” The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that are at a critical tipping point”, said Peter Raabe of American Rivers. “Pollution is choking the Haw River and without a meaningful cleanup plan that addresses the sources of pollution, the drinking water supplies for one million people will continue to be at risk.”
The Haw River is threatened by polluted runoff– rainwater that picks up pollution as it flows over roads and parking lots – and sewage leaking from outdated and overtaxed wastewater pipes. This pollution, containing excess nitrogen and phosphorous, has caused large algal blooms in Jordan Lake, a major drinking water reservoir, which impacts the health of people and fish. The cleanup plan for the river has been delayed and weakened over the last three years.
Now, instead of addressing the causes of the pollution, some municipalities and developers want to install 36 huge “mixers” into the Jordan Lake Reservoir in an attempt to reduce algae. American Rivers and its partners called on the North Carolina General Assembly to stop the delay and clean up the Haw River by implementing the original 2009 Jordan Lake Reservoir Nutrient Management Strategy, commonly called the ‘Jordan Lake Rules’. Read the Haw River Assembly comments about SolarBees to the US Army Corps.
“The clock started ticking on the state and federal mandate to clean up the pollution in the river and Jordan Lake back in 2002, when it made the federal “Impaired Waters List”, said Elaine Chiosso, the Haw Riverkeeper for Haw River Assembly. “It took seven more years to draft and pass these rules in 2009, and since then the state’s legislature has been delaying and weakening them. Clean water is essential to our lives and communities. It’s time to implement the full rules” 
Read more in the “Haw River Factsheet”
To take action, send a letter to your NC legislator asking them to re-instate the Jordan Lake rules now to clean up our waters (find out the contact info at: Who Represents Me) Use this Action Alert and sample letter