profile:Total miles of

streams and rivers:9,389

Total acres of lakes:50,764

Municipalities within basin: 64

Counties withinbasin: 11

Size: 3,285 square miles

Population:1,560,563

(2010 U.S. Census)

The Catawba River begins on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in McDowell County. It flows east, then south into Lake Wylie on the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Many

beau tiful, clear streams in the upper reaches of the basin have received state and national attention for their unspoiled

character. The 23-mile Wilson Creek was designated a National Wild and Scenic River by Con -gress in 2000. It flows through the Pisgah National Forest and flows through the Wilson CreekGorge before joining the Johns River. The basin’s Linville River also has special scenic character—the lower 13 miles is designated a State Natural and Scenic River. It spills dramatically throughthe rugged Linville Gorge and then flows into Lake James. Other large tributaries in the CatawbaRiver Basin include the Johns, South Fork Catawba, Henry Fork and Jacob Fork Rivers.

The basin is also a land of lakes.The Catawba River con tains themost major dams of any NorthCaro lina river. The longest free-flowing stretch of the CatawbaRiver in North Carolina is onlyabout 17 miles. Most of the 224-mile river exists as a chain ofseven man-made lakes, which first supplied electric power forindustry and now provide recrea -tion, drinking water and electricityfor expand ing Pied mont townsand cities. One of these reser -voirs, Lake Norman, is the largestman-made lake in the state. At32,000 acres, it’s often calledNorth Carolina’s “inland sea.”(The river feeds four additionalreservoirs in South Carolina.)

CHARLES BRASWELL JR.

CATAWBARIVERBASIN

T he Catawba River Basin in North Carolina is a place of extremes—you can discoverboth urban and wild adventures within its boundaries. The basin contains a large

national wilderness area near its headwaters and a major metropolitan area where theCatawba River flows into South Carolina. This haven of natural wonders includes the6,000-foot Grandfather Mountain, the Pisgah National Forest, Linville Falls, one of themost beautiful and popular cascades in the Appalachian Mountains, and Linville Gorge,one of the deepest canyons in the eastern United States.

SC

Lake James

The Catawba River was named for the tribe that first settledits banks. Today the Catawba is the most densely popu -lated river basin in the state. More than 2 million peoplenow make their home here. Charlotte, the largest municipalityin the state, contains almost half of the basin’s population—more than 730,000 people.

The basin is also home to a large variety of animal residents, many of them unique and rare. A globally rare dragonfly, Edmund’ssnaketail, is only known to exist in two locations, Upper and Wilson Creeks in Burke andCaldwell counties. The Linville River above Linville Falls is home to the endemic GrandfatherMountain Crayfish, which is found nowhere else on earth. The federally endangered Carolinaheel splitter, a freshwater mussel, is found in a small section of Waxhaw Creek in Union Countyand Sixmile Creek on the Union and Mecklenburg county line. There are only three popula -tions in North Carolina and 10 total populations in the world of this sharp-edged mollusk,

which grows to only about four inches long. Like all freshwater mussels, theheelsplitter is sensitive to changes in water quality. Some Carolina heelsplitter

populations have been reduced to a few dozen mussels. Sediment pol -lu tion is a culprit in the mussel’s decline. As well as muddying thewater, sediment tends to bind to and carry other pollutants acrossthe landscape and into waterways. Sediment also covers the spawn - ing beds of fish and, by decreasing the depth of lakes, adds to

invasive weed, mosquito and water-warming problems. Agriculture andhome or road construction are typical sources of sediment pollution.

CHARLES BRASWELL JR.

CHAINOF LAKESDams along the Catawba River

in North Carolina created sevenres er voirs. When many hydro powerdams were built, the focus was mainlyon the benefits of electricity, floodcontrol and water supply, thoughtoday the lakes are also a cherishedrecreational resource. Dammingrivers, however, has had some neg -ative effects on the environment in terms of altering hydrology andwild life ecosystems. The Catawba-Wateree Water Management Groupis a non-profit organization that wascreated through the dam re licensingin the Catawba River Basin. For moreinformation on the organization andthe latest infor mation regarding thebasin's water and energy savingprojects, please visit their website atwww. catawbawatereewmg.org.

