History of the Eno River Association

History of the Eno River Association

Founded on October 14, 1966, the Eno River Association has spent over thirty years protecting the wild, picturesque, and historic Eno River. In the late sixties and early seventies, the clear-flowing stream was threatened by the city of Durham's plans to make a new water supply for its growing population. The Eno had already been used as a water supply by the city at the turn of the century, and its proximity to Durham made it an attractive future source. Damming the Eno was viewed by the City Council as possible, if not inevitable. Concerned about the city's plans for the Eno, a loosely organized, informal "walking " group joined together, dedicated to the enjoyment of the river. In October of 1966, they formed the grassroots Association for the Preservation of the Eno River Valley that continues today as the Eno River Association. In addition to lobbying the city for other solutions to its water supply needs, the Association began contacting the Regional Triangle Planning Commission, the City Council, the newspapers and the general public. Hikes, rafting and canoeing expeditions, slide shows, river maps, mill histories, and wildlife inventories accompanied political action to put the Eno on the map. The first hike the Association sponsored brought out 75 people. The next hike brought out 450. The community began to recognize its resource and Association membership grew.

Margaret Nygard; founder

In 1972, the Association formed an alliance with the Nature Conservancy that presented to the North Carolina Board of Conservation and Development their case for the preservation of the river. The result: an endorsement by the Board of the Nature Conservancy and its State Parks Committee in favor of acquisition of property along the Eno River for a state park. To start things off, 90 acres were donated to the Nature Conservancy by Dr. and Mrs. Frederick Bernheim. The land donation "set up a territorial area for the park," claimed Association secretary Margaret Nygard. "It was more than words - it made it real." One year later, after a cooperative effort between the city of Durham, Orange County, the State of North Carolina, the Nature Conservancy and the Eno River Association, then-Governor James Holshouser welcomed the Eno River State Park into the state parks system on June 15, 1973. But the Association's work was hardly done. The recently established state park had to be protected and allowed to grow.

Eno Founders are recognized at the 40th anniversary gala held February 2007. Those present included:
(from L - R) Hildegarde Ryals, Trish Kohler, Fran Thompson, Jean Anderson, Rowan Nygard, Ron Hall, Maggi Hall, Holger Nygard, Milo Pyne, Becky Heron, Judy Cox, Don Cox, Duncan Heron, Eric Nygard, Nancy Gustaveson, Hazel Cash, Kerstin Nygard, Carol Charping and Peter Gebels.

In the past four decades, the Eno River State Park has grown from a few hundred acres to over 4,000 acres as of the end of 2007. With the addition of the West Point on the Eno City Park, Old Farm Park, Penny's Bend, Little River Regional Park and the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, the community has come far towards realizing its preservation goals--but much remains to be done. There is still land to be acquired and protected, and serious threats to the Eno and its surrounding watershed have not eased. Over the years threats have included a belt-thoroughfare, a city landfill, two sewer systems, an asphault plant and a series of fish kills. A grassroots team led by the Eno River Association rises up to meet each of these challenges. Our members also congregate every year at the Annual Meeting and Spring Picnic, volunteer at the Festival for the Eno, and spread the word to friends and neighbors about the river. Best of all, protected for much of its thirty-five miles and host to a number of endangered species, the Eno flows on.

last updated: February 11, 2008