The Great Coharie River Initiative has recently been awarded a Duke Energy grant that will assist in restoration efforts that will create more navigable pathways through the upper Great Coharie.
The initiative is one of 11 beneficiaries of the Duke Energy Water Resource Fund grant. The $86,500 grant was presented to Greg Jacobs, Coharie Tribal administrator, and Philip Bell, Initiative coordinator.
This grant will allow the Great Coharie River Initiative to continue its commitment to protecting and enhancing Sampson County waterways and the local environment. The grant is part of the Water Resources Fund, a $10 million commitment from Duke Energy.
“This grant will help secure strategic access points along the Great Coharie River, employ a contemporary water monitoring system, support ongoing debris and beaver management components, and enhance educational activities,” Bell said. “We thank Duke Energy for its support and are eager to launch this project so that we can continue serving our local waterways.”
The Coharie Intra Tribal Council is one of 11 organizations across North and South Carolina to collectively receive more than $800,000 in the eighth grant announcement. Water Resources Fund is a multi-year commitment that will leave a legacy of improved water quality, river access, and conservation in Sampson County.
The Great Coharie River Initiative in partnership with Friends of Sampson County Waterways, Bell said, are eager to make the navigable waters of Sampson County some of the best in the state. According to Bell, this generous Duke Energy grant will move the concerted effort forward in that endeavor.
“Duke Energy is dedicated to protecting and restoring the rivers and waterways that power our regional economies,” Stephen De May, president of Duke Energy in North Carolina, said. “We look forward to our partnership with the Great Coharie River Initiative and the impact this project will have in the region.”
Investment decisions are carefully reviewed by the Water Resources Fund committee, an independent body that includes five environmental experts and two Duke Energy employees. Selected projects are chosen on several criteria, including whether the project is science-based and research-supported.
History of the initiative
The Coharie Tribe became part of the Great Coharie River Initiative in 2015 as a way to clean out a portion of the Great Coharie River and allow for more navigable pathways through part of the river just of U.S. 421.
Members of the Coharie Tribe, friends, community members and members of the Friends of Sampson County Waterways joined and cleaned nearly two and half miles of the river. In 2016, a grant was awarded and more equipment was purchased, allowing for another two and a half miles of the river to be cleared.
According to Bell, from Five Bridge Road to an area past Keener Road was clear and open for the community, tourists, adventurists and anyone wanting to take a trip down the river. The Great Coharie River spans about 43.5 miles and eventually, Bell said he would like to see the entire area clear, so that someone could easily go from Sampson County to the coast via the water.