KENNETH J. TENNESSEN

JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC

Edmund’s

snaketail

dragonfly

People of the RiverThe Catawba Indians

and their ancestors have

lived in the Catawba

River Valley for more

than 10,000 years. Their

name for themselves in

their own language, yi

kátapu, means “people

in the fork of the river.”

The river provided the

clay that allowed the

Catawba to become

master potters. The

tribe is renowned for

its aborig inal pottery,

which is displayed

in the Smith sonian

Institute.

Boats anchored on Lake Norman

Linville Gorge Wilderness The rugged,spectacularly scenic Linville Gorge has beencalled the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Fromthe rim of the gorge, the view plunges 2,000feet. Thrill-seekers kayak the gorge’s white -water, and backcountry hikers brave prim itivetrails to enjoy a primeval experience. Casualexplorers can glimpse the gorge from numer -ous highway overlooks. Spanning more than12,000 acres, Linville Gorge was one of thefirst National Wilderness Areas designated by the Wilder ness Act of 1964. It is bound by Linville Mountain to the west and JonasRidge to the east and carved by the LinvilleRiver. The river spills over the double-cascading Linville Falls at the beginning ofthe gorge. The walls of the gorge pro vide a

remarkable window into an unusual geologic phenomenon—billon-year-old hard rocks atopsofter ones only half that age. The forces of ancient continental collisions thrust younger meta -morphic rock underneath the hard cap of granite-gneiss. As the river has under mined the softrock underneath over millions of years, the top layer has con tinued to collapse. Through thisprocess, Linville Falls is thought to have moved some 12 miles upstream from its originallocation, creating the gorge as it migrated.

Linville Gorge

Linville Falls

PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

Linn Cove Viaduct The section of theBlue Ridge Parkway that snakes aroundGrand father Mountain is a marvelous feat of engineering and a monu ment to envi -ronmental sensitivity. Construction took place over a period of eight years and wascompleted in 1987 when the viaduct wasopened to the public. At 4,100 feet, the 1/4-mile stretch of road was built from thetop down without massive cuts into themoun tain and by removing only those trees inthe direct path of the new road. Builders used153 pre-cut, custom-made concrete seg mentsweighing 50 tons each. These were then low -ered into place using cranes. The National

Park Service and private landowners compro mised tomake sure this vital connecting road didn’t destroy thecharacter of the mountain. With sinewy curves, it hugs the mountain and affords spectacular panoramic views.Designers even tinted the concrete with iron oxide toblend the structure with the existing rock outcroppings.The road way has received multiple prestigious designawards and has been dubbed “the most complicatedconcrete bridge ever built.”

Grandfather Mountain At 5,964 feet, GrandfatherMountain is the highest point along the Blue Ridge Escarp-ment. Its biological diversity is as impressive as its sizeand grandeur—it pro vides habitat for more globally rarespecies than any other mountain east of the Rockies.Within the span of 4,500 acres are 16 distinct ecologicalcommunities. In 2009, nearly 2,500 acres of GrandfatherMountain’s “backcountry” became Grandfather Moun -tain State Park. The top half of the mountain and theattractions are managed by the Grandfather MountainStewardship Foundation, a non-profit organization dedi -cated to preservation and environmental education.Though devel opment will never mar the mountain’sbackcountry character, air pollution and non-nativeinsects are taking their toll on trees in the mountain’sspruce-fir forest, one of the country’s rarest ecosystems.The tiny spruce-fir moss spider, which is on the Endan -gered Species List, is one of the native creatures strugglingto survive. The spider and the Virginia big-eared bat areamong 66 rare and endangered species found in the preserve.

Linn CoveViaduct

PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

GrandfatherMountain

Several of the Catawba lakes are showing signs of stress from excessive amounts of nitrogen andphosphorus in stormwater runoff (rain and melted snow flowing across land). In small amounts,these nutrients are beneficial to aquatic life, but excessive amounts can trigger algae blooms.These can affect the water’s taste and odor and rob the water of oxygen, which can cause fishkills. Nutrients and other contaminants (eroded soil, fertilizer, pesticides, metallic chemicals, andhuman and animal waste) wash from construc tion sites, residential areas, cropland, pastures andpaved areas that don’t allow water to soak into the soil (roads, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks).

