watauga

STOP BOONE'S WATER GRAB

All concerned area residents and visitors are invited to attend this important meeting. We will have speakers to review the history of this ill-conceived water intake project, proposed to be located at the border of Watauga and Ashe Counties, and within sight of the Riverside Restaurant. An outline will be offered on how we plan to persuade government officials to reconsider all the new information on the negative impact the intake project would have on a multitude of regional users of these waters. Everything and everyone, from recreational businesses, kayaking and tubing, fishing and property owners rights and agricultural uses, and the thousands of visitors to our counties every year, will potentially be negatively and irreversibly affected if this project is allowed to be built.
The far-reaching water use plans of one municipality with questionable, and quite possibly self-serving, motives, must be STOPPED. At present the Town of Boone is taking 3 million gallons of water out of the New River each day...now they are asking to take an additional 4 million gallons per day of raw water from this American Heritage River. The discharge of waste water is far upstream and will pass again through the proposed intake site, with the remainder flowing unchecked into Ashe County and beyond. The effects of such a project on water flow and water quality in an already stressed and relatively small, shallow river are largely unstudied and unknown. Concerned citizens should be aware that an examination of The Town of Boone's own projections for growth show they have grossly overstated their water needs for the next 50 years and beyond to justify this project. Furthermore, their environmental assessments are demonstrably incomplete and of doubtful accuracy, having been done by agencies and individuals allied with the Town's interests. The planning, surveying, methods for various watershed designations, land purchases, bond proposals, proposed right-of-way condemnations and much of the documentation of this project has been cloaked in secrecy for years. The audacity of it has been breathtaking for those trying to closely follow and understand these issues.

We propose to change that process and insist on transparency and consultation with all the communities affected, particularly those in Watauga County and in Ashe County and beyond.

Protecting the future of the New River for all citizens and our children is our goal.

Attendees will be encouraged to voice their opinions and help us to develop a strong and effective action plan to STOP BOONE'S WATER GRAB.
Please bring a lawn chair as the event will be outside.
Food and drinks are available inside the restaurant.