The Haw River is a tributary of the Cape Fear River, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, which is entirely contained in north central North Carolina in the United States. It was first documented as the "Hau River" by John Lawson, an English botanist, in his 1709 book "A New Voyage to Carolina." The name is shortened from Saxapahaw, from the Catawban /sak'yápha:/, "piedmont, foothill", from /sak/, "hill", plus /yápha:/, "step". The river gives its name to a small town which formed on its banks.
Course The Haw rises in the Piedmont country in northeast Forsyth County, near the border with Guilford County just north of Kernersville. The river flows northeast, passing north of Oak Ridge and Summerfield into southern Rockingham County, passing through Haw River State Park, which is north of Greensboro. The river begins to flow southeast as it moves through the corner of Guilford County into Alamance County.
In Alamance County, the Haw flows through Ossipee and passes north of Burlington, and through the unincorporated community of Carolina. It goes through the town of Haw River. It flows south and is joined by Great Alamance Creek at Swepsonville and continues on to Saxapahaw. The river forms the southeast border of Alamance County, a border shared by Orange County and Chatham County.
The course of the Haw River continues southeast in Chatham County as it flows just north of Pittsboro. Approximately southeast of the tip of Alamance County, the Haw flows into the Jordan Lake reservoir, which is formed by the confluence of the Haw River and New Hope Creek. South of the Jordan Lake dam south, the Haw River joins the Deep River to form the Cape Fear River. Natural history The Haw River is home to local wildlife including blue heron, beaver, deer, otter, bluegill bream. The Sissipahaw also lived in villages around the banks of the Haw River and its creeks, providing berries and nuts, as well as corn, squash, and beans; the “Three Sisters” crops. Further, the Sissapahaw provided wild game, fish, mussels and crayfish.
History The river played a major role in the life of Native Americans in the area, including the Sissipahau Indians and in the development of the communities which were built on the river. The river was first dammed in Saxapahaw in the 1850s and used for textile mills through the 19th and 20th centuries, and was a major factor in helping Alamance County to rebuild its local economy following the devastation of the American Civil War. Alamance Plaids, a popular textile during the 1800s, were developed near the present-day community of Glencoe.
During the 20th century, the river became heavily polluted by chemicals used in the production of textiles. The decline of industry in the United States in the late 20th century has reduced pollution in the Haw River. However, since 2013 the Haw and the broader Cape Fear River watershed have been identified as a site of PFAS contamination. Further, groundwater seepage continues to carry PFAS into the river even after the chemical manufacturing plant reduced direct discharges in 2017. Researches expect the chemicals to persist in the watershed for decades. The Haw is still in danger of pollution from suburban nutrient runoff and sediment, which has contributed to recurring algal blooms and the detection of cyanotoxins downstream in Jordan Lake.
Efforts are underway to improve the ecology of the Haw River, but there is disagreement between various environmental groups, local governments, and economic interests as to how to proceed. Recently, the newly revised Jordan Lake Rules have improved regulatory issues which affect future pollution. Most sections of the Haw are clean by reports from the state Water Quality Section, securing it as a recreational and water supply asset.
Since the installation of the new, combined Durham Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), Jordan Lake water tests clean as a water source, save one portion, the upper pool of the New Hope Creek. Occasionally, in the shallow, small upper pool, water from the WWTP raises nutrient levels above allowed limits. When normal flow is returned, they are safely diluted. Lower pools are not affected. Local and state governments cooperate and are often proactive in pollution prevention. Spruill, Jen, Rasmussen, “Suspended Sediment and Nutrients in the Upper Cape Fear River Basin, North Carolina, 2002–04, with an Analysis of Temporal Changes, 1976–2004,” U.S. Geological Survey, Enterprise Publishing Network, North Carolina Water Science Center, 3916 Sunset Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
Economy
For over one hundred years, textile and other industries built the economy of North Carolina. Many located along the Haw and other river basins, providing employment and centers for communities since the Civil War era. Today, a few mills continue to operate near and on the Haw River, including Copland Mills in Burlington, North Carolina. The Haw also provides drinking water and recreational activities to a large portion of North Carolina, as 10% of the state's population lives in the Haw River Watershed. The conservation of the Haw River is now the focus of several groups and government agencies, who are working to develop and preserve the Haw River.
Traditional farming has been the backbone of the economy in the rural counties lining the Haw. Though farming is under pressure, it continues to thrive, providing poultry, beef, grain, and other products for American consumption, bolstering a main export of the state.
As a part of conservation efforts has been the development of three trails. The Haw River Trail is a conservation and recreation initiative formally undertaken by local governments and private groups in 2006, and will provide both a land trail and paddle trail connecting Haw River State Park and Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. The trail is part of the North Carolina Mountains to Sea Trail. A second major trail which has been established by local governments is the Haw River Wine Trail. The Haw River Valley has become a renowned grape growing region. The trail was originally established with five wineries in Guilford and Alamance Counties. Four wineries are open on the trail and they have all produced award-winning wines. The fifth winery, a family-operated business, closed in January 2008. There are several other wineries in the area that are not currently part of the trail.
