Water Wars: Concord plans to make money by increasing Valdese shortages

Anyone notice this piece of bidness last week?

Water park developer eyeing Fort Mill, Concord, N.C., for resort

Now we know why Concord and Kannapolis want Catawba River water . . . it's the money, stupid. Who cares about the shortages their fun-times water park could be impose on upper Catawba cities and towns. Hey, we want it, we'll take it. You don't need to wash your car.

And it's another example of excellence in reporting when you read how the Charlotte area news folks didn't mention that the water from the water park might mean draw downs of recreational lakes upriver, much less actual household water restrictions.

So Concord folks and Charlotte folks are hearing all this happy news of a water park to play in and to make money off of while Morganton and Valdese folks are reading (and thinking) things like this:

“They can’t sustain growth from their own basin, so they come to ours,” says Jeff Morse, Valdese town manager. “Those are unfair rules of the game because now we have to curtail our development.”

Morse said if the area doesn’t see significant rain in the next 30 days, Valdese will implement voluntary water restrictions. That means asking people to cut back on car washing and lawn watering.

If it stays dry for 60 days, Valdese could implement mandatory restrictions. And Cabarrus County could still siphon 10 million gallons a day, said Morse.

Morganton Mayor Mel Cohen said a proposed water park should end all negations.

“I can’t imagine commissioners allowing our water to be used for that kind of project,” Cohen said.

Here's the kind of thing Charlotte/Concord folks are reading, this one's from Charlotte.com

Cabarrus County economic developers are recommending incentives worth $2.7 million to help entice a Wisconsin developer to pick Concord for its $100 million indoor water park and hotel resort.

Great Wolf Resorts has filed concept plans with Concord for a 37-acre site off Weddington and Old Holland Roads near Speedway Boulevard. The company said it is several months away from finalizing a location for its Great Wolf Lodge, but is committed to building in the Charlotte region.

Great Wolf also is considering Fort Mill, S.C., a person familiar with the plans said, although nothing has been filed there. The company hopes to start construction in the Charlotte region late this year.

. . .

Although many Cabarrus incentives have covered three or four years, the EDC is proposing a five-year deal for Great Wolf, with a rebate of 85 percent of their county property taxes. County taxes would total an estimated $3.15 million over that period.

'We are trying to be as competitive as we can possibly be,' Cox said. 'This is a home run for any community.'

Yeah, perhaps for any community that has the water legitimately.

The Catawba River water basin transfer was approved by the NC Environmental Management Commission but is now under appeal. For more background check out this great compilation of articles in the Hickory Record about the transfer, a removal of 22 million gallons of water from the Catawba for Concord and Kannapolis.

Here's Joe Sam Queen's Senate bill 1421 that would make the water basin transfer approval process more just with drought and safe-yield provisions.

Water Commission members and contact info.

City of Hickory Interbasin Transfer Information webpage

Division of Water Resources Interbasin transfer information

Catawba water wars continue

Two non-profit organizations created to protect the Catawba River have taken legal action to stop the water transfer planned for Concord and Kannapolis.

According to the Charlotte Observer, and the Winston-Salem Journal,

The Protect the Catawba River Coalition, a group of local governments that oppose the transfer, will spend $100,000 to hire two lobbying firms to push a bill introduced by N.C. Rep. Mitch Gillespie, R-McDowell, and similar bills that would tighten laws regulating water transfers.

If passed, Gillespie's bill would toughen controls on water transfers. It would also retroactively require Concord and Kannapolis to install flow meters tracking water they withdraw from the Catawba and to withdraw only as much water as they need at the time, among other directives.

In January, the N.C. Environmental Management Commission approved the transfer by Concord and Kannapolis of up to 10 million gallons of water a day from the Catawba. The cities may take the same amount from the Yadkin River.

Last month, the coalition appealed the decision, asking an administrative law judge to overturn it.

The Southern Environmental Law Center represents Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation which is joining with the state of South Carolina in a lawsuit.

SELC is representing the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation in an appeal filed March 28 with the state Office of Administrative Hearings. Among our concerns:

* The commission approved the water transfer despite numerous defects in the application review process, including the failure to notify South Carolina, which has a section of the Catawba River basin within its borders.
* The commission failed to give citizens adequate time to review and comment on a series of revisions to the “final” environmental impact statement for the project.
* The transfer could prolong water shortages during periods of drought within the Catawba River, fuel residential growth in the sensitive habitats of the lower Yadkin River, adversely affect instream flow in the Catawba, and damage aquatic habitat in both rivers.
. . .
South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster joined us at the press conference with the river foundation to announce his plans to seek a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court on grounds that the North Carolina acted against the U.S. Constitution in allowing the transfer, which will impact waters of his state. A few days prior, a coalition of 17 local governments in the Catawba basin filed a similar administrative appeal to stop the transfers.

The Catawba River originates in the mountains of North Carolina and flows through a series of lakes into South Carolina. Many people within the basin depend the river as a source of drinking water, as well as for a host of recreation activities. In addition, the waters of the Catawba River provide habitat to varied plant and animal species.

For background check out this great compilation of articles in the Hickory Record about the transfer, a removal of 22 million gallons of water from the Catawba for Concord and Kannapolis.

Water Commission members and contact info.

City of Hickory Interbasin Transfer Information webpage

Division of Water Resources Interbasin transfer information