News About the Catawba River
Soil runoff from Target project still damaging stream
Catawba Riverkeeper volunteers have been closely monitoring the development of the new Target store near Cox Road and I-85. This project required moving a large portion of a hillside and rerouting a stream. As reported in the article, it is questionable about whether it is feasible to limit sedimentation in the short-term and whether the site will be stable over the long term.
Catawba River One of Top 10 Endangered Places in the South
On January 26, 2012, the Southern Environmental Law Center announced its annual list of the Top 10 Endangered Places in the Solutheastern U.S. The Catawba-Wateree River was back on the list as the 3rd most endangered place in the Southeast because of the threats from coal ash, power plant water use and unnecessary reservoirs.
Catawba Riverkeeper Files Lawsuit Against SCE&G
On January 12, 2012, The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Catawba Riverkeeper, filed a lawsuit against SCE&G to require a cleanup of coal ash ponds with a long history of leakage.
Coal Ash Dumping on the Rise
The Environmental Integrity Project reports that toxic coal ash dumping on the rise in the South.
Concerns Raised Again About Coal Ash Pond on Wateree River
Coal ash pervasive: 2 billion pounds of power plant waste gets in ponds, landfills in SC.
Catawba Riverkeeper Honored with Blue Fin Award
At the December meeting of the Mountain Island Lake Marine Commission, Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman accepted the Blue Fin Award.
Texas votes on water conservation tax incentive
When Texans head to the ballot box Tuesday they will be asked to approve a one-of-a-kind water conservation tax incentive that appears especially enticing during a record-breaking drought that has sucked dry nearly every area of the state.
Report Documents Stress to Catawba River from Power Plants
According to a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), water used to cool power plants that generate electicity are stressing freshwater resources around the country, and particularly the Catawba River basin. The staff of Catawba Riverkeeper and the scientists involved in researching the report have been meeting with public officials about the implications of the report in the Catawba River basin.
Catawba River Running Out of Water
Catawba River deadline has experts banding together. Projections show demand for river's water to exceed yield in 37 years and Lake Wylie to be out of water sooner.
2011 Riversweep and Big Sweep Events
Lake wylie riversweep and other clean-up events net huge totals of waste removed and volunteer participation
Hickory Covekeepers Cleanup
Each year, the Lake Hickory Covekeepers organize a cleanup in conjunction with Big Sweep on the first Saturday in October. In 2011, the cleanup was held on October 2.
Big Sweep Stream Cleanups
As part of the Big Sweep cleanup efforts throughout the basin, volunteers turned out to cleanup various creeks throughout the basin.
Shortnose Sturgeon Found in Wateree River
While Duke Energy said they did not exist, two shortnose sturgeons, an endangered species, have been found in the upper Wateree River.
Riverkeeper Says Construction Project is Hurting Environment
Crews are moving mountains of earth and one small creek to make room for a new Target store on Cox Road. Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman said they are destroying the environment in the process.
Volunteers Begin Water Quality Tests
You can help with the tests of water quality and clarity. Info below on how to get a “Secchi Disk” test kit
Development Along Banks of Lake Wylie
The Catawba Riverkeeper would rather see trees and natural vegetation along the banks of 129 acres stretching along the Catawba River east of Mount Holly.
Mtn Island Lake Cluttered with Garbage
Dirty diapers, beer bottles and tangled fishing line makes up just some of the garbage piling up along Mountain Island Lake, Charlotte's primary drinking supply.
Boater/Swimmer Incident on Lake Norman
The driver of a boat that critically injured a passenger at a Lake Norman "rafting" event Saturday had never driven a boat when he rented the 24-foot Chaparral and steered it into a cove with hundreds of other boats.
EPA draws questions about ReVenture site
Concerns voiced at meeting over oversight, liability and safety. Excerpts from article in The Charlotte Observer by Bruce Henderson bhenderson@charlotteobserver.com Posted: Friday, May. 13, 2011
How Safe is the Catawba Nuclear Plant
Excerpt from article published in the Rock Hill Herald. Drills, inspections and emergency plans aim to protect the public. During an emergency, the county will also provide transportation and other services for residents with special needs. 2011.
