June 10-14

July 8-12

Adventure Camps are from 9:00AM to 4:00PM each day of the week.

$250 per participant with a portion of each camper’s registion fee supports HRA.

Click here for more information

Join us to kick off the Saturdays in Saxapahaw Summer Music Series and celebrate the Haw River!

Deep Chatham at 5 p.m. at the Hay wagon stage
Soft Sides and Eric Bannan’s Whoopazz Folk Jazz also playing!!!!
Free Canoe Rides from 4-6 p.m.
River Monitoring from 4-6 p.m.
Silent Auction from 4-7 p.m.
Medicinal Plant Walk with Crystal and Brandon of  Homestead Healthcare at 4:15 p.m.
Kayak Raffle at 7:30 p.m.

Live Music, Kayak Raffle, River Monitoring, Guided Canoe Rides for Kids 12u, environmental info, Farmer’s Market, Haw River T-shirts, Food Trucks and More!!!!

No admission charge, but donations gratefully accepted to support the projects of the Haw River Assembly.

Festival followed by benefit concert at the Haw River Ballroom featuring Orquesta Gardel

Win a Perception Impulse kayak and a $50 gift certificate from Great Outdoors Provision Company 

Purchase Kayak Raffle Tickets at the festival, need not be present to win.

Click here to download festival flyer

We had glorious weather and amazing volunteers last Saturday that made a big dent in the terrible trash in the Haw River, Jordan Lake and its tributary creeks. 17 of the 20 teams worked last weekend, the rest go out next week.
Tally to Date:
18 teams

303 volunteers

720 bags

167 tires

The big team organized by Clean Jordan Lake had the largest number of volunteers and trash picked up.  We want to give a special shout out to the Carolina Canoe Club for their clean sweep by boat of the river from Bynum to Hwy 64! All the teams were amazing and have given us all the gift of a much cleaner river and lake to enjoy!

Thanks to all our team leaders and volunteers!

As soon as all team results are in we will post the details and more photos on our website – stay tuned!

Special Thanks to the following supporters for helping us with trash collection, supplies, and organizing:
NC DOT
Chatham County Solid Waste Dept.
Saxapahaw Rivermill
Clean Jordan Lake
Carolina Canoe Club
Fearrington Green Scene
Haw River Canoe and Kayak Company
Haw River State Park
Durham Stormwater Services
Homeschool Community Service Group
Grove Winery
Morgan Creek Valley Alliance

1. Ask students what they know about the role of the Haw River or other local streams and rivers in the life and history of their communities. As a homework assignment, have the students talk to family members or neighbors (especially older ones) about their own experience or knowledge of the Haw River. Have the students take notes as they conduct their interviews and then share their stories in class.

– Have they ever seen, walked along, or fished in the Haw River?
– Have they been through floods on the Haw?
– Have they helped with bridge construction over the Haw?
– Have they worked in the mills along the Haw?
– Have they had any interesting wildlife sightings in or around the Haw?

2. Geography is a wonderful way for the students to get oriented and learn about where they live. Post a large map of the county or watershed and discuss students’ direct relationship to the river:

– Where is your school in relation to the Haw River? Is it near a tributary?
– Do students live near the river or one of its creeks?
– Where does your drinking water come from?
– Where does your sewage go?

3. Take a walk outside and list or draw all the different plants and animals you see, including trees, flowers, insects, birds, and mammals. Give students observation journals (a few pieces of paper folded book-wise) and magnifying glasses if possible, so they see up-close details they may otherwise miss. Have students focus on looking, listening, and smelling as they observe the world around them.  Expand on this list by talking about plants and animals that may live along the Haw River, like turtles, frogs, dragonflies, toads, crayfish, great blue herons, pollywogs, minnows, catfish, and snakes.  Using their outdoor exploration as inspiration, have students write a poem or draw a picture about their experience.

Environmental Action Projects

The goal of these projects is to develop students’ understanding of environmental issues and their skills in researching and expressing their beliefs, making decisions together, using community resources, communicating with each other and the larger community, and becoming leaders. They can make a positive impact on the environment and a difference in the world in small but measurable steps.

