discuss issues and solutions, introduce bills (drafted proposals for new laws), and vote on legislation. The goal of a legislative session is to create and pass laws that address state needs and shape the future of our communities. In NC, the General Assembly meets on a biennial schedule, with a “Long Session” from January to August of odd-numbered years and a “Short Session” in May of even-numbered years to adjust the budget. SC’s General Assembly convenes annually from January to May. So, how does a bill become a law? The process begins when a concerned citizen or advocacy group, like Catawba Riverkeeper, presents an idea to a legislator. If the idea gains support, it’s drafted into a bill and introduced into one chamber, where it’s debated and refined by a committee. If the bill passes the first chamber (in NC, this must happen before May 9th of the Long Session), the process repeats in the second. Once both chambers approve the bill, the governor can sign it into law. However, it’s rarely as simple as the Schoolhouse Rock “I’m Just a Bill” song suggests. Proposing a bill requires a tremendous amount of work, including extensive background research, numerous meetings with legislators, and meticulous conversations and email exchanges to fine-tune the text. Even after this, the bill can face delays, revisions in committee, or a veto from the governor. No wonder “Bill” from “I’m Just a Bill” looks so worn out! There is still one crucial step in the process that Schoolhouse Rock left out, and it involves YOU! As a constituent, your voice can directly influence laws that impact your life. Legislators derive their power from the people they represent, and their decisions are shaped by your concerns. Urging your Senator and Representative to support bills that matter to you is a powerful way to help pass legislation. It’s easy to do! Visit ncleg.gov or scstatehouse.gov to find your lawmakers’ contact information. You can email them to express your support for bills you care about. These websites also let you track the progress of bills as they move through the legislative process. Despite the challenges and complexity of the legislative process, advocating for our river is a central part of Catawba Riverkeeper. Every piece of our 2025-2026 Legislative Agenda and every bill we support has the potential to make meaningful impact on the health of our streams, rivers, lakes, and communities. Advocacy is also a team effort. While the Policy Team is brainstorming new ways to address stormwater runoff, meeting with legislators to discuss the importance of outdoor recreation, and drafting legislation to support disaster recovery, the work of advocating for our waterways requires all our voices coming together to create positive change. We hope that you will join us in being a voice for our waters this legislative session! Visit our Advocacy Page to learn more.