Monday, August 25, 2003

WILMINGTON, N.C. — A collaborative water quality testing project to focus on the New River was announced last week on Aug. 21. Members of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science joined the mayor of Jacksonville, Progress Energy and Major Gen. David M. Mize, Marine Corps Base commanding general, to commemorate the start of the New River program, administered by UNCW.

The ceremony took place at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base. The Marine Corps base, the city of Jacksonville, UNCW and Progress Energy, are supporters of the project, modeled on the Lower Cape Fear River program.

Since 1994, the Lower Cape Fear River program has been researching and monitoring the Cape Fear River to preserve its capacity to sustain economic development and protect its natural resource values. Local and state governments, as well as local industry, have created a supportive coalition for this program. It is composed of volunteers from various constituencies within the community, including industry, development and tourism interests, environmental organizations, educational interests, local government and agriculture.

The New River basin program will gather information to help understand the processes of the river and provide a forum for information exchange within the community.

For more information about the New River project and the Lower Cape Fear River program, contact Marian McPhaul at 910/962-2354 or by e-mail at mcphaulm@uncw.edu. Other information about the Lower Cape Fear River program is available at www.uncw.edu/riverrun.

Photograph details (request photo credit use):

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Major Gen. David M. Mize, commanding general, Marine Corps Base, and Elsie P. Smith, mayor of Jacksonville, pass water samples to Troy Alphin and Heather Covan of UNCW’s Center for Marine Science (CMS). Dan Oliver, Progress Energy, stands on the far left; Martin Posey, CMS, stands on the far right. Official Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Adam C. Schnell.