– Research the uses of solar energy in your community. Build your own solar collectors, terrariums, tin foil ovens, or other solar structures.  Contact Donna Myers at 919-542-5790 or donna@hawriver.org for more information about these kinds of projects.

– Organize a community river cleanup or adopt a waterway through the River Watch Project sponsored by the Haw River Assembly. Contact Elaine Chiosso at 919-542-5790 or info@hawriver.org for more information.

– Recycle: Find ways to reuse and recycle paper in the classroom and school.  Investigate an alternative to Styrofoam or other toxic/wasteful food containers in your school’s cafeteria.  Students can make lists of the throw-away products they use and brainstorm reusable replacements (i.e. sponges for paper towels, cloth bags for plastic, etc.). Students can also partake in ‘creative recycling’ projects such as making art from scrap materials.   Patchwork quilts are a wonderful North Carolina tradition in the spirit of recycling.  Start a collection of the students’ old cloth materials, and make a patchwork quilt together to build team skills.

– If your school has a nearby perennial stream that students can get to easily and safely, you can monitor that stream as part of the Haw River Assembly’s Haw River Watch Project.  Contact the Haw River Watch Coordinator at riverwatch@hawriver.org for more information.

– Voice environmental concerns to appropriate agencies or representatives.  You don’t have to be an expert to write a letter to your town council, state legislator, or even the President of the United States.  This can be a wonderful lesson in participatory democracy for young people. Consult the following links to find out who your district’s representatives are in the state and federal government:

Who Represents Me?

U.S. Representatives

– Create plays, songs, poems, stories, dances, or visual art that address environmental issues.  Share them with the community in a public venue.

– Consult the website of the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, Office of Environmental Education for more resources and information.

Good luck! We’d love to hear about your projects!

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River Levels
U.S. Geological Survey

• Current Water Levels at Haw River NC
• Current Water Levels at Bynum NC
• All North Carolina Rivers

1983 “Great Haw River Race” held in Haw River, field trip program, landowner contacts, and work with elected officials to help protect the Haw River underway.

1984 State begins “Stream Watch” program, and Miles Agee of HRA organizes volunteers to begin monitoring the Haw.

1985 HRA publishes “Haw River Drinking Water Survey, A Study of Synthetic Organic Chemicals in Pittsboro Drinking Water and Influent Haw River Water”–a scientific study funded by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. Report and recommendations on clean water legislation are made to the General Assembly.

1986 First Haw River Spring Festival is held at Jordan Lake. HRA is involved in efforts to build trails at the Lake, and continues educational work on clean water.

1987 HRA works with the Bynum community and public health officials to investigate possible cancer link to Haw River drinking water.

1988 HRA works with Alamance citizens to stop siting of landfill on the river (not for long, unfortunately). First Haw River trash clean-up held, in Bynum!

1989 HRA talks with officials about the possibility of a future state park on the Haw. Louise Kessel proposes new “Haw River Festival Learning Celebration” for schools, modeled on programs she took part in on the Hudson and Mississippi rivers. Organizing begins, with Louise and amazing volunteers leading the way.

1990 The first Haw River “Learning Celebration” takes place for three weeks in May, bringing hundreds of volunteers (including naturalists, cooks, artists, scientists, musicians, inventors) together with over 2000 schoolchildren.

1991 Annual March Clean-Up-A-Thon now expands to sites upriver. HRA sponsors “River Jamboree” in Pittsboro, bringing together 20 N.C. river groups. HRA works with citizens to stop re-zoning around Lake Jeanette, and a sewage discharge at the Haw headwaters near Oak Ridge. Learning Celebration is now 4 weeks long, plus public Festival Finale. Clyde Jones designs first Festival T-shirt.

1992 HRA teams with Jordan Foundation to hold first “Meadowfest” concert and fundraiser–a weekend of music in the hills over the Haw in Saxapahaw. HRA joins the battle to stop siting of Alamance landfill at Austin Quarter.

1993 HRA gets a home! Bynum mill owner Mr. Stevens rents the last house still owned by the mill to HRA for a very modest sum; we renovate and move in. Stream Watch project is revived and re-envisioned as River Watch; grant funding is sought to hire staff person to coordinate it.

