Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative

The Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative (UNCWI) is a regional effort to prioritize and protect those lands most critical for the long-term health of all drinking water supplies within a 770 square mile drainage basin that comprises the Upper Neuse River Basin, near Raleigh, NC. TPL has focused on the development and implementation of a conservation plan that recommends a coordinated land conservation initiative with our partners to safeguard this crucial natural resource that spans six counties and provides drinking water to over 535,000 people. TPL is also working to connect publicly accessible and conserved open space in the area, one of the South’s fastest growing population centers. Our long-term goals include protecting more than 23,000 acres of riparian habitat and the creation of several new or enhanced parks with trail connections to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.