Author: Heather Deck
#Tour De Tar
April 7, 2022
#Tour De Tar
Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Jill Howell and Environmental Projects Coordinator Clay Barber launched their kayaks into the Tar River on Thursday, October 8th, for a journey called “Tour de Tar.”
Jill and Clay paddled the length of the Tar, pulling out at High Water Social in Washington on October 17th.
Jill and Clay paddled the Tar not just to have a great adventure, but also to bring attention to the beauty of the river – and why it should be protected from threats. That’s what we do here at Sound Rivers – and if you’re interested in supporting our work, you can sponsor Jill and Clay’s paddle – all proceeds will benefit our Water Quality Monitoring Fund! Like many non-profits in 2020, we’re facing a funding shortfall due to canceled events, like our 35th Annual Oyster Roast. Your sponsorship of any amount will help us keep your Riverkeepers working for clean water, and working for you!
More info, including their musings, videos, tips, and answered questions, below! And on social media, facebook.com/pamlicotar and facebook.com/soundriversnc
In-Kind Support
April 7, 2022
In-Kind Support
Support Clean Water With Your Equipment or Silent Auction Gift
Sound Rivers accepts a variety of in-kind donations!
Our current organization-wide needs include:
- Boats of all types
- PFDs, paddles, other paddling supplies
Sound Rivers is also collecting items for our Oyster Roast Silent Auction in November 2020!
Some examples of popular donated items include:
- Visual art (paintings, framed nature photographs, etc.)
- Services (spa packages, etc.)
- Vacation Packages (from a one-night stay to a week-long rental!)
- River Related Activities and Entertainment (river cruises, fishing trips, etc.)
- And more!
Have something to contribute? Contact us with this form – please describe your item in the comments – and we’ll get back to you asap! Any donated items are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
Oyster Roast Attendee FAQs
April 7, 2022
Oyster Roast Attendee FAQs
We’ve gathered some FAQs from the three decades of Oyster Roasts! If you have a question, check below, we may have an answer! Don’t see your question answered here? Email info@soundrivers.org or call 252-946-7211!
Entry (General Admission Tickets) FAQ’s and Info
- Doors open at 6pm, not before
- Check-in is located in the Civic Center, south entrance (signs will be posted)
- Reservation list with names, no tickets are required. If your name isn’t on the list, check in under the name of the person who purchased your tickets.
- A wrist band and beer cup will be provided
- We will be checking IDs so please have yours out and ready
General FAQs
- There are plenty of oysters- no one will leave hungry- we promise! If you’re having trouble finding space for your group, just enjoy a beer, eat some chili or chowder (located in the dance hall) and return to the tables in a little while.
- Oyster knives are made available to everyone; located outside on the oyster tables. You can bring your own if you’d like.
- Melted butter and sauce are located near the oyster tables; served by our amazing volunteers. Please know that, due to the cold night, the butter will be provided in smaller amounts to avoid waste. You can certainly return for seconds if needed.
- Three breweries are located outside near the oyster tables. All the beer has been donated- we are grateful for our partnership with these great local breweries!
- Sodas and water are available inside; large coolers in the dance hall
- Chili and Chowder are provided inside, in the dance hall.
- Oyster Tables, except for sponsors, are first-come, first-serve.
- This event is a “come as you are” event. Casual, dressed up– whatever you feel like, we just want you to stay warm, have fun, and enjoy the evening.
- If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask a staff member or volunteer. We want you to have a great time.
Silent Auction
- Silent Auction bidding
We’ve gathered some FAQs from the three decades of Oyster Roasts! If you have a question, check below, we may have an answer! Don’t see your question answered here? Email info@soundrivers.org or call 252-946-7211!
Entry (General Admission Tickets) FAQ’s and Info
- Doors open at 6pm, not before
- Check-in is located in the Civic Center, south entrance (signs will be posted)
- Reservation list with names, no tickets are required. If your name isn’t on the list, check in under the name of the person who purchased your tickets.
- A wrist band and beer cup will be provided
- We will be checking IDs so please have yours out and ready
General FAQs
- There are plenty of oysters- no one will leave hungry- we promise! If you’re having trouble finding space for your group, just enjoy a beer, eat some chili or chowder (located in the dance hall) and return to the tables in a little while.
