Yadkin Riverkeeper

Join Yadkin Riverkeeper at the Happy Valley Jamboree August 30 – September 1!

Yadkin Riverkeeper Edgar Miller and Yadkin River State Trail (YRST) coordinator Ward Swann, will be attending the Happy Valley Jamboree to be held August 30-September 1 at the Jones Family Farm located off Highway 268 on the Yadkin River between Wilkesboro and Patterson. YRK is developing a proposal to extend the Yadkin River State Trail above the Kerr Scott Reservoir Dam to the Wilkes County line.

Edgar and Ward will be camping at the Jones Farm and paddling/exploring different segments of the upper Yadkin River during the course of the weekend. Primitive camping is available for $25 for the Labor Day weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday night) or $10 per night. YRK members and paddlers are welcome to attend and paddle with Edgar and Ward as the weather, water levels, and obstructions (i.e., logjams) permit, but it is BYOB, “bring your own boat” and we will be “self-shuttling.”

If you are interested in attending the Jamboree and paddling the Upper Yadkin with YRK, please email Katie Wilder at [email protected] and she’ll have Ward or Edgar contact you as the paddling options become clearer.

For more information on the Happy Valley Jamboree schedule, music and camping go to: https://happyvalleyfiddlers.org/

And now for some professional photos from our Moonlight Paddle at Easy Bend River Farms hostess. Thanks for sharing Christine Rucker Photography.

A few photos from last Sunday's Moonlight Paddle at Easy Bend River Farms. We were not deterred by the torrential down pour and were safe and dry in the riverside shelter built by our host, Ken Putnam and Christine Rucker. Thanks to them for having us and to Great Outdoor Provision Co. (Winston-Salem, NC) for sponsoring the event,

On August 1, 2024, YRK completed its first historic direct land acquisition along the Yadkin River State Trail. In partnership with the Surry County Parks and Recreation, YRK acquired nine acres of land associated with the Burch Station Access Area located at the confluence of the Yadkin and Mitchell Rivers off HIghway 268. It is a heavily used access area for paddling, fishing and swimming. YRK transferred the land to Surry County at closing and thanks the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources for funding from the Complete the Trails Program. Shout outs to the Surry County Commissioners, Surry Park and Rec director Daniel White and Wendy and Pat McNabb, the current owners of Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery, for being conservation minded sellers and YRK supporters.

For more details on the project go to: https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/news/burchstation

11 out of 24 Swim Guide sites passed this week. The results indicate a larger number of sites failed. This may be due to sporadic rain showers that have occurred in the River basin this past week. Swim Guide water sampling runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, so next week will be our last of the summer!

A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers and to Annmarie Templeton, Cube Hydro Carolinas, Bill Jenkins and Pam Townsend, The Office of Civic & Community Engagement at Wake Forest University, and River Network for sponsoring sites for the summer!

Please share our Swim Guide posts and help us get the word out!

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Descripción de la Guía de Natación:
Yadkin Riverkeepers evalúan la calidad del agua en 26 sitios de la cuenca de Yadkin cada miércoles. Examinamos el nivel de la bacteria E. coli en el agua para determinar si están a salvo para nadar y remar en el río y los lagos. Un sitio fallaría la guía de seguridad si el nivel de E. coli es más de 235 cfu/100 mL de agua. Publicamos los resultados cada jueves por la tarde.

Anuncio de Resultados:
¡Tenemos los resultados de la Guía de Natación esta semana! 11 de 24 sitios pasaron la guía de seguridad.

One of YRK's top priorities is to monitor chlorophyll-a, nutrient and bacteria levels in High Rock Lake to ensure the lake is meeting state water quality standards. In 2022, the NC Environmental Management Commission established a site specific chlorophyll-a standard for HRL, which is an indicator of nutrient levels and the potential for harmful algal blooms or HABs that can be harmful to people, pets and wildlife. Chlorophyll-a is the primary pigment responsible for plants and certain algae being green. Unfortunately, the state only samples NC lakes every five years, so YRK is working to fill that gap through our HRL monitoring program. If HRL exceeds the standard more than once within a three year algae "growing season," the lake will be considered out of compliance and require additional pollution reduction measures. Shout out to the Coosa Riverkeeper for the assist on the sampling device design.

Riverkeeper Edgar Miller and Yadkin River State Trail coordinator Ward Swann hosted a group of incredible students from the UNC - School of the Arts and their leaders, including Shane Benedict, founder of Liquid Logic Kayaks, for an amazing paddle on the historic Shoals to Donnaha section of the YRST.

