Conservation

An island on the Middle Haw turns green in the middle of March 2020. Photo By Bob Brueckner
With spring on the way, an island on the Middle Haw turns green in mid-March of 2020. Photo by Bob Brueckner

Here’s how you can save hemlocks on the Green

Preserving Rivers: The Carolina Canoe Club is committed to river stewardship and conservation. The club works with other organizations to maintain healthy rivers and makes annual donations to river conservation groups. For example, some club members have participated in an effort to save eastern hemlocks on the Green River in Western North Carolina. This tree, which is important to the riparian habitat, is under attack by the hemlock woolly adelgid.

Cleanups: We have major river cleanups on the Mayo in January, the Haw in March and the Tuckasegee/Fontana Lake in late June/early July. Four teams pick up trash once a month at three Haw River accesses and the Tuckasegee.

River Access: The club is keenly aware of the need for paddlers to access rivers. CCC members were instrumental in establishing public accesses on the Haw. A donation by the club helped create the new access at Guy Ford Road on the Watauga.

Hydro Relicensing: You can’t take rivers for granted. Especially the ones with hydroelectric dams such as the Nantahala, Tuckasegee, Pigeon, Haw, Dan and Ocoee. Paddlers have worked with other stakeholders, dam owners and resource agencies to secure releases, ecological improvements, portages and access.

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