Yadkin Riverkeeper Executive Director Wish List for 2020
Edgar Miller, YRK Executive Director
As 2019 comes to a close, we are proud of what Yadkin Riverkeeper has accomplished this year with your support, for which we are grateful. We added almost 90 new members and made significant progress on numerous fronts to improve water quality in the river, but there is much more to be done.
2019 has been a year of transition for the organization, with new leadership, focus, energy and commitments. As we enter the new decade in 2020, this is my New Year top 10 “wish list” for Yadkin Riverkeeper for the next decade:
Alcoa and the state will agree with the recent report done on our behalf by the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic and will begin cleaning up the most dangerous leaking hazardous waste sites on Badin Lake and Little Mountain Creek. (See the Riverkeeper’s article below for the latest on this issue.)
Chicken farmers and producers in the watershed will come together and agree on minimal permitting and siting requirements for new chicken houses and manure spreading.
YRK members and consumers will purchase sustainably produced meat from small, family farms who market their products locally and directly to consumers at farmers markets, through community supported agricultural (CSA) programs and local restaurants.
Duke Energy will accelerate its coal ash removal timeline and get the job done at the Buck Steam Station in Rowan County and other sites across the state before the end of the new decade.
We will have a comprehensive strategy for dealing with harmful algae blooms in the basin, including nutrient reductions from wastewater treatment plants, agricultural runoff and stormwater.
NC State Parks will produce a new paddle map of the Yadkin River Trial featuring new and improved access areas and campsites throughout the basin.
YRK continues our successful Historic Paddle series, putting hundreds of people on the water every year.
We continue to organize river and lake cleanups throughout the watershed and address issues with plastic waste.
We fully fund our River Reconnect outreach program to provide educational and recreational opportunities to underserved youths throughout the basin.
YRK’s membership grows to 1,000 members and we significantly increase our corporate and business support as well as our volunteer base.
It was hard to keep the list to just 10, but this is a good start. As we dream of future success and positive impacts on our River, the YRK board and staff wish for you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for your support.
Dance for the River Panel Discussion in Salisbury
Marcus Staley III, Communications Specialist
In a gallery of stunning photography, local citizens of Salisbury and the surrounding area filled the Waterworks Visual Arts Center for the Yadkin Riverkeeper’s free panel discussion on the future of the Yadkin River and High Rock Lake.
On December 11th, the panel, moderated by Susan Kluttz, answered questions meant to expand the knowledge of citizens concerned about the river basin. Christine Rucker, the artist and photographer of the ‘Dance For the River’ exhibit, expanded on what she found as she took on the project to photograph dancers in the beauty of the river. What she found was a river with areas of stunning beauty, but also areas affected by stunning neglect. Her photography explores those spaces and the breathtaking boundaries between them. Those photographs surrounded the space and the rest of the panel including Jim Behmer, from Salisbury-Rowan Utilities, Travis Morehead, from the Three Rivers Land Trust, and Brian Fannon, the Yadkin Riverkeeper.
The discussion focused on the major issues impacting the river basin, including but not limited to: sedimentation and nutrient pollution, stormwater runoff, coal ash removal, water consumption rates and land conservation efforts. YRK executive director Edgar Miller shared the great news that his former organization, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, would be acquiring 229 acres protecting the Yadkin River headwaters, just below the Thunderhill Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Those things can happen with a public consistently supporting organizations who work diligently to protect all of our water.
The standing room only crowd of more than 50 people were engaged and thoughtful. Everyone in attendance made the chilly Wednesday evening a wonderful and informative time. The Yadkin Riverkeeper wants to thank the panel, Waterworks Center for Visual Arts and the new members who joined at the event. We urge you to stay up to date by continuing to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Just search “Yadkin Riverkeeper” in the search bar or head over to our website, www.yadkinriverkeeper.org .
Twitter : @yadkinrivkeeper
FB : Yadkin Riverkeeper
Instagram : @yadkinriverkeepernc
The ALCOA Waste Legacy Continues
Brian Fannon, Yadkin Riverkeeper
Contamination at the ALCOA site on Badin Lake was one of the early drivers for the formation of Yadkin Riverkeeper, and it continues to be a major focus of our work. Over the past year, YRK has worked to prevent ALCOA from transferring liability for the site to a subsidiary company, and continued work along with the Duke Environmental Law Clinic and the Southern Environmental Law Clinic (SELC) to push for a final cleanup plan that addresses the hazardous materials dumps and groundwater contamination of the site, striving to protect both residents and water quality in the area.
We recently attended an information session presented by the NC Division of Environmental Quality in Stanly County, and provided oral comments as well as presentations by Duke Environmental Law Clinic and SELC. The Duke team also provided extensive written comments and research and articles ran in both the Salisbury Post and NC Policy Watch. YRK will continue to work on the ALCOA/Badin contamination to reach a final solution that protects the people and water quality of the Yadkin River Basin – after 30 years of studies and delays, it is time for the site to be cleaned up!
Membership Update
Katie Wilder, Membership and Events Coordinator
Yadkin Riverkeeper had 85 new members join us this year! If you haven't renewed yet, or have never been a member of YRK, now's the time. Please visit our website and help us meet our year end membership goals. Thank you!
As we approach the end of the year, Yadkin Riverkeeper would like to thank all of our sponsors. We couldn't do what we do without their support. Please remember our sponsors this holiday season and shop locally whenever you can.
The December Countdown Sale is on at Great Outdoor Provision Co. Right now you can save up to 30% on select winter sportswear and outerwear with additional discounts throughout the store! Throw in their FREE, signature gift wrap, and you'll be left with less stress and more time outside. Don't forget that purchases from Great Outdoor Provision Co. go toward defending public lands and local organizations like Yadkin Riverkeeper!
Our Contact Information
Yadkin Riverkeeper
846 W 4th Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336)722-4949