By Stephanie Stephens, Water Quality Advocate

Beginning in January 2025, Yadkin Riverkeeper established a new part-time position dedicated to promoting YRK’s advocacy agenda. By definition, the word advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal; as an organization whose mission is to protect and enhance the Yadkin Pee-Dee River Basin, we have many important causes to advocate for! Former Water Quality Specialist, Stephanie Stephens has taken on this role, as it is a natural transition from monitoring and analyzing data collected from High Rock Lake, working with the Concerned Citizens of West Badin, Duke University and North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN) in their fight to remove legacy pollution from Alcoa’s site on Badin Lake and last year’s nonpartisan Get Out the Vote effort.

In this new position, Stephanie will advocate for YRK’s #1 advocacy priority, the High Rock Lake Nutrient Management Strategy “Rules.” She will be organizing regional meetings to discuss how these rules will help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from contributing sectors of the Yadkin and South Yadkin rivers. Ultimately, the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the rivers will decrease the level of chlorophyll-a and the potential for Harmful Algal Blooms or HABs in our lakes downstream. YRK’s goals are to not only advocate for these rules designed to mitigate Harmful Algal Blooms (HABS) as indicated by increased levels of chlorophyll-a, but also to open a dialogue among local government, farmers and other stakeholders to work together to reduce nutrient pollution.

Additionally, she will continue to advocate for the Concerned Citizens of West Badin (CCWB) by helping to develop and implement sampling strategies for suspected pollutants in West Badin soil and water, Badin Lake/Yadkin River and Little Mountain Creek in conjunction with the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, NCEJN and CCWB.

Her work will include participating in the new organization Piedmont Promise, “a collaborative alliance of conservation groups to advocate for bipartisan policies and legislation that protect natural resources, promote sustainable growth, and preserve unique community identities and quality of life for the people of North Carolina’s Piedmont.” Piedmont Promise is a new organization spearheaded by the Catawba Riverkeeper to foster exciting new policy initiatives and to benefit the Piedmont region through unified advocacy efforts.

In addition to the YRK Water Quality Advocate position, Stephanie is excited to announce the newest waterkeeper non-profit organization in North Carolina, Deep River Riverkeeper (License Pending). The Deep River is a major headwater tributary of the Cape Fear River, along with the Haw River, and is in need of environmental advocacy, water quality monitoring and community awareness. The 125-mile river flows through Guilford, Randolph, Moore, Chatham and Lee counties, in the heart of the Piedmont. A working river, the Deep is known for its high banks, many dams and history of industrial use. Deep River Riverkeeper has an established board of dedicated, experienced and diverse environmentalists and a Riverkeeper, Stephanie Stephens. While our organization is newly incorporated as a 501(C3) through the NC Secretary of State, we are in the final stages of our licensing process with Waterkeeper Alliance. We are excited to share our plans for 2025 very soon. For more information on the Deep River Riverkeeper non-profit, please visit our new website at www.deepriverkeepersnc.org.