NC River Basins

Charlotte is in the Catawba Drainage Basin A drainage basin is the land that water flows across or under on its way to a river In NC all water is sent to the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or another river. Five river basins flow into the Mississippi River Hiawassee, Little Tennessee, French Broad, New, Watauga The other 12 flow into the Atlantic Charlotte is in the Catawba Drainage Basin

River Characteristics Landscapes → shape of the land Wetlands → areas that are saturated with water (swamps, marshes) Groundwater → water in the ground Biodiversity → the total amount of species that make up an area Climate → temperature and precipitation over a period of time Groundwater pollution → how much pollution is being added

Human Impact Point-source pollution, non-point source pollution, and run off are being introduced to the streams which is acting to destroy natural buffers and toxify the system.

There are many things that can be done to help our river systems Change government policies Protect river banks from erosion Conserve land Reduce pollution Educate the public about environmental policy and prevention Create Urban Stream Renewal programs that reclaim streams/creeks/rivers and make them useful and productive-Think Greenways