Note: this is not an Eno River Association program, but it is being done in partnership with us.
Join hike leaders Joe Liles and Kerstin Nygard on Saturday February 19th at 2:00 p.m. for a better understanding of the impact that a large development on Black Meadow Ridge would have on the City of Durham’s beloved West Point on the Eno Park and on our Eno River that we have worked diligently for over 50 years to protect for all to enjoy.
Express your love and concern for the Eno River and the quality of water which flows within its banks. Meet at West Point on the Eno on Saturday February 19, 2022 at 2 PM at the picnic tables in the side yard of the McCown-Mangum House for a short hike (1.6 miles) along the Buffalo Trail to Warren Creek and Sennett Hole.
Along the trail the view to the south will reveal Black Meadow Ridge, the natural area which will be permanently altered should the ridge be developed. You will view from Buffalo Trail the enormous majestic rock formations and the mature forest with stands of mountain laurel. Should the development become reality the rocks will be blasted away and the forest which is outside the City park will be leveled and graded.
The proposed manmade hardscape will offer little to no filtering buffer to the watershed and the resulting contaminated runoff will flow directly into Black Meadow Branch and Warren Creek on into the Eno River. Come walk with us where buffaloes once roamed. Later Native Americans and finally early settlers trod this same trail. For those brave at heart, we will help you navigate the stepping stones over Warren Creek and make our way a short distance to the spectacular and vast Sennett Hole, known to be the preferred swimming hole on the Eno. We will loop back on the South River Trail which rises high above the Eno to Black Meadow Branch and the historic sites at West Point on the Eno Park.
Once your heart is filled with the beauty of Black Meadow Ridge along West Point Park and the Eno River, and your head with a greater understanding of the problem, we ask that you submit a wholehearted and informed written comment to PublicComments@ncdenr.gov BEFORE 5 PM on FEBRUARY 21 & include “Westpoint” in the subject line. Request that NC Division of Water Resources deny the water permit to the developer given the impact that the high density development would have on water quality in the Eno. Click here for more information about submitting a written comment or here to review our talking points to help inform your comments. You can also visit the Save Black Meadow Ridge website here.