View map of Haw River Planning Area - pdf

Introduction
Legislative Action
Natural Resources Summary
Potential Recreational Activities

All Sections

Introduction

Through its New Parks for a New Century initiative, the NC Division of Parks and Recreation identified the upper Haw River as one of 47 sites in North Carolina worthy of becoming new units of the state parks system. Criteria included quality of natural resources, geographic location and suitability for recreation. Thirteen of these sites were identified as potential state parks; one as a state recreation area and 33 as state natural areas.

At about the same time, there arose strong local support for Haw River corridor. The division has worked closely with the Guilford County Open Space Committee, the Piedmont Land Conservancy and the Rockingham County Planning Department to identify a planning area along the river corridor from US 220 in Guilford County east to US 29 in Rockingham County.

Legislative Action

General Assembly of North Carolina
Session 2003
Session Law 2003-108
House Bill 1025

An act to authorize the addition of Haw River State Park to the state parks system.

Whereas, Section 5 of Article XIV of the Constitution of North Carolina states that it shall be a proper function of the State of North Carolina to acquire and preserve park, recreational, and scenic areas, and in every other appropriate way to preserve as a part of the common heritage of this State, its open lands and places of beauty; and

Whereas, the 1987 General Assembly enacted the State Parks Act, which declares that the State of North Carolina offers unique archaeological, geologic, biological, scenic, and recreational resources, and that these resources are part of the heritage of the people of the State, which should be preserved and managed by the people for their use and for the use of their visitors and descendants; and

Whereas, the Haw River in Guilford and Rockingham Counties supports a large collection of wetlands, high quality upland forests, and rare plant and animal species and possesses biological, archaeological, and scenic resources of statewide significance; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. The General Assembly authorizes the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to add Haw River State Park to the State Parks System as provided by G.S. 11344.14(b).

SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 21st day of May, 2003.

s/ Beverly E. Perdue
President of the Senate

s/ Richard T. Morgan
Speaker of the House of Representatives s/ Michael F. Easley
Governor

Approved 11:18 a.m. this 31st day of May, 2003

Haw River State Park Natural Resources Summary

Over the past several years, resource management specialists from the NC Division of Parks and Recreation examined the upper Haw River corridor to identify natural resources of significance. Here is a summary of their findings.

Study Area

The study area lies in the Upper Haw River in Guilford and Rockingham counties, with a branch up Mears Fork. The area around the river from just upstream of the US 220 crossing to the US 29 crossing was included in the study area. The river floodplain, associated wetlands, adjacent bluffs and uplands were the focus of the study.Resources of Statewide Significance:

Biological

• Piedmont and Coastal Plain Mesic Forests


• Piedmont and Coastal Plain Oak Forests


• Piedmont and Mountain Floodplains


• Riverine Aquatic Natural Communities


• Upland Seeps and Spray Cliffs


• Two rare species

Geological

• Dissected Uplands


• Fluvial Depositional Features

Senic

• Forests


• Reservoirs/Lakes


• Rivers


• Swamps

Potential Recreational Activities

• Freshwater fishing


• Visiting natural areas


• Hiking


• Viewing scenery


• Primitive camping


• Nature study/environmental education


• Picnicking


• Tent and trailer camping

N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation • 1615 MSC • Raleigh N.C. 27699-1615 (919) 733-4181