'Rise up, get involved': Riverkeeper's journey highlighting pollution of New Bern's waterway

A 150-mile journey down the Neuse River scheduled to end in New Bern next month will highlight both the waterway's beauty and the perils it faces from climate change and industrial pollution.

Sound Rivers Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop joined Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Jill Howell and Oregon’s Rogue Riverkeeper Emily Bowes on September 28 as they set out from the Smithfield Town Commons boat launch on the Neuse River Rising paddle. The 11-day kayak trip down the river will wind through Goldsboro and Kinston before reaching its final stop in New Bern at noon on October 8.

According to Krop, the trip, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the federal Clean Water Act, was planned as an opportunity to highlight not only the recreational accessibility of the Neuse River but its ongoing problems as well.

“The promise of the Clean Water Act was to deliver fishable, swimmable, drinkable water for all Americans and we obviously have a long way to go to achieve that promise,” Krop said. “There are folks right here in North Carolina that don’t have access to those clean waterways.”

Though the Clean Water Act has been a “game changer” in fighting water pollution, Krop said there was still work to be done.

“Even though we have regulations on pollution we still have a nutrient-sensitive waterway," she explained. "The Neuse suffers from excess levels of nitrogen, from runoff coming from underregulated and sometimes unregulated factory farms and from old sewer infrastructure that needs updating."

Krop added, “Sound Rivers does sampling for bacteria E. coli all up and down the river and we consistently have locations that are well above the federal limit for how much E. coli can be in safe waterways.”

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The riverkeepers mapped out the paddle over the past month, planning where to camp, how much food and water to bring, and selecting which issues to highlight on a journey that will cover more than half the entire length of the Neuse River.

Krop said in the Goldsboro area the waterkeepers will be highlighting Duke Energy and the coal ash spill of 2021 as well issues with residential developments, sediment and erosion. In the Kinston area, they will talk about issues such as factory farming, chemical runoff and waste lagoons that are affecting water quality in the Neuse’s lower watershed.

Keeping an eye on Hurricane Ian

According to Krop, the trip will be an “interesting balance of all the beautiful parts and the recreation opportunities and also all the threats that are ongoing as well.”

Krop said she was particularly looking forward to the first leg of the trip, from Smithfield to Goldsboro. The area, known by the colloquialism the “Let’lones,” was once home to whiskey distilleries and was said by locals to be best “left alone.”

“It’s a pretty slow-moving river, especially from Smithfield on down. There’s no whitewater so it’s a pretty lazy, swampy river,” she noted. “The first couple of days are just beautiful, it’s an area of the river that’s mostly undeveloped and really forested with lots of wildlife opportunities.”

Krop said the plan calls for the riverkeepers to spend their nights either camped along the river or sheltered with nearby residents.

“There’s a couple of established campgrounds and then there will be some sandbar camping,” she said. “And then we actually have some folks who live on the river who will be putting us up. So we’ll be supported at certain areas as we go and then figuring it out in other spots.”

Krop said the approach of Hurricane Ian will likely force the trio to shelter in place for several days.

“We’ll probably get a couple of good days in on the water before it gets really gnarly outside. If we do get the predicted winds and rain that are forecast we’re definitely going to get off the water and hunker down at an Airbnb wherever we are and when things are good we’ll get back on the water again,” Krop said.

Despite the expected delay, the Neuse River Rising paddlers are still planning to arrive at the Glenburnie Park boat access in New Bern. Experienced kayakers with their own vessels are invited to join the riverkeepers on the last leg of the trip to Lawson Creek Park.

Krop said the name of the trip was inspired by one of Neuse River Rising’s goals — to empower communities that live along the river to become more involved in its well-being.

“We were thinking of people rising up and reclaiming the river, taking back this thing we love and care for,” Krop said. “It’s also a big nod to climate change and flooding and droughts and how the water levels are fluctuating significantly. The character of the river is changing and our communities need to rise up and get involved.”

More:Trash Trout in New Bern gobbles up garbage before it hits the Neuse River

Krop said the approaching hurricane provided an opportunity to consider the dangers of climate change.

“In the face of more extreme weather events we need to be thinking smartly about things like flooding and stormwater runoff so we can not only maintain the progress that we’ve made but actually do a lot better,” she commented.

Though work remains to be done, Krop said the Neuse River has come a long way from the days when fabric companies were allowed to dump dye into its waters, turning the river a sickly green and blue for miles.

“That doesn’t happen any more thanks to the Clean Water Act. We have actual rules and limits about what can be put into the river,” she commented. “When pollution is happening we have a tool that we can use to go to court and make it stop, so that’s a huge win for the Neuse River and for environmentalists.”

Reporter Todd Wetherington can be reached by email at wwetherington@gannett.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Neuse Riverkeeper's journey highlights pollution in New Bern waterway