WATAUGA

In the past and still today,

Watauga County faces
some environmental
difficulties, whether it be in

COUNTY
Beech Mountain, Blowing
Rock, or Boone. The rivers
take a pretty heavy blow

RIVERS
due to both industrial and
natural factors. While global
issues may be much more
severe, the county has had
their fair share of struggles. PROBLEMS THAT HAVE EXISTED
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

Company Name
C OAL M INING P RECIPITA TION
Mountaintop removal was legal in 2002 in Watauga County has
Watauga County, which allowed for experienced (and
industrialists to mine for coal. This caused runoff experiences still
from the projects to travel into the nearby today) much rainfall,
streams, which was then carried downstream, which causes an
affecting the health of the rivers and excess amount of
potentially the health of people who utilized water, causing
that water for their personal uses. flooding that is
capable of washing
debris from streets into
nearby rivers.
Snowfall can also melt
and wash debris in, but it
can also spike salinity
levels once it mixes into
the freshwater. This
JFK was the one to decreases the water
oppose this action quality of the
streams and
as he was the
can cause
president of the
other
Water Keeper
ecological
Alliance in NY at the issues.
time.
Freshwater
fish, such as trout and
bass can accumulate
The coal drainage, the salt in their blood
and it can damage their
like and substance
gills as well. Plant life is
spill, lowers the
also affected because
quality of the water
plants absorb less water
and also kills the
since it is too salty and
aquatic life below. then dry up.
AND L ACK T HEREOF
Even though rainfall is
common, in the past,
there have been
major water
shortages. 1978
and 1993 were
both periods that
experienced
hardships.
Water levels in the
lakes and
reservoirs of Boone
and Blowing Rock
were dangerously low
and there was not
enough rainfall to
sustain them.
Restrictions were set
on the towns and
Boone ended up
having to buy from
Appalachian States
private reservoir to
provide enough water
for its citizens.
Residents had to give
up using water for
unnecessary
purposes such as for
filling swimming pools
or watering gardens
to conserve the little
water that was
available.