Supporters Circle Wagons as Parkway in Peril
With 64% of Gaston County residents opposing the Garden Parkway in 2010, Michael Barrett of Gaston Gazette reports on efforts to raise public support for a tax-funded toll road.
Data Manipulation Must Not Be Tolerated
Charlotte Observer Editorial regarding data manipulation for studies of Monroe Connector-Bypass, and potential problems with Gaston Garden Parkway
NC Held Back Data on Bypass, Documents Say
Steve Harrison with the Charlotte Observer wrote an article that appeared in Wednesday's paper about some "untruths" surrounding the Monroe Connector-Bypass and Gaston Garden Parkway.
EPA Proposes Power Plant Pollution Standards
Mercury and air toxics standards represent one of strongest health protections from air pollution since passage of Clean Air Act
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Department bows to water wasters
Creative Loafing contributor Rhiannon Bowman is concerned about Charlotte's water supply and wants to know why Charlotte is making it less expensive for residential users to use lots of water on their lawns.
Proposed Utility Changes Create Controversy About Conservation
WSOC-TV Channel 9 Reports on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Proposed Rate Changes
New Rates Proposed for Charlotte Water Users
Heavy water users would get a break under the new rate structure proposed by Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities.
Catawba Riverkeeper Comments on Final Environmental Impact Statement for Garden Parkway
On February 22, the Southern Environmental Law Center filed comments on behalf of Catawba Riverkeeper and Clean Air Carolina questioning the adequacy of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and the need for the Gaston East-West Connector Project (Garden Parkway).
Coal Ash Amendments May Prevent EPA from Regulating Coal Ash
The U.S. House of Representatives is considering two amendments that would force EPA to exempt coal ash from hazardous waste requlations and effectively prevent EPA from adopting regulations needed to prevent continued use of unlined coal ash ponds discharging into drinking water reservoirs along the Catawba River and other rivers.
Crescent Asks Mt. Holly to Rezone Land Near Lake Wylie from Residential to Heavy Industrial
Crescent Resources is asking Mt. Holly to rezone property near the upper section of Lake Wylie from residential to heavy industrial.
CATAWBA RIVER FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES DRASTICALLY EXPANDED
State officials in North and South Carolina issued health advisories urging the public to stay away from largemouth bass and channel catfish in large portions of the Catawba River and its lakes due to contamination from polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. These advisories come after years of prodding by Catawba Riverkeeper.
Catawba Riverkeeper Fights Sewage Permit
Tega Cay Water Service has been exceeding its permit limits and harming Lake Wylie for more than two years. Catawba Riverkeeper has asked for a hearing on DHEC's recommendation to allow Tega Cay Water Service to continue to pollute.
Cities and Citizens Raise Concerns About Impact of Coal Plants on Catawba Lakes
On October 19, North Carolina held a public hearing on the water pollution permits for the Allen, Riverbend and Marshall coal-fired powerplants which are on Lake Wylie, Mtn. Island Lake and Lake Norman respectively.
Riversweep Volunteers Set Record
The 9th Annual Lake Wylie Riversweep, organized by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and Lake Wylie Covekeepers, set new records for the number of volunteers. Althouth the amount of trash collected was slightly less than last year, this might be a sign that there is less trash in the lake.
NC Coal Ash Pond Partially Failed
Recent rains removed 9 feet off the top of a coal pond at Progress Energy's Sutton station in North Carolina. Just a reminder - Failures do and can happen!
Sprawl on high: Losing N.C. mountain wilderness
Mary Newsom on sprawl in the N.C. Mountains (including the headwaters of the Catawba River).
Coal ash contamination worse than estimated
The Environmental Integrity Project, EarthJustice, and the Sierra Club released a study in August 2010, titled "Coal Ash Water- Contamination Much Worse Than Previously Estimated, With 39 Additional Toxic Sites Identified in 21 States."
Explaining End-of-Summer Fish Kills
Late-summer fish kills have become an annual event on NC and SC lakes. For an explanation, read on.