Citing explosive urban growth in the region, the national conservationorganization American Rivers ranked the Catawba River as the mostendangered river in America in 2008. Local governments, as well asstate agencies and conservation groups, are working to tackle waterpollution throughout the Catawba River Basin. You can help reducethe impacts of runoff on water quality by keeping fertilizer, pesti cides,and yard and animal wastes out of streets and storm drains. You canalso get involved in the many con servation organizations working toaddress environmental problems in the basin.

KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC

Catawba River, Table RockMountain, Burke County

The City of Charlotte

CHARLES BRASWELL JR.

South

BL

UE

RI

DG

E

Moun ta i nsMarion

Lenoir Taylorsville

HickoryNewton

Morganton

Gastonia

Charlotte Mint Hill

Matthews

Lincolnton

LakeJames

Rhodhiss

Lake Hickory

LookoutShoals

Lake

LakeNorman

MountainIs land

Lake

Wyl ie

LakeCatawba

River

AVERY

McDOWELL

CALDWELL

BURKE

ALEXANDER

CATAWBA

LINCOLN

GASTON MECKLENBURG

IREDELL

Brushy

Moun ta in s

P I S G

A H N

A T I O N

A L F

O R

E S

T

Lake

UNION

Grandfather Mtn.HIKING & BIKING

in the Catawba River Basin

8 Lake James State Park www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/laja/main.phpl 605 acres l 4.5 miles of trails include twofoot paths along the shoreline of Lake James at the base of Linville Gorge.

9 Latta Plantation Nature Preservewww.lattaplantation.org l 1,343 acres l

16 miles of trails on a peninsula extending into Mountain Island Lake.

10 McDowell Nature Preservehttp://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Pages/default.aspx l 1,108 acresl 7 miles of trails through mostly forested,rolling terrain along the banks of Lake Wylie.

11 Mountain Island Parkwww.mtholly.us/departments/parks-recreationl 46 acres l 1-mile trail along the CatawbaRiver below Mountain Island Lake.

12 Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preservehttp://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Pages/default.aspx l 727 acresl 10 miles of hiking trails with scenic views ofsmall lakes, forests, fields and streams.

13 River Street Parkwww.mtholly.us/departments/parks-recreationl 10 acres lNeighborhood park with shorttrail along Dutchman’s Creek.

14 Schiele Museum of Natural Historyand Planetariumwww.schielemuseum.org/ l .7-mile naturetrail passes by reproductions of a CatawbaIndian Village and an 18th-century back -country farm.

15 Tuttle Educational State Forestwww.ncesf.org/TESF/home.htm l 295 acresl Short, interpretive trails through rollingterrain among pines and hard woods, withaccess to streams.

l HIKING l

�1 Bakers Mountain Parkwww.catawbacountync.gov/parks/Bakers

Mountain.asp l 189 acres l 6 miles of trailsthrough mature chestnut oak forest and moun - tain laurel. .25-mile paved wheelchair-acces -sible trail. Observation platform at top ofmountain provides view of Catawba Valley.

2 Charlotte Nature Museumwww.discoveryplace.org/naturemuseum.asp l

.25-mile nature trail with a wildflower gardenand large stand of native paw paw trees. Foot -bridge across Little Sugar Creek to FreedomPark Lake.

3 Crowders Mountain State Park www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/crmo/main.phpl 5,094 acres l 11.9 miles of trails. Trailslined with wildflowers and moun tain laurellead along the ridges and to the summits ofCrowders Mountain and Kings Pinnacle.Other trails are easy promenades throughpastoral surroundings.

4 Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardenwww.dsbg.org l 400 acres l 1.5 miles ofwood land trails featuring native plants.

5 EnergyExploriumwww.duke-energy.com/visitor-centers/energyexplorium.asp l 1-mile nature trailalong the shore of Lake Norman.

6 Evergreen Nature Preservewww.meckbirds.org/spots/descriptions.html#evergreen l 78 acres l 2 miles of trails offerscenic views of forests, fields and streams. A birding hot spot.

7 Grandfather Mountainwww.grandfather.com and www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/grmo/main.php l 4,500 acreslAt 5,964 feet in elevation, GrandfatherMountain soars above the Blue Ridge region.

l HIKING and BIKING l

� 16 Catawba River Greenway Parkwww.ci.morganton.nc.us/index.php/

residents-menu/catawba-river-greenway l112 acres l 3.8-mile trail (wheelchair-acces -sible) connects with the .6-mile Freedom Parkgreenway via a 171-foot-long bridge that spans a wooded ravine and provides a scenicover look on the Catawba.

