Catawba's power drove our growth

Mt. Island Lake Dam's hydroelectric facility.

Clean And Clear Catawba, by Alice Battle – Feb. 10

In 1900, the Catawba River was a 225-mile, free flowing river.  By 2000, it no longer flowed freely.   Eleven dams built on the River in the years after 1900 divides it into lakes.  The dams were built to harness hydroelectric power. The last one built was Cowans Ford, which formed Lake Norman in 1963. The River has seen dramatic change in 100 hundred years - more than in any of the centuries before 1900.

The role the River plays in producing electricity evolved due to technology and the increasing thirst for electrical power. Hydroelectric power is still part of the energy picture, but only satisfies less than 10% of the electricity demand.  The waters are now used to produce steam and cool the power plants that dot the water shed.

Power production is one way the waters of the river are used. Mountain Island Lake alone is the source of drinking water for approximately one million people in the Metrolina area.  The River also absorbs treated waste water from the treatment plants along its shores. As more people move into the State the demand for water increases.

The textile industry thrived along the River because of the access to plenty of water. The decline of this industry has kept the actual increase of water usage from climbing too rapidly.  This will end about the year 2020 if the projections for increased development in the water shed are accurate.

The River has been seen as an unlimited resource in the last century.  Recent droughts and increased development show us that it is not an unlimited resource, but rather a resource that should be managed wisely.

About Alice Battle – Alice lives on Mountain Island Lake has served on numerous groups devoted to protecting the lake, including the Duke Energy Relicensing stakeholders group. She currently is Lakekeeper for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.