I wrote this article for the Greensboro News and Record a few years ago about a day trip on the Haw River. The Haw’s had a tremendous impact on the of history in this area, and I’d love to go down the whole thing sometime. I paddled the three mile stretch of the Haw below Jordan Lake when I paddled the Cape Fear River in ‘06 -JP
The Haw River has been a valuable resource to the Piedmont area for hundreds of years. Beginning just east of Kernersville, the Haw serves as source of drinking water, recreation, and economic development for the eight counties contained within its watershed. The Haw River is about 110 miles long, and below Jordan Dam it joins with the Deep River to form the Cape Fear River.
Beginning in the early 1800’s, a series of dams were constructed to power the textile mills that processed cotton from surrounding communities. These mills provided jobs to a rural population, but also caused tremendous environmental damage from the dyes and other chemicals released into the water. Today there are six dams still left on the river, but most of the mills have closed their doors.
There has been resurgence in attention to preserving the cultural wealth of the mills and surrounding villages and providing for enhanced recreation opportunities on the Haw River. This has been the result of several different public agencies, non-profit organizations, and user groups combining their efforts to provide funding and expertise toward the management and development of parks, trails, riparian zone restoration, and sustainable development.
The Glencoe Mill Village project outside of Burlington has been a model for preservation through the use of public and private agencies to preserve an historic mill village, provide for recreation access, and promote new investment in under-developed areas of North Carolina. The historic mill in Saxapahaw has also gone through a recent renovation to provide apartments, office space, and meeting areas.
There are for several reasons protecting of the Haw River is important. A number of communities use the Haw as either a primary or secondary source of drinking water. Increased pressure from urban sprawl contributes to a loss of wetlands and permeable soil. The state of North Carolina loses over 100,000 acres to development each year. Several sources of pollution have been addressed, but there is still plenty of work to be done. Industrial waste, storm water running off paved surfaces, and sediment loading from agricultural erosion are just a few of the items that need to be addressed to protect the river for future generations.
Paddling on the Haw River
I recently spent the day paddling on the Haw River with Andrew Downs, an employee with the Haw River Canoe and Kayak Company based out of Saxapahaw. Andrew recently received his master’s degree from the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University and has been very involved with the Haw River for the past year. Among other things, he wrote two grants to be used for recreation development along the Haw River as part of his master’s project. He’s a sharp guy, and I was glad to have him as my guide.
I packed up some of my personal gear from when my fiancé’ and I paddled the Mississippi River last summer for this daytrip. Same shirt. Same hat. Same paddle. Same PFD (personal flotation device) Same everything. I get kind of nostalgic about gear—It brings back a lot of good memories. For some reason my PFD fit a bit more snuggly then it did ten months ago. Must have shrunk in the closet or something.
The plan was to put in at Saxapahaw and paddle about eleven miles to Chicken Bridge Road. Chicken Bridge Road was named after an infamous wreck several years ago. A truck loaded with live chickens overturned, releasing hundreds of chickens into the wild. From what I’ve heard, chickens could still be found in the area for several years afterward.
With the recent rain, the river was running a bit higher than normal for this time of year. The Haw River is a dynamic river, and the depth rises and falls quickly with summer thunderstorms. The section we were going down normally has a couple of small rapids to negotiate, but this can change quickly. There have been a number of rescues and drownings on the lower sections of the Haw. It is very important to watch the river levels and plan accordingly.
Putting the canoe into the water involved dragging it down a steep, rocky slope covered in poison ivy and kudzu. For a second I was worried about getting dragged down by the kudzu’s spindly fingers never to be seen again. Somehow we persevered, and soon we were on our way.
Andrew was guiding from the stern (back of the canoe) and it took me awhile to get used to paddling from the bow (front of the canoe.) After awhile, things began to mesh together and my muscles remembered what it was like to hold a paddle again. They would really remember the next day, as I was so sore it felt like someone had pummeled me with a canoe paddle.
A few miles downriver we spotted a rope swing tied to a tall tree branch. It was about 90 degrees already, so this seemed like a natural spot to take a break and go for a swim. I love rope swings, and seldom miss a chance to go flying out above the water and jumping in. There’s always a little voice inside my head saying that the rope is going to break and I’m and fool for getting on but I pay it no heed. Life’s too short to ignore good rope swings.
We reached the halfway point of the trip at East Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road. There was a gentleman there who was having a bear of a time getting his canoe out of the water. When we found him, he was holding his trolling motor battery in one hand and hanging onto a half-filled boat in the other. The bank there is quite steep and muddy, and he stuck between a rock and a hard place. We jumped out and dragged his craft onto shore. Always nice to help someone else out —karmic brownie points and all that.
Along the way we collected trash and debris that floated from the river. Bottles, cans, and styrofoam cups were some of the things in our collection. Anyone want to buy a (slightly used) 265/18” rim and tire?
We soon reached the Chicken Bridge Road and pulled onto shore. The canoe was put on the rack, paddles and other gear went into the pickup bed, and celebratory photos were taken our day on the water. I’d like to thank the folks at the Haw River Canoe and Kayak Company for providing the canoe and Andrew’s guidance for the day. A hot, sunny day on the water beats a day in the office anytime.
Haw River Resources
Guidebook
Paddling Eastern North Carolina, Paul Ferguson
Organizations
Guide Service
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