Recreation on the River

 Over 10 million people visit the Catawba River each year, to fish, boat, kayak, swim, canoe, and all sorts of other recreational activities. The basin is home to four state parks, and the scenic Linville River. The amount of people visiting the Catawba is expected to continue to increase by 11% per decade through 2050. The study that has all of this information is taking into account only the people visiting the public access points along the river. Add to that the number of private access points to the river and the number of people visiting the river is huge!

Look up sites where you can visit our beautiful Catawba River or Wateree River by clicking on one of the maps of the Catawba-Wateree basin.  To find out more information about where to paddle on the Catawba and Wateree Rivers, Click Here.  We hope to see you on the river!!

 Kayaker with Spider Lillies

Additional Information

Click on the subheadings below for additional information about the Catawba-Wateree Basin.

Maps of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin

 

Current Issues

Linville GorgeFacts about the River

History of the Basin

Other

 

Document Actions
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News
Jun 11, 2013 Catawba Riverkeeper, Southern Environmental Law Center Efforts to Stop Duke Energy's Coal Ash Pollution of Mountain Island Lake Move to Federal Court
Suit filed in United States District Court in Charlotte on behalf of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation; follows a suit brought in Mecklenburg County state court by North Carolina against Duke Energy
Jun 10, 2013 Banner Year for Sewage Spills
The last twelve months have seen an extraordinary number of sewage spills. This page provides a database with records of spills of sewage and contaminates in the Catawba Waterbasin for the past year.
Jun 06, 2013 Catawba Riverkeeper Intervenes in State Lawsuit Against Duke Energy
SELC, on behalf of Catawba Riverkeeper, has moved to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the State of North Carolina over pollution from coal ash waste ponds at Duke Energy's Riverbend power plant on Mountain Island Lake.
May 28, 2013 State Files Second Lawsuit Against Duke
On May 23, the State of North Carolina filed a second lawsuit alleging pollution of Mountain Island Lake from coal ash waste ponds at Duke Energy's Riverbend power plant. This new lawsuit was filed in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), where most of the 860,000 people live who drink water from Mountain Island Lake.
May 26, 2013 Charlotte Observer Calls Riverbend Ash Pollution "Serious Danger" and Calls for Cleanup
The editors of The Charlotte Observer published an editorial in the Sunday edition of the paper asking Duke Energy to clean up the coal ash waste ponds and related contamination at the Riverbend power plant on Mountain Island Lake.
More news…
Report Pollution in the Catawba River

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 
  • Unpermitted discharges
  • Other issues that concern you

Click here to fill out a pollution report or to report water pollution to Catawba Riverkeeper by phone, call 1-888-679-9494 or 704-679-9494.  In addition, to informing your Riverkeeper, you should also report spills or contamination to federal, state and local environmental officials.

To report South Carolina water pollution call 1-888-481-0125.

To report North Carolina spills or fish kills, call your local regional Department of Environment & Natural Resources office during normal business hours (704-663-1699 for most Catawba basin areas or (828) 296-4500 for Burke, Caldwell, McDowell and other mountain counties) or 800-858-0368 after hours.  (For more information on NC spill reporting, click here)

Alliances

The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation is a proud member of EarthShare North Carolina, the North Carolina Conservation Network, River Network and the Waterkeeper Alliance.  

EarthShare of North Carolina Logo

 

NC Conservation Network Logo

 

River Network Logo

    

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421 Minuet Ln Ste 205 . Charlotte, NC 28217-2784 . Phone: 704.679.9494 . Fax: 704.679.9559