Flooding in the Catawba-Wateree River Basin

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Flooding in the Catawba-Wateree River Basin

Brandon Jones • Jan 18, 2024

Heavy rains led to polluted water in our basin

Heavy rain on top of saturated soils has led to extensive flooding across the southeast including the Catawba Basin this January. In addition to inundating structures and property, flood waters are usually heavily polluted. In developed areas rising creeks can damage and overwhelm sewage structures leading to hundreds of thousands of gallons of spilled sewage. Rain this month led to over 500,000 gallons of reported spills in our watershed alone. Our sampling in the South Fork and Great Falls found fecal bacteria levels greater than 10 times the recommended swimming standard.

Unfortunately, flooding and the associated pollution are likely to increase. National and state climatologists predict that our area will receive roughly the same amount of precipitation but in fewer, larger storms. Also, population growth in the basin has led to the rapid development of fields and forests. This change in land use increases the quantity and intensity of stormwater.

To mitigate these impacts and reduce stormwater pollution we need updated ordinances and more resilient infrastructure. Individuals can help by volunteering to replant eroded banks and by supporting legislative initiatives that prevent building in floodplains and protect the riparian buffer. Homeowners can reduce runoff from their property by disconnecting downspouts and installing rain barrels or rain gardens. We ask all concerned citizens to express to their elected officials that we need more proactive policies to address stormwater and flood resiliency.

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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!