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Conservation Recommendations for the Great Meadows Megasite

Feb 22, 2024

Read the plan here.

Catawba Riverkeeper, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, and Lake James Environmental Association have been closely following the Great Meadows Megasite Project in Burke and McDowell counties and have created a site conservation plan to offer guidance for the protection of the environment and the local community.


Proposed industrial development of the site in close proximity to Lake James, Muddy Creek, and the City of Morganton’s drinking water supply raises legitimate concerns. Lake James is a major economic driver for the region due to its excellent water quality, limitless recreational opportunities, and substantial tax base for Burke and McDowell counties.


This proposal contains a variety of guidelines and standards including, but not limited to, stream buffers, permanent land conservation, setbacks for the community and viewshed, and public recreation access all designed to protect the environment and local community. This plan was developed using a combination of publicly available GIS data and multi-disciplinary expertise from staff members of three respected environmental organizations.

Our goal is to present a plan that focuses on protecting the human and natural environments around the site while accommodating development.


Please read the full conservation proposal in its entirety here:

https://bit.ly/conservation-plan.

Read our proposed conservation site plan here.
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!
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