The State of North Carolina has set up a state park on the Haw River in Guilford and Rockingham counties. There are also several city and county parks and golf courses located on the Haw, including Greensboro National Golf Club in Guilford County; Indian Valley Golf Course, Great Bend Park at Glencoe, Town and Country Park, The Challenge Golf Club, Quarry Hills Country Club, Swepsonville River Park, and Southwick Golf Course in Alamance County; and Robeson Creek Recreation Area and New Hope Overlook Campground located at the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Chatham County.
PFAS Contamination Since 2013, the Haw River and Cape Fear River watershed have been documented to have a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination problem. Researchers at North Carolina State University found that combined PFOA and PFOS concentrations went beyond the EPA's lifetime health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion on 57 of 127 days of sampling in Pittsboro alone. The same study by these researches revealed GenX, a newer PFAS compound that is used as a replacement for PFOA, at a much higher concentration further downstream near a chemical manufacturing plant. They also found that conventional water treatment does not remove it.
Tributaries
Name, Bank Watershed Area in Square Miles (km2) Average Discharge Stream Length Mouth Coordinates Mouth Elevation Source Coordinates Source Elevation % of Average Discharge Remarks Mouth N/A The Haw River rises northeast of Kernersville, North Carolina and then flows northeast into Rockingham County where it curves southeast to meet the Cape Fear River near Moncure, North Carolina. Shaddox Creek, left bank 1% Shaddox Creek rises in a pond about 1 mile northeast of Merry Oaks, North Carolina on the divide between Shaddox Creek and Buckhorn Creek. Shaddox Creek is a 3rd order tributary that flows generally south to meet the Haw River about 2 miles southeast of Moncure, North Carolina. New Hope River, left bank 21.8% The New Hope River is entirely flooded by B. Everett Jordan Lake and is formed at the confluence of New Hope Creek and Morgan Creek. The mouth and source elevations are the normal pool elevations for the lake. The New Hope River contributes 21.8% of the total discharge for the Haw River. Stinking Creek, right bank < 1% Stinking Creek forms an arm of B. Everett Jordan Lake. The 2nd order tributary rises about 4 miles southeast of Pittsboro, North Carolina on the divide between Stinking Creek and Roberson Creek and then flows south, east, and then northeast in a semi-circle to meet the Haw River. Roberson Creek, right bank 1.9% Roberson Creek, a 3rd order tributary, forms an arm of B. Everett Jordan Lake. It rises about 0.5 miles northeast of Round Top Mountain on the divide between Roberson Creek and the Rocky River. The stream then flows generally east to meet the Haw River at the lake. Haven Creek, right bank < 1% Haven Creek, a 2nd order tributary, rises about 1 mile northeast of Pittsboro, North Carolina on the Roberson Creek divide. The stream then flows north and then turns east to meet the Haw River about 1 mile southeast of Bynum, North Carolina. Pokeberry Creek, left bank 1% Pokeberry Creek, a 3rd order tributary, rises on the divide between Pokeberry Creek and Morgan Creek about 5 miles southwest of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It then flows southwest to meet the Haw River about 1 mile southeast of Bynum, North Carolina. Brooks Creek, right bank < 1% Brooks Creek, a 3rd order tributary, rises in a pond about 1.5 miles north of Gum Springs, North Carolina on the Dry Creek divide. Brooks Creek then flows east to meet the Haw River at Bynum, North Carolina. Wilkinson Creek, left bank < 1% Wilkinson Creek, a 3rd order tributary, rises about 1 mile east of Terrells Mountain on the Neville Creek divide. Wilkinson Creek then flows southwest to meet the Haw River about 1 mile northwest of Bynum. Dry Creek, right bank 1.4% Dry Creek, a 2nd order tributary, rises about 4 miles south-southeast of Silk Hope, North Carolina on the Rocky River divide. Dry Creek then flows roughly northeast to meet the Haw River about 2 miles northwest of Bynum. Terrells Creek, left bank 1.1% Terrells Creek (left bank) is a 3rd order tributary that rises about 1 mile southeast of White Cross, North Carolina on the Collins Creek divide. Terrells Creek then flows south from Orange County into Chatham County to meet the Haw River about 4 miles northwest of Bynum. Terrells Creek, right bank 2% Terrells Creek (right bank) is a 3rd order tributary that rises in a pond about 0.25 miles north of Silk Hope, North Carolina on the Varnell Creek divide. Terrells Creek then flows northeast to meet the Haw River about 1 mile north of Terrells, North Carolina. Collins Creek, left bank 1.4% Collins Creek, a 3rd order tributary, rises at Dodsons Crossroads, North Carolina on the Morgan Creek divide. Collins Creek then flows south to meet the Haw River about 2 miles east of Mandale, North Carolina.