Rowan Creek Week is September 14-21!

On Saturday, September 14th, join Yadkin Riverkeeper as we highlight water quality through an interactive Water, Wine, and Whiskey Tasting event. This is a 21+ ticketed event. Tickets include a one-year YRK membership!

https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/events/2024/9/14/water-and-whiskey-tasting

Getting ready to head to the office, I mean River, for a moonlight paddle on the Yadkin River State Trail.

18 out of 25 Swim Guide sites passed this week. Only two more weeks of sampling left this summer!

A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers and to Annmarie Templeton, Cube Hydro Carolinas, Bill Jenkins and Pam Townsend, The Office of Civic & Community Engagement at Wake Forest University, and River Network for sponsoring sites for the summer!

Please share our Swim Guide posts and help us get the word out!

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Descripción de la Guía de Natación:
Yadkin Riverkeepers evalúan la calidad del agua en 26 sitios de la cuenca de Yadkin cada miércoles. Examinamos el nivel de la bacteria E. coli en el agua para determinar si están a salvo para nadar y remar en el río y los lagos. Un sitio fallaría la guía de seguridad si el nivel de E. coli es más de 235 cfu/100 mL de agua. Publicamos los resultados cada jueves por la tarde.

Anuncio de Resultados:
¡Tenemos los resultados de la Guía de Natación esta semana! 18 de 25 sitios pasaron la guía de seguridad.

Enjoying the outdoors is every RUNNERS happy place.

Yadkin Riverkeeper is a nonprofit, membership organization whose mission is to protect and enhance the Yadkin P*e Dee River basin through education, advocacy and action.

Check out all that Yadkin Riverkeeper - https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/

Riverkeeper Edgar Miller sampled Buddle Creek today! Remember to check back tomorrow for all the results from today's Swim Guide water sampling!

Only a few days left to get tickets to our Moonlight Paddle on Sunday, August 18th! Thank you to our sponsors Great Outdoor Provision Co. and Easy Bend River Farms. We can't wait to see you there!

https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/events/2024/8/18/moonlight-paddle-at-easy-bend-river-farms

Meet our intern, Rachel!

My name is Rachel Overby, and I am currently a student at Catawba College in Salisbury. North Carolina. I am a rising Senior majoring in Environment and Sustainability with a minor in Biology. I was given the opportunity to intern with Yadkin Riverkeeper this summer. They gave me the opportunity to test the waters of this field.

If you see Rachel at a future YRK event, please say hello!

Due to the heavy precipitation associated w/ tropical depression Debby, YRK will not be doing watershed wide sampling for our Swim Guide program this week. The decision was partly to avoid putting YRK staff and volunteers in potentially unsafe situations, but mostly due to the fact that any results from sampling before the storm passed would no longer be valid. Given the significant amount of pollution heavy rains deposit in the River, we wouldn't recommend swimming until the flood water runoff has made its way through the system. YRK will be doing some targeted before and after sampling for e. coli at a number of our Swim Guide sites that have been consistently failing to determine the impact of flood waters on those sites. We will resume our regular sampling next week, weather permitting. Be safe out there and please heed the Flash Flood advisories and warnings issued by the National Weather Service .

Our Moonlight Paddle is a week from Sunday! Special thanks to our sponsors Great Outdoor Provision Co. and Easy Bend River Farms! Get your tickets and save your spot for August 18th!

https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/events/2024/8/18/moonlight-paddle-at-easy-bend-river-farms

Nice overview of NC Riverkeepers' work to reduce litter in our streams & rivers.

In case you missed it, YRK staff recently had the opportunity to assist the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) in planting native Spatterdock (yellow water lily) submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) on Tuckertown Reservoir on the Yadkin between Davidson/Montgomery and Rowan/Stanly Counties.

Read Riverkeeper Edgar Miller's full article with more pictures from this tour through the link below!

https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/news/tuckertown

14 out of 21 Swim Guide sites sampled passed this week!

A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers and to Annmarie Templeton, Cube Hydro Carolinas, Bill Jenkins and Pam Townsend, The Office of Civic & Community Engagement at Wake Forest University, and River Network for sponsoring sites for the summer!

