Catawba Riverkeeper Information

We educate and advocate to protect the Catawba-Wateree River Basin's lakes, rivers and streams for everyone who depends on and enjoys them. Our vision is that the waters of the entire Catawba-Wateree River basin will always be of high quality and abundant quantity to sustain and enhance the lives of all the humans, the wildlife, and the ecosystems that depend on it. We serve over two million residents who get their drinking water from the Catawba River and nearly 3 million households whose electricity is dependent on the Catawba River. We operate in 26 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina from east of Asheville, N.C., to near Camden, S.C. The Catawba River has been designated as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers three times (#1 in 2008, #5 in 2013 and #13 in 2000). The Southern Environmental Law Center in 2010 and 2012 listed it as a Top 10 Endangered Places in the Southeast. In 2011, Union of Concerned Scientists listed it as the 4th most stressed river in the U.S. from power plants. Recent fish advisories for unsafe levels of metals and PCBs highlight the need to do more to protect our water. We hope that you will look at the information on our website and help us protect our water.