Our Basin's Namesake: The White Oak
It is easy to get confused about which rivers we serve and what river belongs to which basin. This past Saturday I paddled on the White Oak River with our friends from Second Wind Eco Tours. The White Oak River basin includes both the White Oak and the New River. It isn’t called the New River basin because there is already a New River basin (confused, yet?). The other New River is part of the Ohio River watershed and is a tributary of the Kanawha River (which is 320 miles long). While our New River is the only river in the country to start and end in the same county, this other New River flows through many counties…and 3 states: North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Ok. So, now you know that a river can be a part of another river’s watershed. So what is a watershed? Everyone lives in one, even if you aren’t near any water! It is basically an area of land where all the water drains. It can be big (like the Mississippi River’s) or small…like ours!
So the White Oak River basin is home to two very important rivers that both share similarities (they lie within the coastal plain and face a lot of pollution) but are also very unique!
One thing I like to point out about issues regarding the rivers is that they both have high levels of nutrients and fecal coliform concentrations. The New River has a lot of farming operations located near its tributaries. When there are a lot of farm animals, there is a lot of animal waste. And when there is a lot of waste located near wet ditches and drainages, you’ve got yourself a river with high levels of bacteria.
The White Oak River also has high levels of bacteria. Although there are some large farming operations near its tributaries, the issue is mostly due to development. The primary sources of the bacteria are from wildlife and pets. The populations of wildlife species and pets have not increased as of recent times, but developments including roads, pavements, and buildings have. Forests and vegetative buffers that used to soak rain water into the ground and absorb runoff are now replaced with impervious surfaces that quickly move runoff into nearby creeks and streams.
Because of this increase in bacteria concentrations (with the addition of other pollutants like sedimentation), many of the White Oak's oyster beds have had to permanently close down. This is devastating since oysters are known to provide many ecological services by filtering up to 50 gallons of water a day. They also support NC's seafood industry. However, with the steady decline of shellfish beds many oysters are now being shipped from Texas. Lets make sure we take care of our waters....and those tasty oysters!
