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Covekeeper Programs/Lake Communities
The goals of the CRF Covekeeper program are to (1) involve citizens in
patrolling the Catawba River; (2) educate and involve lake residents in
protection efforts; and (3) to create a network of active CRF
ambassadors. What we have discovered is that this program has a ripple
effect that, once begun, builds from its own positive momentum. Many of
our Covekeeper volunteers when they begin our intensive training
session expect, as do most Americans, that our waters are clean and
that governmental action will deter polluters. At the end of our
year-long program, they have the scientific knowledge to identify
pollution events and they have the political and legal wisdom to put
their work into a larger context.
We provide the tools our Covekeepers
need to effectively advocate for river preservation in their
communities, local public hearings, stakeholder committee meetings and
regional wastewater management planning meetings. We are very proud of
this program and believe it is one of the most effective ways that we
are working to build grass-roots environmental activists that have a
commitment to the river.
To date we have created five such groups for Lake Hickory, Lake Norman,
Mountain Island Lake, Lake Wylie and Lake Wateree.
There are more than
150 active Covekeeper volunteers. With a minimum commitment of ten
hours per month patrolling, attending meetings and solving pollution
problems, our Covekeepers are helping to protect the Catawba River by
patrolling more than one thousand hours each month! The master plan
calls for the Catawba Riverkeeper® to spend one year organizing,
training and outfitting a Covekeeper Group on each of the 11
impoundments of the Catawba River. This covers 225 miles and 14
counties in both Carolinas. Please come and visit one of our Covekeeper
meetings, the public is always welcome. Click on the Lake communities below to find out more information on the covekeeper programs.
Mountain Island Lake Covekeepers
Lake Norman Covekeepers: http://www.lakenormankeepers.com/
