Water’s Edge

In 1999, the proposed construction of 454 homes threatened 425 acres on the western side of Mountain Island Lake, only a thousand feet from water intakes for the communities of Gastonia and Mount Holly. As part of a long-term effort to preserve the water quality of the lake, TPL facilitated two conservation easements that protect the land from development. Partners included the city of Gastonia, the state of North Carolina, the Catawba Lands Conservancy, and the Centralina Council of Governments. Important funding for the project came from North Carolina’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the nation’s first state trust fund dedicated to water quality protection.