The Water of the Catawba
The many uses of the Catawba River's water including an interactive map of withdrawals and discharges
Like a popular hollywood starlet, everyone wants a piece of the Catawba River. And during normal rainfall years it seems there's always enough to go around. With the basin's 11 Duke Energy managed lakes at normal levels there's 739,022 acre-feet of water being stored for us to drink, bath in, boat on, use in industrial facilities, water our lawns and flush our toilets. That's 240,811,057,722 (240.81 billion) gallons of water in the chain of reservoirs from Lake James to Lake Wateree. In fact to serve as a source of water and electricity to over 1.3 million people it has been so impounded that in North Carolina the river's longest free-flowing section is just 17 miles long.
For virtually the entire 300 miles that it flows from its headwaters in the Carolina mountains to its confluence with the Congaree River in South Carolina the water of the Catawba is siphoned off, used, reused and added to before it is eventually allowed to find its way to the ocean. In 2006 water use totaled 420 million gallons per day (MGD) or 323 gallons for every man, woman and child within the river's domain.
After we withdraw and use this precious resource over 2 dozen municipal waste-water treatment plants return treated effluent (wastewater) either directly or through tributaries back to the river. The City of Charlotte Municipal Utilities Department discharged over 30 billion gallons alone in fiscal year 2008-09 through its three wastewater treatment plants. And it is important to remember, when it comes to wastewater discharges, we all live downstream from someone.
Map of Water Withdrawals & Discharges
The interactive Google map below provides a look at the locations of the municipal water treatment plants (WTP) and municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) along the Catawba River. Many of the information balloons on the map contain details about these facilities as well as clickable links to more information about water quality and plant performance reports.
Remember that this map only shows municipal withdrawals and discharges. Other entities along the river such as Duke Energy and other industrial and agricultural users also take and return water in the Catawba River Basin.
Go to the Catawba Riverkeeper Home Page by clicking here
Document Actions
- Upcoming Events
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Lake James Covekeeper Meeting
4794 E. Shores Dr., Morganton, NC,
Feb 09, 2012 -
Lake Wateree Covekeeper Mtg
Dutchman Creek VFD,
Feb 09, 2012 -
Mountain Island Lake Covekeepers Monthly Meeting
Cook's Presbyterian Church,
Feb 13, 2012 -
Lake Hickory Covekeeper meeting
Hickory, NC,
Feb 20, 2012 -
Lake Norman Covekeeper Mtg
East Lincoln Fire Department, 406 S. Pilot Knob Road, Stanley, NC,
Feb 23, 2012
- Covekeeper Meetings
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Join us for our monthly Covekeeper Meetings:
Lake James: 2nd Thursday at 6:30 p.m. - 4794 E. Shores Dr., Morganton, NC.
Lake Hickory & Lake Rhodhiss: 3rd Monday at 7 p.m. - 320 Mauney Hall at Lenoir-Rhyne College
Lake Norman: 4th Thursday - East Lincoln Fire Department on South Pilot Knob Road off Hwy. 16.
Mountain Island Lake: 2nd Monday at 7 p.m. - Cooks Presbyterian Church
Lake Wylie: 2nd Wednesday at 7 p.m. - T-Bones on the Lake
Lake Wateree: 2nd Thursday at 7 p.m. - Dutchman Creek Fire Dept.
Please check the calendar section of the website to verify the meeting time and location.
- News
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Jan 30, 2012
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. -
Jan 26, 2012
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.
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Jan 18, 2012
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.
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Jan 07, 2012
Coal Ash Dumping on the Rise
The Environmental Integrity Project reports that toxic coal ash dumping on the rise in the South.
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Dec 15, 2011
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.
- Alliances
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The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation is a proud member of EarthShare North Carolina, River Network, the North Carolina Conservation Network, and the Waterkeeper Alliance. EarthShare North Carolina makes it possible for employees to support the environment through workplace giving programs. River Network’s mission is to empower and unite people and communities to protect and restore rivers and other waters that sustain the health of our country. The NC Conservation Network supports, trains and coordinates diverse groups and directly advocates to achieve equitable and sustainable solutions for our environment. The Waterkeeper Alliance is a worldwide network of advocates for protection of our water resources. For more information about these organizations or to inquire about enrolling your employer in EarthShare NC, please contact CRF@catawbariverkeeper.org.
- Make a Donation
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Your River needs you as much as you need the River
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- Report Pollution in the Catawba River
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Help protect your River!
Tell your Riverkeeper if you see:
- Sewage Overflows
- Failure to control sediment from construction sites
- Illegal clearing of buffer areas
- Fish kills
- Invasive aquatic species
- Exceeding Pollution Limits
- Discharges exceeding allowable limits
- Unpermitted discharges
- Other issues that concern you
Click here to fill out a pollution report or
Call 1-888-679-9494 or 704-679-9494 (ext. 3)
- How to contact your NC Legislator
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Sometimes you just can't get the action that is needed to protect our water without contacting your legislator. To find out who represents you in the North Carolina legislature and how to contact them, click here.
