Our Work

WHAT WE DO

Protection

At the core of our mission is to preserve and protect the waters of the Catawba Wateree River Basin. Our efforts to preserve the quality waters in our basin for future generations takes on many different forms. We know that these waters have experienced damage over the years from misuse, unchecked pollution, development, human irresponsibility. It is our job to both mitigate the damages of those factors today and work to return our waters and their surrounding lands to their original form wherever possible.

Here are a few ways we preserve the waters of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin:

Learn More

Advocacy

For the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, advocacy means writing, speaking, and acting on behalf of the best interests of the Catawba River and those who depend on and enjoy it. Whether it’s about the laws that effect the river, the use of the river as a resource, or the effect of human development around it, Catawba Riverkeeper advocates to protect the river in the following ways:

Read More
- Holding polluters accountable
- Comment on proposed legislative/regulatory actions
- Participating in local development and planning initiatives
- Participating in new rulemaking
- Testifying at public hearings
- Organizing community meetings
- Meeting with elected officials
- Reporting illegal activity related to the waterways
- Recognizing companies and individuals who are examples of responsible environmental behavior
- Engaging in litigation as a last resort against individuals/entities who willfully harm the environmental integrity of the Catawba-Wateree Basin

Here are a few ways we protect the waters of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin.

Stormwater

Stormwater runoff from land use changes is the single largest source of pollution into the river.

When it rains, the rain carries litter, oil, fertilizers, bacteria, and sediment (dirt) into our storm drains and creeks. These pollutants impact the health of our streams and coves.

Catawba Riverkeeper advocates for counties and municipalities to strengthen their stormwater protections. Additionally, Catawba Riverkeeper operates projects/programs to combat specific stormwater issues on the South Fork River and streams in the Northern Basin impacted by poor poultry operation waste storage practices.

Learn More

Permitted Pollution

Did you know there are over 350 permitted discharges of pollution into the Catawba River?

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was created in 1972 by the Clean Water Act to address water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States.

Every 5 years NPDES permits come up for comment, adjustment, and renewal. Our team of scientists review these permits and advocate for changes and enforcement.

Learn more about Catawba Riverkeeper’s NPDES Permit Review Program.

Learn More

Swim, Drink, Fish

The central tenants of the Clean Water Act (1972) are to make the waterways of the United States swimmable, drinkable, and fishable.

Learn More

Restoration

It’s not enough to prevent future pollution. In order to truly improve water quality, we must restore the waterways of the Catawba-Wateree River basin.

Through watershed planning, Catawba Riverkeeper scientists are identifying potential streams, creeks, and shorelines for restoration. Once identified a plan is created to collect data and unlock grant funding for restoration projects.

Examples of restoration projects include: stream bank repair, beaver dam analog construction, and stream buffer replanting.

Learn More

Support Our Foundation