Catawba Riverkeeper and CAFOs

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Catawba Riverkeeper and CAFOs

Hank Talmadge • Dec 12, 2022

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and Catawba Riverkeeper over the Years

Background

Chicken and turkey production has increased by 33% over the past 20 years, with more than half of that growth occurring in the past 5 years. By some measures, North Carolina is the number one chicken producing state in the entire country.

While poultry production in the United States has increased, the total number of farms has decreased. Now, 97% of the 9 billion chickens produced for consumption each year are raised in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs.

Why is this a problem? It comes down to the waste products of these CAFOs. The farms are not required to have permits or inspections for the waste, because the waste is not directly discharged into surface waters. However, the waste can be mobilized in runoff or subsurface flow and become a direct threat to water quality. The waste, known as dry litter, is a mixture of manure, bedding, and feathers that contains nutrients, heavy metals, and pathogens.

Big Poultry in North Carolina Observer Series

The Impacts of Dry Litter Poultry Operations on NC Water Quality

Locations

Catawba Riverkeeper has been engaged with this issue over the last 10 years. Our current Riverkeeper and his predecessor were aware that CAFOs are a major threat to water quality throughout the whole basin, but particularly in the Northern Basin where the majority of farms are located. Learn about CAFOs in the Catawba River Basin here.

Locating these facilities is another issue. Officials in the NC Department of Agriculture keep the locations of poultry operations confidential. They do not share the locations with the Department of Environmental Quality, who is supposed to confirm the facilities are not impacting our states waters. This lack of transparency causes many issues, namely uncertainty about the location and scope of pollution. The only way to find the facilities is through satellite imagery or observation from a private aircraft.

Our partners at the Environmental Working group have been using satellite imagery over recent years to find the houses and volunteer pilots from Southwings have been assisting with dozens of flights over the last decade.

Interactive Map by the Environmental Working Group

What can you do?

Given these concerns and the rapid rate of poultry expansion in North Carolina, there is an urgent need for stronger poultry industry regulation.

Pollution from CAFOs is a complicated issue. The drinking water, employment, and quality of life for communities across our basin is at stake. There is no single action that will remedy the associated issues. These issue didn't start overnight and the solutions will not happen immediately either.

Our elected officials are in the unique position to question government agencies and hold public conversations about the issues. The North Carolina General Assembly is particularly well positioned to hold these conversations.

Your legislators need to hear from you. We encourage you to contact your state legislators and let them know that pollution from CAFOs is important to you and that you’d like for them to hold hearings to find out what is really going on with this industry.

Not sure who your legislators are? Check the links below...

For North Carolina residents... CLICK HERE.

For South Carolina residents... CLICK HERE.

Until the start of the 2023 legislative session, individuals can best help by eating less factory-farmed meat and supporting environmental nonprofits such as the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation. We need citizens to ask candidates about water quality and support those who will help protect one of our most precious resources.

Waterkeepers Carolina is hoping for regulatory action to prevent new operations from being constructed within the 500-year flood plain, increased records transparency, and establish a permitting process.

Additional Information

Farms in the Floodplain

A Farmer's Story about CAFOs

More Farms at risk in the floodplain

CAFOs in the Catawba River Basin

CAFOs in Eastern North Carolina

Dry Litter Literature Review

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Celebrate Earth Month With Us!

05 Apr, 2024

Happy Earth Month! While every month is Earth Month here at Catawba Riverkeeper, we’re excited about the extra attention and enthusiasm for protecting our local environment that comes every April! Throughout this month, we're amplifying our efforts to spread awareness and provide a variety of options for you to get out and learn from, engage in, or advocate for the preservation, protection, and restoration of our shared waterways. Because of that, our calendar is jam-packed with public and private cleanups, guided tours, education programing, outreach events, and fun activities at Confluence & The River Room all month long. Just take a look at some of the events we have going on! In honor of Earth Month, we hope that you engage with us in some of these events by volunteering your time to clean up our water, learning more about issues affecting our water, and sharing our work and mission with other people as ambassadors. If you'd like to make an Earth Month contribution to Catawba Riverkeeper, you can give to our Spring Education Appeal, help us purchase a new Catawba Riverkeeper vehicle, or attend our Ambassador Training and represent us at events throughout the year. Our work is not possible without the support of people like you. We are only a drop in the bucket of worldwide water conservation efforts, but with the support of people like you, we can make mighty waves of change! Thank you in advance for your support, and happy Earth Month!