Dean Naujoks' 230-mile journey down the Yadkin River is nearing the end.
As of today, Naujoks, the Yadkin Riverkeeper, has 11 miles remaining on his trip, which started April 7 with a five-mile paddle across Kerr Scott Reservoir in Wilkes County. Since then, he has paddled in the shadow of Pilot Mountain, past the wineries of Yadkin County and through pristine sections of the rural Piedmont.
He is scheduled to paddle three miles today and eight miles on Saturday.
The riverkeeper is part of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental organization that connects and supports "waterkeepers" from around the country.
"It's been inspiring and educational for me to do this trip," said Naujoks, who was preparing yesterday to paddle five miles across Badin Lake. "For whatever reason, it really is the forgotten river of North Carolina, and it is one of the most beautiful in the state, and I've paddled most of them."
Naujoks will celebrate the end of his trip on Saturday with a river rally at the Lake Tillery boat access on N.C. 24/27 east of Albemarle at 1 p.m. The public is invited to paddle with Naujoks when he puts in at 9 a.m. at the Morrow Mountain State Park public access.
The trip has been a way for Naujoks to see the river that he was hired to protect and draw attention to two issues that have consumed much of his time since he took the job in 2008: Fibrowatt's proposal to build an incinerator along the river, and Alcoa's attempt to get a new 50-year lease from the federal government so it can continue to produce and sell hydroelectric power.
"I've tried to get enough people interested in the journey so that I can educate them about the threats to the river that the average paddler is not going to know about," he said.
lo'donnell@wsjournal.com
727-7420
Go to www.yadkinriverkeeper.org for more information about Saturday's paddle and rally.
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