Protectors of the Catawba River need your eyes.
Members of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, various environmental enforcers and devoted volunteers all monitor the river to see if they can pinpoint sources of silt, sediment and other harmful runoff that pollutes the Catawba. But they can't be everywhere.
That is why Muddy Water Watch has been formed in North Carolina. The Riverkeeper Foundation is enlisting volunteers from across the state to keep an eye on construction sites that might be creating runoff that ends up in the river.
Volunteers can attend four-week sessions at Gaston College and Central Piedmont Community College's Center for Sustainability. There they will learn how to monitor construction sites for sediment problems, document muddied waterways, learn to use data Web sites and snap aerial pictures after heavy rains.
Construction sites stripped of vegetation are among the worst producers of sediment. Tons of earth and other debris are swept from construction sites during a heavy rain, and the runoff often finds its way into the Catawba's tributaries and coves around local lakes.
Silt from upstream development nearly fills some coves. In addition to being unsightly, the sediment lowers property values and destroys wildlife habitat by inhibiting natural plant growth and water filtration.
State law requires erosion-control efforts when an acre or more of ground is disturbed, but inspectors often are overwhelmed by the number of sites. That's where citizen volunteers can be of service.
The four-week courses will train volunteers to recognize erosion violations and know which state or local enforcers to notify. The schools where the courses are offered are close enough for York County residents to attend, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg also offers a one-day session to certify site inspectors that is open to the public.
But so far, no similar programs are offered in South Carolina. We hope river watchdogs in the Palmetto State will take a cue from their counterparts in North Carolina and begin a Muddy Water Watch program here, too. York Technical College would be an ideal site for training courses.
While much of the silt may originate upstream, some South Carolina projects undoubtedly add to the pollution. Runoff and silt in the coves around Lake Wylie pose a perennial problem.
Residents on both sides of the state line share the water from the Catawba. We also should share the responsibility for keeping the river clean.
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Riverkeepers are enlisting citizens to help monitor construction sites for runoff. |
