Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

The Lumber River (81 miles of it) was designated in September, 1998 as one of the nation's 154 National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, which already owns 4,007 acres on the lower stretch of the river, is purchasing more land, negotiating agreements with private landowners, and seeking land donations to protect the river. In 1981, the Lumber became the state's first canoe trail. Then, in 1989, 115 miles of the river received the state's Natural and Scenic River designation. Because the river has a High Quality Water categorization, there are limits on wastewater discharges and on density of development.