Closing the Gap
PLC Transfers 95 Riverfront Acres to Mayo River State Park for Recreation and Water Quality Protection
May 2022
Piedmont Land Conservancy has transferred 95 acres to Mayo River State Park in Rockingham County to help expand the park, provide more recreation opportunities for residents, and protect the drinking-water source for the towns of Mayodan and Stoneville. The state purchased the land from PLC on April 27.
The land transfer preserves fills in a gap along the Mayo River’s 16-mile corridor and adds to the acreage PLC has transferred to Mayo River State Park since 2016.
Since the mid-2000s, PLC has facilitated the purchase of over 2,000 acres for Mayo River State Park in North Carolina and 216 acres to Virginia’s Mayo River State Park. The 2,000 North Carolina acres have added nearly 75 percent to the park’s 2,700 acres, which stretches from the Virginia state line to confluence of the Dan River near Madison, North Carolina.
“The North Carolina state parks system is a key tool to preserve the natural beauty of North Carolina for future generations. We are always thrilled when we can partner with State Parks to protect land for the public good,” shared Kevin Redding, Executive Director of Piedmont Land Conservancy.
In June of 2021, Piedmont Land Conservancy quickly acquired the land as it hit the market and acted as a caretaker until the state had enough funding to purchase the property. Under the guardianship of North Carolina’s state parks system, the land continues its role of safeguarding water quality and becomes a public amenity by providing options for future recreation like river access for kayakers and space for camping.
“Piedmont Land Conservancy is an invaluable partner and advocate for Mayo River State Park. They have come through once again to help expand Mayo River State Park to serve North Carolinians and visitors,” said Superintendent Jessica Phillips. “This parcel, on the southern downstream end of Hickory Creek Access, adds over ½ a mile of river frontage.”
The land transfer addresses a top recreation priority in the 2021 Mayo River State Park Masterplan (https://files.nc.gov/ncparks/mayo-river-state-park-master-plan.pdf) and helps to close a critical gap between existing Mayo River State Park lands.
Moreover, the land transfer protects the river’s forested buffers, reduces risk of erosion and acts as a filter before pollutants reach the Mayo River. In doing so, the land transfer helps to protect the main drinking water source for the nearly 4,000 residents in Mayodan and Stoneville.
Protecting the river’s forested buffer also helps to reduce water treatment costs. According to a 2002 study by the Trust for Public Land, with every 10 percent increase in forest cover in a water source area, water treatment costs drop nearly 20 percent (https://www.tpl.org/cost-not-protecting-source-waters).
“Towns don’t operate in isolation. Residents of Mayodan and Stoneville rely on the river for water supply and the state park to bring in tourism dollars. We believe that this land transfer will improve those connections for decades to come.”
PLC Executive Director
Watch the video below for an upclose look at the new Mayo River State Park Property.
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