My View From the River

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My View From the River

John Searby • May 28, 2024

A Message from Executive Director John Searby.

The end of spring and beginning of summer is always a time of transition both personally and professionally. With a high school senior graduating this year and closing one chapter of his life while another one opens, I am especially reminded this year that this time of transition is natural and necessary for us to grow and mature as humans. Nature is experiencing a similar transition. Spring blooms are fully open now and adapting to warmer temperatures. Spring showers that have been severe in some parts of our river basin and caused flooding and sedimentation are calming, reminding us that a dry, hot summer could be right around the corner. Our programs are shifting from spring to summer activities, as well. And I am looking forward to some long summer days providing an opportunity for evening paddles on the South Fork where I live.

Summer brings Swim Guide at Catawba Riverkeeper, and Swim Guide brings a flurry of activity to our offices. This year, our summer work will be bolstered by 6 interns generously supported by the Borman Family Foundation. At over 60 sites around the basin, volunteers will grab water quality samples at popular swimming spots and bring them to our labs in McAdenville and Morganton for processing. Our staff and interns will test them for E. coli bacteria, an indicator of whether it is safe to swim or not. Each Friday afternoon we’ll post the results on our social media sites and text message platforms so that you know if you’re favorite spot is safe for the upcoming weekend. Swim Guide is sponsored by Nucor and individuals all across the basin, so I hope you’ll download our app and check it out each week!

The other big shift for our staff that summer brings is an increase in our recreational programing. The summer weather makes it the perfect time to get out on the water for one of our Eco-Tours or to rent a kayak from us at The Boathouse in McAdenville or Confluence in Cramerton. We’ve also got spots left in our Summer Camps that we are doing in partnership with Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. If your family is looking for a fun way to give back this summer, I hope you'll consider joining in our "Cleanup Champion Challenge" during the month of June and see how many pounds of trash you can cleanup from our waterways. To learn more, head over to our website to learn more and challenge your neighbors to participate!

The final big area of focus for our team this summer is engaging with and getting you engaged with our elected officials across the river basin. For legislators in both North and South Carolina, their spring sessions are wrapping up and they are heading into their summer break. We are going to take this opportunity to connect you with them when we host our Pig Pickin’ and Politicin' Event on July 13^th in McAdenville. You’ll get the chance to hear from your legislators about their conservation priorities and we’ll be sharing our 2025 legislative agenda with you so that you know what we’re going to be working on going into next year’s legislative session. Please join us and several other conservation non-profits in the region for this fun event.

As you make your transition from spring to summer, I hope you will have the opportunity to get outside on or near the water. If the summer provides you an opportunity to spend time on the water, I hope you’ll also consider supporting our work at Catawba Riverkeeper. As the only independent, non-profit, on-the-water advocate for the nearly 4 million people who live in our river basin, we rely on your support to ensure that we can continue our work in ALL SEASONS. I hope your summer view of the river is great!

John Searby

CEO/Executive Director

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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.