The state House passed House Bill 23 earlier this week, which includes the official designation of the South Fork Passage State Trail. Now, hikers and paddlers are awaiting the final signature from Gov. Josh Stein.
The South Fork River flows through Catawba, Lincoln and Gaston counties into the Catawba River. The proposed 60 mile state trail on the river is home to several endangered species, including the South Mountain crayfish, which are not found anywhere else in the world.
Ellie Riggs, the manager of advocacy communications at the Catawba Riverkeeper said getting people on the water is key to conservation.
"The more people we have out recreating on our waters and in our local ecosystems, the more people are able to appreciate them and then care about them in turn," Riggs said.
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The land and waters within the trail also have a long human history. Textile mills line the riverbanks, and the water once served as a literal passage for soldiers, traders and travelers to the mountains, as well as to the trading hub that was Charlotte. The Catawba nation also thrived along these waters.
"The Catawba nation, just like they inhabited alongside the Catawba also inhabited areas along the South Fork of the Catawba River," said Ashton Lamb, the community coordinator for the Carolina Thread Trail. "They used the South Fork for fishing, and special plants along the floodplain of the South Fork for foraging and different uses."
Carolina Thread Trail is working with the Catawba Nation to learn more about how the nation used the South Fork River. With that project and more in the works, Riggs, Lamb and others are ready to get paddling and hiking when the trail opens.
"You can paddle through acres and acres of preserved land along the banks," Riggs said. "It is both a beautiful river, and a historic river."
