Ready for a water fight?

UNIFOUR LEADERS OPPOSE PROPOSAL TO TRANSFER MILLIONS OF GALLONS DAILY FROM RIVER BASIN

OFFICIALS CONTEND THAT REQUEST COULD LEAD TO SHORTAGE IN DROUGHT; MEETING IS THURSDAY

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

A meeting Thursday on a plan to take millions of gallons of water a day out of the Catawba River basin is shaping up as a contest to see which side can turn out a bigger crowd.

Leaders from the Catawba Valley are trying to increase turnout at a public meeting in Valdese on Thursday on a proposal to transfer up to 36 million gallons of water a day from the river basin to the cities of Concord and Kannapolis.

By comparison, the city of Hickory uses about 14 million gallons of water a day, according to the public works department.
Concord and Kannapolis want the transfer to supplement the projected area's water supply shortfall over the next 30 years.

The Catawba Valley officials, whose communities draw water from the river, worry that, if approved, the proposal could create a shortage during a drought.

"Everyone is finally recognizing the importance of the Catawba River and what a crucial natural (resource) it is to this region," said Jeff Morse, Valdese town manager. "We've been through a drought and we recognize (its) impact ."

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources, is holding the meeting to hear comments on Concord and Kannapolis' water transfer request.

The N.C. Environmental Management Commission is scheduled to decide on the proposal on Nov. 7.

John Cox, president of Cabarrus Regional Chamber and Economic Development, said the chamber is planning to bring more than 100 people to the meeting, many by bus.

Many opponents, like Conover attorney Martin Pannell, hope residents and leaders from the Catawba Valley will attend to oppose the transfer.

"The gloves are off," he said. "If they want to come here and make a show, all bets are off."

The concentrated action is coming late from Hickory, the largest city in the region, but City Manager Mick Berry said officials have been paying attention to the water transfer issue for months.

Opponents of the water transfer, including Hickory Mayor Rudy Wright, aren't sure what kind of argument to expect from officials in Concord and Kannapolis but are sure proponents of the transfer will come armed with research saying the Catawba Valley won't be hurt if the action is passed.

"They'll probably have data that says this won't hurt anyone in any way," Wright said. "Don't tell me there's not potential for droughts."

Cox said Concord and Kannapolis officials have been researching, studying and planning for this water transfer since 2001 and are hoping it will finally become a reality.

"This has been a moving and an elongated process, and we have jumped through every hurdle that has been put in front of us," Cox said. "We'd like for it to conclude and be decided on science."

Leaders in the Unifour region are hoping to respond to the research with evidence that the transfer would be bad for the valley in times of drought, said Berry.

Donald Duncan, Conover city manager, has been working to prevent the transfer since it was first proposed five years ago. He said that Concord and Kannapolis have not fully explored other alternatives.

"They live in one basin, but they want to take water from another basin that other people live on," Duncan said. "If you're taking it from the river, you're taking it from the river, no matter where (it's coming out)."

Officials in the Catawba Valley are anticipating what could be a decade-long battle over the water transfer, said Duncan. The city of Conover, he said, has voted to add $50,000 over the next five years to a water transfer legal defense fund.

They're hoping to avoid future fights over resources, Duncan said, by figuring out a way to manage the region's water.

"If this goes well, no one will ever know it," he said. "If this goes badly, our children and grandchildren are going to be cussing us."Want to Go?

The public meeting to discuss the Catawba River basin water transfer will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the Old Rock School Auditorium, 400 West Main St. in Valdese.


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