- Oyster knives are made available to everyone; located outside on the oyster tables. You can bring your own if you’d like.
- Melted butter and sauce are located near the oyster tables; served by our amazing volunteers. Please know that, due to the cold night, the butter will be provided in smaller amounts to avoid waste. You can certainly return for seconds if needed.
- Three breweries are located outside near the oyster tables. All the beer has been donated- we are grateful for our partnership with these great local breweries!
- Sodas and water are available inside; large coolers in the dance hall
- Chili and Chowder are provided inside, in the dance hall.
- Oyster Tables, except for sponsors, are first-come, first-serve.
- This event is a “come as you are” event. Casual, dressed up– whatever you feel like, we just want you to stay warm, have fun, and enjoy the evening.
- If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask a staff member or volunteer. We want you to have a great time.
Silent Auction
- Silent Auction bidding happens throughout the night – if you have questions about an item, a volunteer or staff member is available to help
- Bidding closes at 9pm – please give us several moments to organize before coming to claim your item
- It helps Sound Rivers’ staff immensely if you’re able to take your item home that night!
- All Silent Auction proceeds benefit your Riverkeepers, so please bid generously, and have fun!
Sponsor FAQs and Info
- Doors open at 6pm
- We have a separate check-in table for our sponsors and guests located inside the Civic Center (south entrance)
- No tickets required
- For sponsorships with reserved oyster and inside tables, look for the “Reserved” signs printed with your logos.
- Wine will be provided this year for our sponsors at reserved tables
VIP FAQs and Info
- Doors open for our VIPs at 5pm
- Check-in is outdoors at the oyster tables where you will receive your VIP gift bag
- Access to VIP lounge during the evening, located in a classroom along the civic center hallway. Wine and sweets will be available throughout the evening for our VIPs. (Keep your VIP lanyard on so you can easily enter the lounge.)
- happens throughout the night – if you have questions about an item, a volunteer or staff member is available to help
- Bidding closes at 9pm – please give us several moments to organize before coming to claim your item
- It helps Sound Rivers’ staff immensely if you’re able to take your item home that night!
- All Silent Auction proceeds benefit your Riverkeepers, so please bid generously, and have fun!
Sponsor FAQs and Info
- Doors open at 6pm
- We have a separate check-in table for our sponsors and guests located inside the Civic Center (south entrance)
- No tickets required
- For sponsorships with reserved oyster and inside tables, look for the “Reserved” signs printed with your logos.
- Wine will be provided this year for our sponsors at reserved tables
VIP FAQs and Info
- Doors open for our VIPs at 5pm
- Check-in is outdoors at the oyster tables where you will receive your VIP gift bag
- Access to VIP lounge during the evening, located in a classroom along the civic center hallway. Wine and sweets will be available throughout the evening for our VIPs. (Keep your VIP lanyard on so you can easily enter the lounge.)
Donate
April 7, 2022
Donate
All gifts – of any amount – will help us fight for your rivers! Thank you!
Your donations to Sound Rivers support our work to protect and preserve the beauty and health of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers and provide critical funding for programs like Swim Guide – keeping you in the know about your water quality, advocacy – working with North Carolina leaders to create stronger protections for your clean water, environmental programs – implementing innovating solutions to pollution and increasing public access to your rivers, and more.
This month, ALL MONTH LONG, every dollar donated will be MATCHED, thanks to some very generous Sound Rivers supporters!
Thank you, your support keeps your water clean!
Would you like to make a memorial gift, or a gift in honor of a loved one? Click “Make a Special Contribution” above, and when checking out you can enter their name, and who should be notified of the gift. Questions? Please contact info@soundrivers.org for assistance.
Thank you for your help protecting your rivers! If you would prefer to send a check, please mail your gift to: Sound Rivers, PO Box 1854, Washington, NC 27889
*Please note the donation forms above will not work with Internet Explorer, but these forms will work on Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla, or Safari.
Gift the Gift of Clean Water
Looking for the perfect gift? Gift a Sound Rivers membership to your loved one! Your gift recipient will:
- Receive a card letting them know you made a gift of clean water in their name, and a Sound Rivers sticker
- Begin receiving our quarterly newsletter, Currents
- Be recognized by name in our Annual Report.
Use the link below to make a special gift membership!
