By Edgar Miller, Yadkin Riverkeeper and Executive Director
As I sat underneath a large sycamore tree along the banks of the Yadkin on the new boat access ramp just opened as part of the Town of Jonesville’s lovely Double Bluffs Park, it occurred to me that we’ve come along way in our appreciation of the value of the River. I would like to think as former lobbyist for the Conservation Trust of North Carolina for 15 years and in my current role as the Yadkin Riverkeeper, that I have made a small contribution to that increased awareness. Just seeing this new “river park” reinforced the sense that communities are reconnecting to the River.
Serving as Riverkeeper and executive director of the organization, I have kept my eyes on both the River and the organization to ensure YRK is there to continue to serve not only as the eyes of the River, but also, and more importantly, its voice. The River can’t literally speak for itself, unless you count rapids and babbling brooks. Nevertheless, the River is sending us a powerful cautionary message about not taking our water resources for granted during this ongoing drought.
As I waited to photograph almost 30 canoers and kayakers coming down the River from Elkin 3 miles upstream for our annual NC Trail Days River Cleanup, I felt a sense of immense pride and accomplishment for what YRK has and continues to do to keep the Yadkin clean and available for the more than one million people that depend on it for drinking water. Our efforts to reduce nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms in the River and lakes benefit the thousands of residents that use them for recreation, including swimming, paddling, boating, fishing and hunting.
Not having been cleared for on water activities during my recovery from recent hip replacement surgery, I felt guilty I wasn’t on the water with my fellow “river warriors.” It was the least I could do to sit in the 90-plus degree heat and wait on them to come down river, where, as the Yadkin Riverkeeper, I could “bless” them with my trusty shillelagh (Irish walking stick) and thank them for there efforts, but I waited and waited and waited.
Where were they, did they get hung up at the I-77 bridge, were they just moving slowly in the heat gathering trash? It was mostly my impatience, but then I began to reflect on my five-year tenure as the Yadkin Riverkeeper and eight total years with the organization. As you may have heard or read, I will be stepping down as Riverkeeper on July 1 and our current Riverkeeper assistant, Nicole Eastman, will take on the challenging role of Yadkin Riverkeeper. I will continue to serve as the organization’s executive director for the foreseeable future and will work hard to ensure YRK is here to protect the Yadkin for generations to come.
I thought about all the things we have accomplished, including our extraordinary efforts to sample water quality throughout the watershed from Patterson to Badin and our work to expand access to the Yadkin River State Trail (YRST). I thought about the communities and people in those communities of the River, as we like to call them, and their important and indispensable role in protecting and nurturing the River. I thought about our amazing volunteers cleaning up the River and donors and supporters who make our work possible.
I thought about our fellow waterkeepers around the state, nation and globe who are fighting to protect water resources on numerous fronts and felt a strong bond with my fellow “tree huggers,” “river hippies,” and “river guardians.”
As I tried unsuccessfully to seek more shade under the sycamore tree along the riprap bank, I sensed movement upriver just around the bend, but it wasn’t the paddlers. It was a gaggle of Canadian geese floating along in silence looking for aquatic vegetation to consume. Suddenly, I heard a flurry of wings and splash of water, and they were off flying down the river. About three minutes later I heard the first voices of the paddlers and then saw the first boats come around the bend.
When the paddlers got to the ramp, they enjoyed a chance to stretch their legs and cool off in the water. They had already picked up a significant amount of trash, which for the day totaled more than 1,000 pounds. I blessed them and thanked them on the River’s behalf, and they were on their way. I returned to the quietness and solitude afforded by the River, and it seemed to be saying thank you. I know it sounds crazy, but if you listen, the River will speak to you.
I will miss being the Riverkeeper, but trust me, you will be hearing from me and the River in our fight to protect its history and ecology from new threats like Duke Energy’s proposed methane gas plants and the proliferation of data centers throughout the watershed. I have total confidence in Nicole as she has been leading YRK’s response to these issues, among many other responsibilities, and doing a great job. She comes to this role with considerable “riverkeeping” experience and is at the forefront of a new generation of Riverkeepers in North Carolina and around the globe who will continue to speak for our endangered rivers. I am looking forward to seeing that future unfold.
For the River,
Edgar Miller
Yadkin Riverkeeper