Toxic Chemical Prompts Warnings at Lake Wateree
Some of Lake Wateree’s most popular game fish are polluted with a cancer-causing material that has made them unsafe to eat in more than moderate amounts. Article by Sammy Fretwell with The State.
Foothills Conservancy protects large tract of land on Catawba Headwaters
The Foothills Conservancy has added two large tracts to the protected land in McDowell County, thanks in large part to two grants from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Article by Britt Combs, The McDowell News.
Draft 2010 Catawba Basin Plan Released
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently presented a draft version of the 2010 Catawba Basin Plan to the North Carolina Environmental Managment Commission.
CRF Releases Results of Heavy Metals and PCBs Sampling on Mtn. Island Lake
On June 17th, 2010 Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman issued a press release outlining the results of lab tests on water, sediment and fish tissue samples taken from Mountain Island Lake.
Mountain Island Lake Impaired
NC Division of Water Quality's draft 2010 Impaired Waterbodies List includes a large portion of Mountain Island Lake, the main drinking water supply for the Cities of Charlotte, Gastonia and Mount Holly.
State wants more testing of coal waste
State officials want more groundwater testing around coal ash settling ponds at Duke Energy’s electric plants along the Catawba River, including three ponds in Gaston County.
Catawba Riverkeeper Profiled 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.
Con/Kan IBT Dispute Finds Resolution
Reductions during drought periods, additional water conservation measures and a timeline for withdrawals highlight key components of litigation settlement agreement.
EPA Issues Rule to Reduce Water Pollution from Construction Sites
EPA announced on November 23, 2009, that it was tightening the standards for sediment. Despite a successful lawsuit by Waterkeeper Alliance requiring the EPA to require numeric limits, we felt it might take many years for the states to actually require it because EPA was dragging its feet. It still might, but this push from the EPA might encourage this sooner rather than later. We are interested in legislation in sediment legislation for 2010 and this could possibly help us push for new legislation. Effluent limits might not be possible through legislation but getting better ground cover requirements and other measures to control runoff that gets us closer to accomplishing sediment reductions effluent limits hope to achieve in the long run. Sediment pollution is the number one water pollution problem in North Carolina.
Coal Ash Ponds Threaten Well Water and Drinking Water Reservoirs
A steady flow of information regarding the safety and security of pollutants from Duke Energy’s four EPA listed “High Hazard Potential” coal ash ponds along the Catawba River continues. Recent articles have explained data that shows heavy metal contamination in groundwater supplies.
Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering
The New York Times has been doing a series of article on water issues. Two of the major conclusions of the series are that many dischargers are out of compliance with the Clean Water Act standards and that enforcement is lax.
Southeast Water Efficiency Policies
Water efficiency is our best source of affordable water and must be the backbone of water supply planning.
Voice of the Rivers Program
Students from Brevard College begin their journey down the mighty Catawba, from its headwaters to the Atlantic Ocean, on May 16.
New Canoe and Kayak Access Point on South Fork
A new access point on the South Fork of the Catawba makes it easier for novice paddlers to gain access to the beauty of the South Fork.
More Raw Sewage Flows into Catawba
More than 11,000 gallons spilled into Catawba basin creeks during Tuesday's (May 5) rainfall
Dilworth Youth Environmental Club Host Little Sugar Creek Clean-Up
Students and community members scour creek bank for trash and junk left behind
EPA ousts Lower Dissolved oxygen Variance for trout waters in the catawba river
View our recent press release
REI helps launch Youth Kayaking program with Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation
REI awards CRF with a generous grant donation to help launch our 2009 youth kayak river expedition program to reach youth with the message of conservation and environmental stewardship.
Water Quality Facts
The Catawba-Wateree River is under increasing stress from the growing population in the basin, outdated development practices, and inadequate regulatory protection for the River. In 2008, American Rivers, a river advocacy group, named the Catawba River as the most endangered river in the United States. In 2009, the U.S. EPA announced that four of the 44 highest hazard coal ash ponds in the United States are located on the Catawba River and all of these high hazard ash ponds are located on reservoirs used as a source of drinking water.
