Catawba Cove Protected: 562 Acres Conserved for Nature, Water Quality, and Outdoor Access

One of the largest remaining undeveloped properties on Lake Wylie is now permanently protected. Through a partnership between Gaston County, Catawba Lands Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, and the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, 562 acres along Catawba Creek, near Daniel Stowe Conservancy, have been conserved and will become a future public park. This milestone protects an important part of our region’s natural heritage while creating new opportunities for people to experience the outdoors.

Protections for wildlife and water quality

The greatest value of Catawba Cove is the role it plays in protecting the land, water, and wildlife that make this area special. The property includes forests, wetlands, streams, floodplains, and more than a mile of Lake Wylie shoreline. Together, these natural areas help filter stormwater, improve water quality, reduce flooding, and support healthy ecosystems throughout the Catawba Creek and Lake Wylie watershed. The site also provides habitat for a wide range of wildlife, including nesting bald eagles and osprey, and supports Georgia holly, a plant considered significantly rare in North Carolina.

Protecting places like Catawba Cove is becoming increasingly important as our region grows. Large, connected natural areas give wildlife room to move, find food, and raise their young. They also preserve scenic open space and help keep local waterways healthy. Conservation easements held by Catawba Lands Conservancy and the State of North Carolina will permanently protect hundreds of acres on the property, ensuring that its conservation values endure for generations.

A new spot to explore nature

In the years ahead, residents and visitors will be able to explore this special landscape through a new recreation park featuring hiking and mountain biking trails, public access to Lake Wylie, and connections to the Carolina Thread Trail network. These future amenities will allow people to enjoy nature while respecting and protecting the land’s sensitive habitats, waterways, and wildlife.

Catawba Cove shows what is possible when conservation partners work together to protect important land before it is lost to development. The result is a lasting investment in clean water, healthy forests, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation. As plans for the future park move forward, this remarkable stretch of Lake Wylie will remain a place where nature thrives and where people can build meaningful connections to the outdoors.