News

Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop was back in the Lick Creek watershed last Friday, and this time she brought along a guest.

Sound Rivers intern Claire von Haefen joined Samantha from her bimonthly sampling rounds, collecting water samples from various sites and measuring turbidity (lack of clarity) of the sediment-laden water.

Samantha said the state of Lick Creek and its tributaries took Claire by surprise.

“Claire was pretty shocked by the impacts we were seeing and said she hadn’t realized how destructive and chaotic development is,” Samantha said. “This is part of my routine Lick Creek sampling, so I’m just used to it by now. Even though I’m still horrified by it, it’s always helpful to being in someone from the outside to make you more aware of how bad it really is.”

Though there had been little rain in the area of the previous few weeks, even in low-flow conditions, the creeks running through developments under construction were running red with sediment.

“And that’s not going to stop until the City of Durham does something about it,” Samantha said. “Unfortunately, last week Durham just approved yet another development in the Lick Creek watershed, right next to one of my sample sites.”

Do you want to encourage the City of Durham to do something about the sediment pollution choking out life in Durham’s creeks? Send them an email with our Action Alert today!

Want to learn more about Durham’s sediment pollution problem? Listen to our Sound Rivers: Riverkeeping Tales from the Neuse & Tar-Pamlico episode “Muddied Waters” HERE!