River In Need | Priority Issues | In the News | Reports and Fact Sheets
The Tar-Pamlico River is a vital link to the communities residing along its banks in Eastern North Carolina. It is our source of drinking water, it holds our secret fishing holes, and is our playground. Join us in our work to protect, preserve, and monitor the Tar-Pamlico River.
The health and integrity of the Tar-Pamlico system is threatened due to years of neglect and the cumulative impacts of a growing population. PTRF is dedicated to the restoration of the Tar-Pamlico River by addressing and resolving the following issues that are impacting its health:
- Confined Animal Feeding Operations
- Water Withdrawals
- Polluted Stormwater Runoff and Sedimentation
- Nutrient Pollution
- Wetland Loss
- Loss of Riparian Areas
- Public Access
- Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
Keep checking back to our new fracking information page, in partneship with FrackFree NC, an alliance of NC organizations working against fracking. Read more.
Proposed mine in Beaufort County raises concerns
Martin Marietta Inc has applied for state and federal permits to develop a new 50-year open pit marine limestone mine in southern Beaufort County, east of Vanceboro, within the Blounts Creek watershed. Read more.
Legislature Overrides Governor Veto
Recent votes on damaging policies demonstrate that North Carolina legislative leaders do not believe clean water, clean air and public health are priorities. This week the legislature voted to override the Governor's veto of Senate Bill 781, Regulatory Reform Act, which is a polluter's wish list. Read More.
City of Creedmoor looking to Upper Tar River for new Wastewater Discharge
PTRF has learned that the City of Creedmoor, located in the Neuse River basin,
is taking steps to build a new wastewater treatment plant and discharge pipe in the Tar River Basin in Granville County. Read More.
NC Legislature votes to weaken Buffer Rules
In a last second move, several coastal legislators were successful in ramming through a provision that weakens the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse buffer rules. Riparian buffers are cost-effective tools at protecting the quality of our drinking water, recreational and commercial fisheries and reduce flooding and shoreline loss.
Read More.
Cost-Effective Protections for Tar-Pamlico Streams Under Attack
Buffers of trees, shrubs and grass along waterways are the ideal way to slow runoff and filter contaminants. Streamside buffers are essential to protect water quality and they contribute numerous other ecological benefits. Read More.
Kayalalon-ers Brave Tough Weather
“It was a cooler race and I think Mother Nature threw everything she had at the participants,” said PTRF Riverkeeper Heather Jacobs Deck. Read more.
Editorial: Help the Rivers Helpers
Public officials, economic development experts and citizens with ideas about using the city’s riverfront property to attract more people to downtown Greenville should be active members — if they are not already — of the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation. Read more.
Volunteers Clear Up the River!
The clear skies made it easy to spot all the garbage along the Tar River in Greenville, just what officials with the sponsoring Pamlico-Tar River Foundation and a bunch of volunteer competitors had hoped for at the fifth annual Riverkeeper Cup Challenge. Read more.
Protesters Speak Out Against Bill
Gerrick Bresser, executive director of Progress NC, Jake Geller-Goad of the Greenville arm of Democracy NC and David Emmerling, former executive director of the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation, spoke about the dangerous effects of Senate Bill 10. Read more.
Greenville Residents Honored by PTRF
PTRF members Ginny Kloepfer, Cindy Wooten (both from Greenville), the late Joel Bourne of Tarboro, Jerry Eatman of Raleigh and Kelly Ransdell of Safe Kids were all honored at PTRF's 2012 annual meeting. Read more.
A fungus called Aphanomyces invadans paired with abruptly cooler temperatures over the past two weeks are the likely sources behind fish kills erupting in the region’s rivers. Read more.
Egg Fight Could Have Major Implications
Legal wrangling over a federal water quality permit at a huge egg farm in Hyde County has spurred legislators in Raleigh to change state law and could affect future monitoring of water pollutants at the massive plant adjacent to the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. “It’s troubling because in this case we have a clear body of evidence that there is a discharge,” said Heather Jacobs Deck, the Riverkeeper for the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation. “It would be unregulated.” Read more.
Poultry Producers Should Come Clean About Rules
Letter to the editor by PTRF Riverkeeper in response to incorrect statements made about lack of regulations for poultry producers in the State of North Carolina. Read more.
Go Ahead, Jump in!
"The Tar River for the most part is a very clean system -- the only time there are recommendations to limit exposure are especially here more in Beaufort County -- a little less more up the river in Greenville -- is if a fish kill is going on in the summertime." Read more.
RIVERKEEPER Takes Class for Water Qaulity Testing
PTRF Riverkeeper and Youth Kayaking Intern Kim Chadwick took a Greenville class out to study water quality, different aquatic invertebrates, and why there are so many sharks teeth found in the area! Read more.
Mine Permits on Agenda
PTRF Riverkeeper pleased the proposed Martin Marietta open pit mine has been granted a public hearing by the Division of Water Quality; reflective of citizen and PTRF concern. Read more.
PTRF Riverkeeper Sees Tar River Fuel Spill as Educational Opportunity - Watch the Video Here.
Groups Challenge Ammonia Emissions from Industrial Egg Farm in Hyde County, NC
Motion filed by Earthjustice and Lynch & Eatman on behalf of PTRF, Waterkeeper Alliance, and Friends of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Read more.
Service-Learning: Community Connections Steer Students in the Right Direction
East Carolina University highlights the beginnings of our Youth Kayakying Program and the volunteer that helped start it. Read more.
WRAL News Story Highlights Dangers of Flushing Drugs
WRAL created a short documentary on the dangers of flushing drugs and the impact to our water supplies. Watch Video.
Riverkeepers pan county's application for water, sewer grants tied to chicken plant.
Washington, NC- Nash County officials recently have come under fire by several water conservation groups for what they contend is a lack of transparency in the application process of certain water and sewer improvements. Read more.
PTRF Collaborated with Franklin County Soil and Water to Install Rain Garden
Volunteers installed a 250 square foot rain garden to treat stormwater runoff from the rooftop of a day care center in Louisburg, NC. Read More.
PTRF Launches Environmental Restoration Program
Several exciting projects are already in the works. Read more.
2010 Tar-Pamlico Basinwide Report: Executive Summary (NC DWQ)
Drug Tack-Back Programs: Safe Disposal of Unused, Expired, or Unwanted Medications in North Carolina
PEW Environmental Group Report: Big Chicken: Pollution and Industrial Poultry Production in America
Union of Concerned Scientists: CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations
Sustainable Forest Bioenergy for North Carolina
Fact Sheets:
Talking Points for Blounts Creek & the Proposed Mine
Tar Pamlico Buffer Rules
Sea Level Rise Elevation Map (EPA)
Stormwater and Your Rain Garden
