Join us in being a part of the leading edge of health care in the United States. NC Stream Watch North Carolina's lakes, streams and rivers are among our state's most precious resources. Their waters anchor us, giving us a sense of history and place. They are a crucial part of our environmental neighborhood, our habitat. Like neighborhoods, habitats need to be protected.
Clean waterways are as important as safe neighborhoods.
But growth, development, and carelessness threaten the health of even the most pristine North Carolina streams. Pushed to their limits by the increasing demands of our society, our streams and rivers now show signs of stress. The New River Gorge National River was established in 1978 to preserve and protect 53 miles of the New River as a free-flowing waterway. This section of the New River was declared a national American heritage area by the president of the United States in 1998. The gorge itself, once highly impacted by mining and timbering, demonstrates the power of mother nature in reclaiming her territory.