News

Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman and Sound Rivers Program Director Clay Barber were in Greenville this week, attending East Carolina University’s Water Summit.

Hosted by ECU’s Water Resources Center, the event brought together students, faculty and nonprofit and local government staff to discuss water quality.

“It was a good mix of people from different sectors getting together to talk about water-related issues from their unique perspectives,” Katey said.

Katey joined Steve Anderson, partnership coordinator for the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership and new Sound Rivers board member, Environmental Justice Network’s Co-Director of Research and Education Chris Hawn, Aurora Fossil Museum Director Cynthia Crane and Pasquotank County N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent Al Wood for a panel discussion. Topics included bacteria and sewage, waste runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), stormwater and storm events, saltwater intrusion, aquatic habitat loss and environmental racism.

“There was a really big focus on the public and community members and how water-related issues affect people,” Katey said.