Eden Area Reference Map

The Eden Area watershed covers approximately 225 square miles in Central North Carolina and Virginia. It includes all of the waters draining to the Smith River downstream of the City of Martinsville; to Matrimony Creek, a significant tributary to the Dan River; and to the Dan River between Stoneville and the exit of the river to Virginia in Caswell County, NC. 

In the Eden Area, both the Smith and Dan Rivers are impaired due to high levels of turbidity and fecal coliform bacteria, which are largely caused by nonpoint source pollution. The Smith River also faces biological habitat degradation, which is most likely a result of urban development and stormwater runoff.

PTRC completed a local Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plan for the Smith River and the Dan River corridor in the greater Eden area to identify pollutant sources, conservation priorities, and potential projects and policies that will help restore both of these rivers to ecological supporting status. This project was generously supported by the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund and provides an outline for watershed. The resulting watershed plan is based upon the nine watershed plan elements outlined in the EPA handbook, Local Guide to Watershed Planning.

	Small pond on a tributary of the Dan River

Several other organizations are also involved in initiatives to protect and improve water quality in the Eden Area. The Dan River Basin Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to actively addressing water quality concerns in these rivers, and frequently has opportunities for you to directly help ensure that the rivers are cleaned up and protected for future generations. The Piedmont Land Conservancy, a Western Piedmont non-profit land trust, has also developed a Dan River Watershed Protection Initiative, dedicated to protecting the valuable and rare species in the NC parts of the basin.

PTRC is currently partnering with both of these organizations, as well as the Town of Eden and Rockingham County to increase public awareness about the Eden Area Watershed Plan and other water quality initiatives throughout the river basin. Please see the below links for additional information on the water quality conditions in the Dan and Smith Rivers, as well as current efforts to address these issues.