1994 HRA receives grants from EPA and Z. Smith Reynolds to start “River Watch” monitoring project, and provide funding for new outreach work to bring in a more diverse membership (including geographically).

1995 Learning Celebration evolves to a new model: 3 weeks at 3 sites with 3 public “finales”, partnering with Alamance Community College and The Summit Conference Center. Pete Seeger and grandson Tao Rodriguez perform benefit concert for Learning Celebration. We launch the new “River Watch” project. Cary annexes Chatham land on NE side of Jordan Lake, approves plans for huge “Amberly” development.

1996 Hurricane Fran causes massive flooding along Haw–crests bridge at Saxapahaw, alters streambanks, rapids and islands. HRA joins with other organizations in the state calling for a moratorium on intensive swine operations, and storage for low level radioactive waste. HRA organizes meeting at Camp Guilrock to discuss vision for a future “Haw River Trail”. HRA co-founder Chuck Brady is NASA flight surgeon on the Space Shuttle!

1997 HRA is asked to be on the state’s River Assessment Advisory Committee. HRA joins with Deep River activists to protest building of Randleman Dam–Greensboro’s increased water supply will end up as wastewater in the Haw. (American Canoe Association sues Greensboro under Clean Water Act for pollution from their WWTP). HRA organizes “flotilla” on Jordan Lake for clean water.

1998 Chris Carter, River Watch Coordinator, takes to the air to investigate massive sediment plume; tracks it to huge land clearing in Guilford Co. HRA helps save old Bynum Bridge from destruction. We receive grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the new N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund to preserve the headwater springs of the Haw in Forsyth County. Kudos to Lynn Featherstone!

1999 10th Learning Celebration takes place (with first Puppet performance)–over 20,000 4th graders have attended! HRA Advocacy Committee focuses on the problems of unprecedented growth and sprawl in the watershed.

2000 HRA gets and takes part in public hearing on state water quality permits for huge golf course development near Jordan Lake (now “The Preserve”). HRA receives its first EPA/DENR 319 grant and launches “Stream Steward Project” to work with Pittsboro community to clean up Robeson Creek. HRA joins other orgs. asking state for mandatory stream buffers on the Cape Fear.

2001 Heron Circle begins! City of Graham opens new canoe access on Haw at Hwy 54. HRA joins N.C. Watershed Alliance for first Clean Water Lobby Day. We join Alamance citizens protesting air pollution from Stericycle incinerator. Severe drought results in winter algae blooms on the river.

2002 Massive developments proposed in Chatham threaten tributaries and Haw. HRA publishes and distributes “Stream Steward Handbook”. Upper New Hope Arm of Jordan Lake put on federal “Impaired Waters” list.

2003 Stream Steward Campaign teams up with Summerfield community in Guilford for conservation education and outreach. New Haw River State Park is created at beautiful wetlands on the Guilford/Rockingham county line. State begins process of new rules to reduce nutrient pollution in Jordan Lake–HRA joins Stakeholder Project.

2004 N.C. buys 900 acre Duke land in Chatham (between Bynum and Hwy 64 bridge) for river corridor park: Lower Haw River State Natural Area. HRA urges strong rules for Jordan Lake, and joins with other state groups for passage of rules to control polluted runoff. HRA helps Swepsonville create new River Park.

2005 HRA becomes a partner for the EPA Environmental Justice grant to the Mebane-based West End Revitalization Association fighting for “Rights to Basic Amenities”, including clean water. HRA helps win passage at General Assembly of “Drinking Water Reservoir Protection Act”. HRA is invited as presenter at the 5th Korean River Day in South Korea, focusing on river festivals (HRA represented by JJ Richardson, our Learning Celebration coordinator).

2006 We buy our office (the old mill house in Bynum)! We work with Triangle Land Conservancy to get 122 new acres added to State Natural Area on the Haw. New Bridge Watch and Lake Watch initiatives launched with volunteers. We Partner with Elon University on a river conservation assessment funded by CWMTF. Local governments along the Haw River sign memorandum of agreement to promote trails and conservation along the Haw.