Please note: Fill out the first part of the contact information on the form with YOUR contact information to ensure proper credit card processing, and the enter your gift recipient’s information below in the fields indicated. If you would like to remain anonymous (and not let the gift recipient know you are the giver) please indicate that in the “comments” field.
Other ways to support clean water:
Swim Guide
April 7, 2022
Swim Guide
Get your weekly water quality alerts here!
swim guide here
Want to get weekly water quality alerts straight to your phone? Text “SWIM” to 33222!
EN ESPAÑOL
Sound Rivers’ Neuse and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeepers work with interns and volunteers to monitor water quality sites in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds. Our sites are sampled weekly from late May through the end of August. Sites are monitored for E. coli bacteria in freshwater and enterococci bacteria in salt water.
As soon as results of our monitoring are available they will be posted to here, can be found at the Swim Guide website, using the smartphone app, on our Facebook page, and will be announced on Public Radio East between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. each Friday. You can also get weekly alerts during the summer via text (text SWIM to 33222 to join our text alert list).
CONDITIONS ON
March 29, 2024
Swim Guide has entered its year-round testing, where we test select sites on a monthly basis. Sites being tested monthly on the Neuse include Rolling View on Falls Lake; Buffaloe Road and Poole Road in Raleigh; Clayton River Walk; Busco Beach, Ferry Bridge Road and the Neuse River boat ramp in Goldsboro; the boating access and Cliffs of the Neuse State Park’s swim area in Seven Springs; the N.C. Highway 11 boat ramp in Kinston; Lawson Creek in New Bern; Slocum Creek in Havelock; and the Midyette Street boat ramp in Oriental. Sites on the Tar-Pamlico are Stith-Talbert Park in Rocky Mount; Wildwood Park and Port Terminal in Greenville; and Havens Gardens and Pamlico Plantation in Washington.
Swim Guide sampling occurs on the last Thursday of each month, and results are posted on this page the following day.
UPPER NEUSE
Buffaloe Road and Poole Road in Raleigh and the River Walk in Clayton failed to meet recreational water-quality standards.
LOWER NEUSE
Midyette Street in Oriental failed this month.
TAR-PAMLICO
Havens Gardens in Washington and Port Terminal in Greenville failed.
Get Swim Guide Results
Swim Guide volunteers sample each site on Thursdays throughout the summer and results are available by Friday afternoon. They will be posted to this page, can be found at the Swim Guide website, using the app, on our Facebook page, and will be announced on Public Radio East between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. each Friday. You can also get the results via weekly text alerts during the summer — just text SWIM to 33222 to join our text alert list!
Like the Swim Guide? Donate here to help keep the Swim Guide alive!
Water Quality Criteria
Sound Rivers uses the North Carolina and EPA water-quality criteria for contact recreation. Sites are marked green when the last sample was at healthy levels of bacteria. Sites are marked red when the last sample was above the criteria, or unhealthy levels of bacteria. Sites are marked grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.
E. coli is a type of bacteria found in the intestines of people and other animals, and is a good indicator of recent fecal contamination. While most types of these bacteria are harmless, some types can make us sick or cause more severe gastrointestinal issues in more sensitive groups.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries Recreational Water Quality Program does additional testing in the region. Those results are also incorporated into the sites listed on the Swim Guide website and app.
Thanks so much to our Sponsors, who are helping us bring you
the Summer of 2023 Swim Guide!
Protection
April 7, 2022
Protection
On a daily basis, our two Riverkeepers monitor the health of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds and ecosystems. We serve as investigators, advocates and educators who partner with conservationists and concerned citizens to be hands-on activists protecting the health and beauty of our natural resources.
One of North Carolina’s Original Conservation Groups
Our staff has decades of experience in advocacy roles for the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Rivers. The organization was founded by concerned citizens like you who care about the health and beauty of our waterways. We’ve been protecting our cherished rivers since 1980.
Our Riverkeepers monitor the health of the rivers and ecosystems in our communities. We investigate polluters, advocate for enforcement of existing laws, and demonstrate conservation techniques that protect the health of our natural resources.
The Dangers of Polluters Run Amuck
Sound Rivers often has to use strategic action to stop pollution and promote policies that will protect infograph_defend_sound-rivers_022616the rivers and watersheds. Too often the local, state and federal government agencies charged with enforcing our environmental laws are unable or unwilling to take critical enforcement actions, often because of lack of adequate resources or the potential for political or legal backlash.