17 Geitner-Rotary Parkwww.hickorync.gov l Bikeway to Hickory City and Glenn Hilton parks; walking andnature trails along Lake Hickory.

18 Glenn Hilton Parkwww.hickorync.gov l Features a 150-yardboardwalk into a wooded wetland area.

19 Lake Norman State Parkwww.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/lano/main.phpl 1,548 acres l 19 miles of hiking trails; 13miles of biking trails.

20 Ramsey Creek Parkhttp://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Pages/default.aspx l 43 acres lWater front park on Lake Norman with bike and nature trails.

� 21 Riverbend Parkwww.catawbacountync.gov/parks/

riverbend.asp l 450 acres l 12 miles of hik-ing trails; 7.8 miles of biking trails along theCatawba River with wheelchair-accessibleriver observation platform.

� 22 South Mountains State Parkwww.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/somo/

main.php l 15,865 acres l 40.4 miles ofhiking trails (.74-mi Hemlock Nature Trailloop along Jacob Fork River is wheelchair-accessible); 18 miles of biking trails.

10

1

23

4

5

6

7

8

9

15

11 121314

16 1718 19

21

22

The Catawba River Basin offers many opportunities to enjoy and explore nature throughwalking, hiking and biking. This list includes places with at least a few trails for easy tomoderate activity. Keep in mind that at some mountain sites, the steepness of terrainmay limit easy activity, other than at an overlook or short path. Many sites include viewsof streams, rivers, creeks, lakes and/or waterfalls. Remember that some trails are multi-use, serving pedestrians, bicyclists, equestrians and other recreational users. For informa -tion about urban and regional bikeways, visit www.ncdot.gov/bikeped.

20

l hiking

l hiking and biking

�= some trails designated as wheelchair accessible

South

BL

UE

RI

DG

E

Moun ta i nsMarion

Lenoir Taylorsville

HickoryNewton

Morganton

Gastonia

Charlotte Mint Hill

Matthews

Lincolnton

LakeJames

Lake Hickory

LookoutShoals

Lake

LakeNorman

MountainIs land

Lake

Wyl ie

AVERY

McDOWELL

CALDWELL

BURKE

ALEXANDER

LINCOLN

GASTON MECKLENBURG

IREDELL

Brushy

Moun ta in s

HickoryMorganton

Lake

Rhodhiss

Lake Hickory

LookoutShoals

L k

Lake

Cataw ba

LP I S

G A H

N A T I O

N A L

F O

R E

S T

CATAWBA

Catawba

River RhodhissLake

Lake

UNION

Grandfather Mtn.

7 Lake Wyliewww.duke-energy.com/lakes/default.aspl 13,443 acres• N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: 1 access area*• McDowell Nature Preserve(http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Parks/Pages/default.aspx)

8 River Street Parkwww.mtholly.us/departments/parks-recreation/lCanoe launch on Dutchman’s Creek.

9 Mountain Island Lakewww.duke-energy.com/lakes/default.aspl 3,281 acres• N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission 1 access area*• Mountain Island Park (www.mtholly.us/departments/parks-recreation)—canoe launch to Catawbabelow Mountain Island Lake Dam.

10 Lookout Shoals Lakewww.duke-energy.com/lakes/default.aspl 1,305 acres• N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: 2 access areas*

1 Catawba River Greenway Parkwww.ci.morganton.nc.us/ lCanoe launch ispart of the Upper Catawba River Trail.

2 Crowders Mountain State Parkwww.ncparks.gov l 9-acre lake within park.Rental canoes only.

3 Lake Jameswww.duke-energy.com/lakes/default.asp l 6,812 acres• N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: 2 access areas*• Lake James State Park (www.ncparks.gov):2 access areas

4 Lake Hickorywww.duke-energy.com/lakes/default.aspl 4,223 acres• N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: 5 access areas*• River Bend Park(www.catawbacountync.gov/parks/riverbend.asp)• Geitner-Rotary Park(www.hickorygov.com/recreation)• Glenn C. Hilton Park(www.hickorygov.com/recreation)

5 Lake Rhodhisswww.duke-energy.com/lakes/default.aspl 3,060 acres• N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: 4 access areas*

