Highlights from 2023
December 12, 2023
What a year it has been at Catawba Riverkeeper!
Catawba Riverkeeper celebrated 25 years in 2023. Watch the video below for a inspiring reflection on Catawba Riverkeeper's past and look towards our future.
Protecting our river
- Sampled 55 different swimming areas this summer each week to test for bacteria. Swim Guide results were viewed 117,000 times!
- Piloted a Spider Lily restoration program in Great Falls, SC.
- Constructed beaver dam analogs on a tributary of Canoe Creek near Marion as a pilot restoration project with promising early results.
- Investigated 75 pollution reports.
- Paddled more than 1100 miles to investigate pollution reports and complete surveys of sections of the basin.
- Filed to join the clean water citizen suit against New-Indy papermill.
- Successfully advocated for a bipartisan stormwater mitigation bill to be introduce in the NC General Assembly.
- Published the State of the River Report and the Southern Catawba and Wateree River Basins Protection and Restoration Plans.
- Hired a South Fork Watershed Manager who is focused on improving the health of the largest tributary of the Catawba River.
- Established a new office and lab in the Northern Basin in Morganton, NC.
Education Programing
- Taught 1,817 K-12 students about their watershed through field trips and presentations.
- Provided environmental education and kayaking programs to 237 students through the summer CREEK program (sponsored by Crescent Communities).
- Hosted more than 100 adults in educational workshops through the
Riverkeeper Learning Series (sponsored by
Xylem Watermark).
Engagement Programing
- Hosted 25 on-the-water programs and countless kayak rental opportunities providing 720 people the opportunity to experience the river firsthand
- Provided meaningful volunteer experiences to 2,213 volunteers who served a total of 5,922 hours. Their time is valued at $177,358!
- Confluence
hosted the first annual
Fork Fest music festival, featuring a one-of-a-kind floating concert!
Taking out the trash!
- Removed 1,001 tires and 100,570 pounds of trash from our basin's water and shores!
- 1,670 volunteers participated in cleanups (THANK YOU!!).
- Organized 94 cleanup events, including Riversweep which took place at 51 locations across the basin.
Organizational Growth
- Grew to 8,414 members and volunteers (38% increase from 2022).
- Had 16,873 unique transactions at our retail locations (The Boathouse, The River Room, and Confluence) and online storefront.
- More than 2,000 people attended one of our community events like RiverFest, Jam at the Dam, Fork Fest, and the Christmas Market.
- Continued to grow our social media follower base and email newsletter list.
Thank you to our 2025 Catawba Riversweep volunteers!
John Searby Steps Down as Executive Director After 6 Years of Leadership
This month marks the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene, a storm that brought unprecedented flooding, infrastructure damage, and public health challenges across the Southeast, including the Catawba-Wateree River Basin. In the days, weeks, and months following the disaster, the Catawba Riverkeeper mobilized to provide relief and to help communities recover. Today, we reflect on those efforts and recommit to the work of building resilience for the future. Supply Distribution In the immediate aftermath, Catawba Riverkeeper coordinated with local partners to deliver emergency supplies to affected communities. Teams transported bottled water, food staples, hygiene kits, and cleaning materials donated by the public to supply hubs and airports. These efforts ensured that essential resources reached households experiencing prolonged disruptions in basic services.