Want to help support our Swim Guide program?
💧You can sponsor a Swim Guide site through the link below!
https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/swim-guide-sponsorship

💧If you are available Wednesday mornings throughout the summer, please email [email protected] and let her know you would like to join our sampling team!

💧Please share our Swim Guide posts and help us get the word out!


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Descripción de la Guía de Natación:
Yadkin Riverkeepers evalúan la calidad del agua en 26 sitios de la cuenca de Yadkin cada miércoles. Examinamos el nivel de la bacteria E. coli en el agua para determinar si están a salvo para nadar y remar en el río y los lagos. Un sitio fallaría la guía de seguridad si el nivel de E. coli es más de 235 cfu/100 mL de agua. Publicamos los resultados cada jueves por la tarde.

Anuncio de Resultados:
¡Tenemos los resultados de la Guía de Natación esta semana! 14 de 21 sitios pasaron la guía de seguridad.

¿Quiere apoyar a la Guía de Natación?
💧Puede patrocinar una muestra de agua en linea siguiendo este enlace:
https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/swim-guide-sponsorship

💧Si está disponible los miércoles este verano, por favor contáctenos por correo electrónico a [email protected]. Cuéntele si le gustaría unirse al equipo de muestras.

Check out Ward Swann, our Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator, as he navigates Donnaha to Old 421 River Park!

Donnaha to Old 421: Paddling on the Yadkin River @YRSTpaddle On an exploratory trip for work, I paddled to see islands and spots where we have put Mile Marker signs as well as spots where I want to put Mile Marker sign...

Let us know in the comments which basin you live in!

Two events are coming up at Easy Bend River Farms!

On August 3rd, join Christine Rucker's fundraiser to support her documentary about sisterhood, advocating for the special needs community, end of life, and the power of the river! Fair Witness will be serving up specialty craft cocktails made from freshly picked Easy Bend River Farm blackberries. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the link below!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pick-your-own-blackberry-cocktail-tickets-940738132077

On August 18th, come out for an evening with Yadkin Riverkeeper and enjoy time by and on the water at Easy Bend River Farms! There will be light refreshments and great conversations at the river’s edge. This event is sponsored by Great Outdoor Provision Co. and Easy Bend River Farms! Get tickets through the link below!

https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/events/2024/8/18/moonlight-paddle-at-easy-bend-river-farms

Most of the river sites failed this week due to the high volume of precipitation we received in the last few days. A rain event contributes to a greater amount of runoff entering the tributaries and the Yadkin River while transporting pollutants such as E. coli.

YRK does not advise recreating this weekend at the sites that have failed. Please take extra precautions if you come into contact with the river by washing your hands, rinsing any cuts, and avoiding contact with your eyes, ears, and mouth.

A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers and to Annmarie Templeton, Cube Hydro Carolinas, Bill Jenkins and Pam Townsend, The Office of Civic & Community Engagement at Wake Forest University, and River Network for sponsoring sites for the summer!

Want to help support our Swim Guide program?
💧You can sponsor a Swim Guide site through the link below!
https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/swim-guide-sponsorship
💧If you are available Wednesday mornings throughout the summer, please email [email protected] and let her know you would like to join our sampling team!
💧Please share our Swim Guide posts and help us get the word out!

----------
Descripción de la Guía de Natación:
Yadkin Riverkeepers evalúan la calidad del agua en 26 sitios de la cuenca de Yadkin cada miércoles. Examinamos el nivel de la bacteria E. coli en el agua para determinar si están a salvo para nadar y remar en el río y los lagos. Un sitio fallaría la guía de seguridad si el nivel de E. coli es más de 235 cfu/100 mL de agua. Publicamos los resultados cada jueves por la tarde.

Anuncio de Resultados:
¡Tenemos los resultados de la Guía de Natación esta semana! 6 de 22 sitios pasaron la guía de seguridad.

¿Quiere apoyar a la Guía de Natación?
💧Puede patrocinar una muestra de agua en linea siguiendo este enlace:
https://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/swim-guide-sponsorship
💧Si está disponible los miércoles este verano, por favor contáctenos por correo electrónico a [email protected]. Cuéntele si le gustaría unirse al equipo de muestras.

If you haven't already, please like and follow our Yadkin River State Trail page!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550302742671

Yadkin River State Trail Yadkin River State Trail was created in 1985 to promote paddling on the Yadkin River. The trail goes from Kerr Scott Dam to Morrow Mountain SP. With only two Urban areas on it, the trail passes through some of the most beautiful Piedmont countryside.