The Neuse River by Jade
Green Springs, New Bern NC
About fourteen thousand years ago, people started to settle around the Neuse river. These people were in different native tribes. For example, there were the Tuscaroras, Coree, Secotan, and the Neusiok (The Neuse of North Carolina). Thousands of years ago there also wasn't nearly as much pollution in the river as there is today. People used to be able to just swim in the water or not be afraid to drink it. Now everyone has to be careful because of the water being polluted, and the bacteria that can cause people to become sick. But there are several reasons why people should protect the river.
Sandy Point, Bridgeton NC
The Neuse River is about two million years old (The Neuse of North Carolina). So the river has been in North Carolina for a really long time, and chances are that the river will remain for thousands of years. The Neuse river is actually one of the longest rivers in the state, and it has the widest mouth of any river that's in America, which is six miles across (Neuse Issues and Facts). It travels through eleven counties including Craven County, and it covers more than 6,000 square miles of watershed (Neuse Issues and Facts).
Old Bridgeton Elementary School, NC
There have been about 400 permits given to people allowing them to dump waste into the river (Pollution in the Neuse River). So think about the waste that people are dumping and how it's traveling through the river, which stretches 248 miles. The dumping of waste water has actually increased 650% since 1950 (Pollution in the Neuse River). So that means for the past sixty-two years, the dumping of waste water has increased more than ten and a half percent each year. The Neuse river begins above Durham and then flows into the ocean. So all of the pollution and waste that's in the river is not only harming the river, but it's also harming the ocean.
Railroad Tracks, Bridgeton NC
The river actually begins in the middle of one of the fasted growing areas that are in the U.S. Dependent water supply. The water is especially important to factories, farmers, and recreational areas (The Neuse of North Carolina). But the Neuse river is one of the top twenty most threatened rivers in North America, and there are more than 1.5 million people who live in the basin of the river (Pollution in the Neuse River). Which is about 1/6 of North Carolinas population (The Neuse of North Carolina).
Wildlife Boat Ramp, Bridgeton NC
The Neuse river is a part of one of the second largest estuarine systems in the United States (The Neuse of North Carolina). The river was reported to be one of our country's most important fish nursery’s. It's actually a part of the very large and important estuary, Albermale – Pamlico Sounds (The Neuse, River of Peace). Estuarine waters supply 2,750 acres of nursery habitat, and about 1,250 acres of secondary nursery habitat (The Neuse, River of Peace). But between August and September in 2009, there was a large fish kill. About one hundred million fish died. It was one of the largest fish kills in the Neuse river for decades (Neuse Issues and Facts).
I think that the Neuse river is also important for it's scenery. It flows around the small town of New Bern and is a very beautiful part of it. The river is also used for things like fishing, swimming, and boating. Although the river looks beautiful, it's very polluted and it's getting worse every year. So instead of dumping waste in the river, we should learn how to protect it and keep it clean.
I think that the Neuse river is also important for it's scenery. It flows around the small town of New Bern and is a very beautiful part of it. The river is also used for things like fishing, swimming, and boating. Although the river looks beautiful, it's very polluted and it's getting worse every year. So instead of dumping waste in the river, we should learn how to protect it and keep it clean.
Works Cited
"The Neuse of North Carolina." The Neuse of North Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/extension/ci/swimdog/abuseonneuse/Neuseinfo.htm>.
"The Neuse, River of Peace." Neuse River in North Carolina, Described in Text and Pictures. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2013. <http://www.riverlaw.us/theneuse.html>.
"Neuse Issues and Facts." Advocate L Educate L Protect. N.p., n.d.Web.03Jan.2013.
<http://www.neuseriver.org/neuseissuesandfacts.html>.
"Pollution in the Neuse River." Pollution in the Neuse River. N.p.,n.d.Web.07Jan.2013.
<http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/extension/ci/swimdog/abuseonneuse/Neusepollution.htm>.
Authors note
I have lived in New Bern for almost seven and a half years. When I first moved here I didn't really know anything about the town or Craven County. One of the first things that I noticed was that New Bern is the home place for Pepsi. I thought it was really cool that something so big came from such a small town. But I also admired the Neuse River. Every day I have to drive over the river to go to school and back, so I always stare at the river when I'm passing over it. But sometimes the water will look like this dark brown color and I'll wonder why it's like that.
In my science and history class, we learned about garbage in the pacific ocean and then we started a recycling project. I was very interested in the project because I didn't know anything about how plastic is affecting us and our oceans, so it was fun to learn something new. When we started the Neuse River Anthology project, I thought it would be fun to write about the Neuse river and take pictures to go along with it. When I started to research the river, I found out that it's very polluted and how much waste is dumped into it. Plus, the river flows through ten more counties. So if Craven County were to dump waste into the river, we wouldn't only be affecting our water and fish supply, but we would also damage other counties resources.
"The Neuse of North Carolina." The Neuse of North Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/extension/ci/swimdog/abuseonneuse/Neuseinfo.htm>.
"The Neuse, River of Peace." Neuse River in North Carolina, Described in Text and Pictures. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2013. <http://www.riverlaw.us/theneuse.html>.
"Neuse Issues and Facts." Advocate L Educate L Protect. N.p., n.d.Web.03Jan.2013.
<http://www.neuseriver.org/neuseissuesandfacts.html>.
"Pollution in the Neuse River." Pollution in the Neuse River. N.p.,n.d.Web.07Jan.2013.
<http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/extension/ci/swimdog/abuseonneuse/Neusepollution.htm>.
Authors note
I have lived in New Bern for almost seven and a half years. When I first moved here I didn't really know anything about the town or Craven County. One of the first things that I noticed was that New Bern is the home place for Pepsi. I thought it was really cool that something so big came from such a small town. But I also admired the Neuse River. Every day I have to drive over the river to go to school and back, so I always stare at the river when I'm passing over it. But sometimes the water will look like this dark brown color and I'll wonder why it's like that.
In my science and history class, we learned about garbage in the pacific ocean and then we started a recycling project. I was very interested in the project because I didn't know anything about how plastic is affecting us and our oceans, so it was fun to learn something new. When we started the Neuse River Anthology project, I thought it would be fun to write about the Neuse river and take pictures to go along with it. When I started to research the river, I found out that it's very polluted and how much waste is dumped into it. Plus, the river flows through ten more counties. So if Craven County were to dump waste into the river, we wouldn't only be affecting our water and fish supply, but we would also damage other counties resources.