Archive

See the USGS river flow prediction here.  The river is dangerous during high water due to strong currents and pollution from stormwater and sewage overflows. Sewer overflows from upriver cities such as Greensboro and Burlington are common in heavy rain events. The Haw River has claimed the lives of paddlers and swimmers over the years.  Don’t swim when the water is high, and for paddlers, check the river gauges and river level safety information HERE.

We are starting our second year of our Swim Guide program. We collect and analyze water samples E-coli bacteria at popular swimming locations before each summer weekend, and publicize the results as pass/fail for safety.  Get the Swim Guide at https://www.theswimguide.org/get-the-app/  We have added a few new boat accesses this year. Four swim beaches at Jordan Lake State Park will remain closed until July 1st – we will start sampling at those locations once they reopen.  Beach and river accesses that remain open will likely be more crowded – stay safe during Covid-19. If you are able, please consider making a one time donation to support our Swim Guide program!

PROTECT NEPA

The nation’s bedrock environmental law is under attack from the Trump administration. We need your help to fight back.

The Trump administration is working to strip away public input, a core component of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). For the past 50 years NEPA has provided communities like yours with the ability to voice your concerns about offshore drilling, interstate highways, pipelines and polluting industrial plants. This ultimately allows these big projects to be fair, transparent and in the best interest of the communities they will serve.

Submit a comment here by March 10 to oppose these environmental attacks

Join us each month for a Saturday hike, seminar, paddle  and more! All events are free. More information and registration HEREFebruary 22nd: Advocacy Training:   Haw Riverkeeper Emily Sutton, will lead a seminar about the best ways to make effective change in your watershed! At the UNC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill.

March 14th: Guided Hike on New Hope Creek:  Join us for a wetland and local ecology guided hike on New Hope Nature Trail in Durham County.

What created the rock outcroppings in the Haw? What kind of rocks are they?  How old are they? These and many more questions are answered in the new  Haw River Geology Guide. Phil Bradley, Piedmont Geologist with the North Carolina Geological Survey has just released a  geologic guide to the Lower Haw River State Natural Area.  This is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the ancient history of  the Haw River,  and includes maps and photos.

This field guide looks at two separate stretches of the Haw River within the Lower Haw River State Natural Area in the vicinity of the Hwy 64 bridge crossing in Chatham County. with interpretations of various outcrops and landforms along the river. This portion of the Haw River is located within the Hyco Formation of the Carolina terrane. Generally, the Hyco Formation includes metamorphosed volcanic, volcaniclastic-sedimentary and intrusive rocks associated with a volcanic island arc active around 630-612 million years ago.