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For Immediate Release
November 07, 2008


Catawba Lands Conservancy announces the conservation of 116 acres in eastern Lincoln County – a move that will bring permanent protection to Little Creek Cove, the primary source of the County’s drinking water. The conservation easement, upheld in perpetuity by Catawba Lands Conservancy, ensures that the steep slopes, floodplains, wetland areas, and mature forest will forever remain natural.

In addition to protecting drinking water quality and quantity, the 116-acre Rock Springs Park will serve as a passive park and educational preserve operated by the Lincoln County Parks & Recreation Department.

Catawba Lands Conservancy has been working on this complex project for nearly 2 years, committing hundreds of hours to project in partnership with the Lincoln County Natural Resources Committee, Lincoln County Commissioners, the Lincoln County Park Director, the N.C Park and Recreation Trust Fund, and the E.P.A’s Source Water Protection Program to secure $2.15 million in funding and financing.

“Lincoln County is in a fabulous community for permanent land conservation now, while there is an abundance of natural lands and the window of opportunity is still open,” said Dave Cable, Executive Director of Catawba Lands Conservancy. “Lincoln County will continue to experience strong development. Conservation now will enhance quality of life today, and pay dividends for generations to come.”

Catawba Lands Conservancy partnered with the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund to conserve the 86-acre Rhyne Creek Preserve in Gaston County. This Preserve contributes to the mosaic of conserved properties in the larger Stanley Creek Corridor, connecting more than 1,320 acres of natural lands. The Rhyne Creek Preserve provides protection of 14,646 linear feet along three headwater tributaries of Stanley Creek in the Catawba River Basin safeguarding water quality and quantity.

Additional Resources:
• Catawba Lands Conservancy (www.catawbalands.org)
• North Carolina Park and Recreation Trust Fund (www.ncparks.gov/About/grants/partf_main.php)
• North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund (0www.cwmtf.net)







Catawba Lands Conservancy is a regional land trust that permanently protects land, water and wildlife habitat to enhance your quality of life. The Conservancy protects 7,495 acres in Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Union counties and is one of 24 land trusts serving North Carolina that collectively have protected more than 286,000 acres. Catawba Lands Conservancy is the lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail, an environmental initiative that will link more than two million citizens with hundreds of miles of conservation corridors, greenways, and blueways that wind through fifteen counties in North and South Carolina.