6 Lake Normanwww.duke-energy.com/lakes/default.aspl 32,475 acres• N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: 6 access areas*• Lake Norman State Park(www.ncparks.gov)—pedal boats andcanoe rentals available.• Ramsey Creek Park(http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Parks/Pages/default.aspx)• Blythe Landing(http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Parks/Pages/default.aspx)

1 10

9

8

8

7

6

543

2

11

PADDLING

in the Catawba River Basin

The Catawba River Basin offers many opportunities for paddling creeks,ponds, streams, rivers and lakes. The places included here offer publicaccess areas maintained by state, federal or local governments. Privatelyoperated marinas and boat docks may also be available. This list does notinclude locations for whitewater adventure. These trails and lakes aresuitable for easy to moderate paddling.

11 Upper Catawba River Trail(highlighted in yellow) An 82-mile route forcanoes, kayaks and other non-motorized boats,this trail is an easy pad dle suitable for beginners.There are 24 access points and four portagesalong the route, which stretches from LakeJames to Lookout Shoals Lake. The trail begins at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Com -mission’s Black Bear Access on Lake James in McDowell County and ends at the LakeLookout Shoals Access in Catawba County.For more informa tion or a map of the trail,visit www.catawbariverkeeper.org.

*For detailed directions to N.C. WildlifeResources Commission boating access areas, visit www.ncwildlife.org/ and click on“Boating/Waterways,” then “Maps/Location.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

WHERE SHOULD

I GO?

?

What makes the Catawba River Basin special? See for yourself. Visit these EnvironmentalEducation Centers to discover more about your ecological address:

l Blue Planet Water Environmental Centerl Carolina Raptor Centerl Catawba Science Centerl Central Piedmont Community College, Center for Sustainability

l Crowders Mountain State Parkl Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardenl Discovery Placel EnergyExploriuml Grandfather Mountain State Parkl Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

l Lake James State Park

For more information about Environmental Education Centers in North Carolina,check out the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs’ website atwww.eenorthcarolina.org.

You can gain a sense of community pride by learning more and helping to protect streams, riversand lakes in the Catawba River Basin. The contacts listed below can help you do just that.To find out about local river organizations and conservation groups, contact your local soiland water conservation district. To find out about how you can get involved in local water -way and other litter cleanups, contact North Carolina Big Sweep.

l Lake Norman State Parkl Latta Plantation Nature Preservel McDowell Nature Centerl Mountain Island Educational State Forest(not yet open to public)

l The Charlotte Nature Museuml Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium

l South Mountains State Park l Tuttle Educational State Forestl Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuaryl YMCA Camp Thunderbird

KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC

Linville Wilderness Area, Burke County

Catawba Basinwide Plan*http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/ps/bpu/basin/catawba(919) 807-6447

Clean Water Management Trust Fundwww.cwmtf.net/

Division of Water Quality, Stormwater and Runoff Pollutionwww.ncstormwater.org/

North Carolina Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districtswww.ncaswcd.org

North Carolina Big Sweepwww.ncbigsweep.org/

North Carolina Stream Watchwww.ncwater.org/Education_and_Technical_Assistance/Stream_Watch/

North Carolina Water Science Centerhttp://nc.water.usgs.gov/

SWIM (Surface Water Improvement and Management)http://charmeck.org/stormwater/regulations/Pages/WhatareSWIMBuffers.aspx

HOW CAN

I HELP

*Basinwide water quality planning is a nonregulatory, watershed-based approach to restoring and protecting thequality of North Carolina’s surface waters. The N.C. Division of Water Quality welcomes community input.

To order additional brochures on any of North Carolina’s 17 river basins, a general river basin booklet or a poster, fill outthe online order form at www.eenorthcarolina.org.t

State of North Carolina: Governor Pat McCrory • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Secretary John E. Skvarla, III • Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs: Program Manager Lisa Tolley; Project Manager Ian Brown• EditorCarla Burgess • Designer Kimberly KC Schott, Red Gate Design • Special ThanksNorth Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission,North Carolina Division of Water Quality and North Carolina Natural Heritage Program • Date: 2013 • 5,500 copies of this public documentwere printed at a cost of $1,324.12 or 0.241 per copy. • This publication was funded through a Walmart Stormwater Compliance Grant.

Printed on recycled paper