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Northern Catawba Basin Protection and Restoration Plan

Nov 10, 2022

Catawba Riverkeeper recently published the “Northern Catawba Basin Protection and Restoration Plan,” which identifies potential projects that would improve water quality across the mountains and foothills portions of the basin in North Carolina.

The plan, created by Northern Basin Watershed Manager Grant Buckner, focuses on waterways in the northern portion of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin – from the headwaters above Old Fort, NC to the dam that creates Lookout Shoals Reservoir above Lake Norman. The Northern Basin includes 2,673 miles of streams in 6 counties including Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, and McDowell. Lake James, Lake Rhodhiss, Lake Hickory, and Lookout Shoals are all part of the Northern Basin.


With funding from the NC Land and Water Fund, and with input from numerous stakeholder groups, Grant identified 27 projects that would improve water quality. Projects range from restoration, trash abatement, streambank replanting, shoreline stabilization, dam removal, livestock exclusion and unique pilot programs. Unlike other watershed plans, Catawba Riverkeeper’s plan is a living document presented as an interactive story map. Users can explore different regions, waterbodies, and projects. Explore the plan below or click here.

The Protection and Restoration Plan can be updated to include new projects that have yet to be identified.


To suggest ideas, contact grant@catawbariverkeeper.org. Catawba Riverkeeper does not own the identified projects nor have exclusivity to complete them. Any group, organization, or municipality is invited to execute proposed projects. While Catawba Riverkeeper expects to lead on many of these projects, we are also happy to support efforts led by other entities.

Request a presentation!

Grant Buckner will be presenting the plan to municipalities, educational institutions, civic organizations, and elected officials over the next year. Interested parties may request presentations here.

Partners

Interview Requests

Email grant@catawbariverkeeper.org or call 704-679-9494 ext. 110 to schedule an interview.

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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