As much as possible, we prefer to resolve matters through negotiation and cooperation without resorting to litigation. Typically, we’re able to resolve problems through communication. Our establish working relationships with industry, government and civic groups enables Sound Rivers to serve as a resource for water quality and environmental issues. We’re not only the voice for our rivers, but an ally to protect and restore our waterways.
Contact Us
April 7, 2022
Contact Us
Get in touch with us
Locations
WASHINGTON (OFFICE)
108 Gladden St.
Washington, NC 27889
252.946.7211
WASHINGTON (MAILING)
PO Box 1854
Washington, NC 27889
NEW BERN
2207 Trent Road
New Bern, NC 28560
252.637.7972
RALEIGH
19 Hargett St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
919.856.1180
Recreation
April 7, 2022
Recreation
On The Water
Sound Rivers represents the interests of its thousands of members, as well as everyone who recognizes the waterways of eastern North Carolina as the amazing assets they are. We care about the future of our rivers, streams and waterways because they sustain us humans and the nature we so enjoy.
They also support plenty of opportunities for recreation. From the Piedmont to the Pamlico Sound, here are some of the ways you can enjoy your rivers.
Wildlife Resources Commission
Explore our state’s beautiful wildlife and map out the best boat ramp locations for your next trip. The Wildlife Resources Commission is a wonderful place to begin researching your next journey.
Mountain-to-Sea Trail Guide
Explore how the Mountain-to-Sea Trail intersects with the Neuse River. Use these links to plan your next hiking adventure along our favorite rivers. The Mountain-to-Sea Trial Guide is a great resource, or you can also enjoy our convenient paddle map of the Neuse.
Tar-Pamlico Water Trail
Learn all about the hiking, campsites, camping platforms and fun activities in North Carolina’s Tar-Pamlico basin. The Tar-Pamlico Water Trail website is wealth of information. Owned and operated by Sound Rivers, these camping platforms provide overnight facilities to recreational users on the river (cost is $20 per night).
The goal is to build a continuous system of platforms approximately 8 to 15 miles apart, spanning from the headwaters of the Tar River in Granville County to the wide-open, estuarine waters of the Pamlico River in Beaufort, Hyde and Pamlico counties.
The platforms are open to the public. You can choose to sleep under the stars or in a screened-in enclosure along the scenic Tar River in the central and eastern part of the state. Enjoy white-water paddling in the headwaters and sea kayaking along the Inner Banks.
Recreational paddlers, boaters and fishermen are welcome to use the facilities year-round, though use is by permit only. All you need to do is reserve your spot.
Just want to take a walk along on the water? Sit a spell and watch the wildlife? Here’s a few places you can enjoy your waterways from land:
In the Tar-Pamlico watershed: Joyner Park, Louisburg; River Bend Park, Louisburg; Battle Park, Rocky Mount; Bridge Tar River Trail, Rocky Mount; Riverfront Park, Tarboro; Town Common/Tar River Greenway, Greenville; Wildwood Park, Greenville; Festival Park/boardwalk, Washington; Havens Gardens Park, Washington; Goose Creek State Park, Washington; Belhaven Beach, Belhaven; Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, Hyde County.
In the Neuse watershed: Little River Park, Zebulon; Wake County — Rolling View State Recreation Area, Falls Lake State Recreation Area, Beaverdam Lake State Recreation Area, Holly Point Campground State Recreation Area, Shinleaf Campground State Recreation Area, Blue Jay Point County Park, Forest Ridge Park, Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area; Neuse River Greenway; River Bend Park, Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve; Milburnie Park; Anderson Point Park; Capital Area Greenway, Robertson Mill Pond Preserve and Mitchell Mill State Natural Area, Little River Park; Clayton Riverwalk on the Neuse Greenway, Clayton; Smithfield Town Commons;
Old Waynesboro Park, Goldsboro; Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, Seven Springs; Neuseway Nature Park, Kinston; Glenburnie Park, New Bern; Town of Bridgeton Park, Bridgeton; Union Point Park, New Bern; Lawson Creek Park, New Bern; John Bond Town Beach, Oriental; Lou Mac Park, Oriental.