The Haw River is a tributary of the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Caro ...

, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, that is entirely contained in north central

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. 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 The Catawban, or Eastern Siouan, languages form a small language family in east North America. The Catawban family is a branch of the larger Siouan a.k.a. Siouan–Catawban family. Family division The Catawban family consists of two languages: ...

''/sak'yápha:/'', "piedmont, foothill", from ''/sak/'', "hill", plus ''/yápha:/'', "step". The river gives its name to a small town that formed on its banks.

Course

The Haw rises in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

country, in northeast Forsyth County, near the border with

Guilford County Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population is 541,299, making it the third-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat, and largest municipality, is Greensboro. S ...

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 Haw River State Park is a North Carolina state park in Guilford and Rockingham Counties, North Carolina in the United States. As one of the newest state parks in North Carolina, Haw River has limited recreational opportunities. Haw River Sta ...

, north of Greensboro. The river then begins to flow southeast as it moves through the corner of Guilford County into

Alamance County Alamance County (), from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 18, 2012. is a county in North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,415. Its county se ...

. 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 Great Alamance Creek, also called Big Alamance Creek, is a 37-mile longMeasurement Tool on Alamance County GIS found on theAlamance County Website/ref> creek that is a tributary of the Haw River. The creek's headwaters are in Guilford County, ...

at Swepsonville and continues on to

Saxapahaw Saxapahaw ()
from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

. 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 New Hope Creek is a watercourse that rises in rural Orange County, North Carolina, in the United States. It drains the western portion of Orange County and the southern half of Durham County and flows into the northern end of Jordan Lake reservo ...

. south of Jordan Lake dam, the Haw River joins the Deep River to form the

Natural history

The Haw River is home to many examples of local wildlife, including blue heron,

beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers a ...

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes we ...

, bluegill bream, and these are only a few of the wild animals living at the Haw River.Canoeing the Haw River Corridor - Alamance-nc.com
/ref>

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 that were built on the river. The river was first dammed in Saxapahaw in the 1850s and used for

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

s through the 19th and 20th centuries, and was a major factor in helping

to rebuild its local economy following the devastation of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Alamance Plaids, a popular

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, different #Fabric, fabric types, etc. At f ...

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, the Haw is still in danger of pollution from suburban nutrient runoff and sediment. 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 effected. 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, NC Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of th ...

. 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 A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened distal end (i.e. the ''blade''), used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered w ...

connecting

and

Jordan Lake State Recreation Area Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park spanning Chatham County, and Wake County North Carolina in the United States. It comprises of woodlands along the shores of Jordan Lake. History The New Hope River Valley, now h ...

. The trail is part of the North Carolina Mountains to Sea Trail. A second major trail that has been established by local governments is the Haw River Wine Trail. The Haw River Valley has become a renowned

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

growing region. This trail was originally established with five wineries in Guilford and Alamance Counties. Currently, four

wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...

are open on the trail, and all four have 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 State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

on the Haw River in

Guilford Guildford is a town in Surrey, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Guildford, the Diocese of Guildford and the Parliamentary constituency of Guildford. Guildford, Guilford, or Gildford may also refer to: Places Australia * Guild ...

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.

Tributaries

Cities, towns, and communities

In Chatham County * Pittsboro * Haywood * Bynum In Alamance County *

Saxapahaw Saxapahaw ()
from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

* Swepsonville *

Graham Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

* Haw River * Burlington * Carolina * Glencoe * Ossipee * Altamahaw In Guilford County * Oak Ridge In Forsyth County *The Haw begins approximately northeast of Kernersville.

Dams

The Haw River has been dammed many times throughout its history to provide power for mills, irrigation for crops, and drinking water supplies. Some remnants of dams are still visible. The following dams are still extant on the Haw River:Dams located using Google Earth. *B. Everett Jordan Dam - *Bynum Dam - *Saxapahaw Dam - *Puryear Dam - *Old Swepsonville Dam - *Granite Mills Dam (removed in 2016) *Glencoe Mills Dam - *Indian Valley Dam *Altamahaw Dam -

References

External links

in order of development
Haw River Assembly

Haw River Canoe and Kayak Company

Haw River Wine Trail

Haw River Trail
{{authority control Rivers of North Carolina Rivers of Alamance County, North Carolina Rivers of Chatham County, North Carolina Rivers of Forsyth County, North Carolina Rivers of Guilford County, North Carolina Rivers of Orange County, North Carolina Rivers of Rockingham County, North Carolina