What does 2010 hold for water in the Charlotte region?
The Catawba Riverkeepers provide their take on the water and environment issues facing the Catawba River watershed and surrounding areas.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut130iDhaKo]
Since I’m posting this on January 1st, I suppose I should offer some prognostications for Charlotte area water resources in the coming year. I’m not much at predictions, but I can offer up some of the things that I know will happen over the next year.
- We will hear from the Supreme Court about whether Duke Energy and others will be allowed to join in the South Carolina versus North Carolina suit over water allocations in the Catawba River watershed.
- Sprawl will continue to impact streams around the region, though development will be a bit slower than at its peak.
- Water conservation will, unfortunately, continue to be at the back of most people’s minds, unless there happens to be a major flood or drought in the news. Lawns will be watered even on rainy days and with upward-directed droplets at noon. People will wash cars on their driveways and run their dishwashers after every meal. They may even leave the water running while they brush their teeth.
- Global climate will continue to warm, affecting the water cycle in a multitude of ways.
- My graduate students and I will learn a lot more about the headwater streams, larger rivers, and groundwater of our research sites in the South Fork of the Catawba River watershed and beyond.