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-7 C~j , Mayor Hawkins regrets that a previous, commitment prevents his being here today personally to tell you the story of the Eno. His own interest in re-establishing the Eno as a public asset dates beak years before he became mayor; like every other individual on Durham~a thirteen-member city council, he solidly supports the reservation of the Eno and its banks from conflicting private development and the .preservation of the Eno for the benefit of the general public. My aolleaguea today are Larry Amick and Alex Gilleskie of our staff. P2r. Amial+a ie a former forester who used to spend his summers working in national forests and parks. Among his many oontributiona to Durham Larry is helping us toward a goal, which sometimes seems hopeless, of moving in ahead of the urban bulldozer to ea}aieve some permanent open-apace, some parka in Durham~s rapidly growing part of the Research Triangle metropolitan area. '"" N?^. Gilleakie is our City Recreation Director. He is of course vitally interested in the Eno River as a park and recreation resource for our community. He is involved in the City~s land acquisition program and also in the development of specific plena for the utilization of those riverside park areas which will be located in aloes proximity to many of our Durham citizens. '. The Env River is located in two counties, Orange and Durham. It rises in the northwe~texn part of Orange County and meanders around until it enters Durham County, where it flows in an easterly direction to its confluence with the Flat River in the extreme eastern Durham County. At that point the river becomes the Neuae. Flowing through Durham County in an easterly direction the Eno passes less than half a mile north of the current city limits. Probably annexation will soon move the city litnita across the Eno beasuae Durham water and sewer lines have already been extended saroas the river to serve a portion of the urban development which has taken place and is now taking place there, soma 9,000 people now live in the Eno Basin within Durham County outside the present city limits. The land is beautiful for residential development, and the City Planning Department estimates that the population will double by 1980 and almost double again by 1990. Residential development of an urban type has extended even north oP the kS1o Basin. Indeed the northward growth of Durham~s population may very well some day bring the Eno River close to the geographical center of town. ; W77at.:a wonderful natural asset for one of the larger North Carolina cities. Looking backward into the history one can see that the welfare and development of Durham have been vitally related to the Eno River for nearly one hundred years. -- In 1877, 95 years ago, the City~s first public water supply was obtained from riancy Rhodes branch where it entered the Eno. Adam on the Env furnished the i power to pump the water to a hilltop reservoir nearby, a reservoir which fa still in use today. Over a period of years as the town of Durham grew Nancy Rhodea~ branch became inadequate and the Eao itself beaame Durham~a source of water supply. , By 1912 it had become evident that the facilities on the Eno were inadequate, and a long debate ensued as to whether a larger water supply should tie impounded on the Et'1o or instead Durham should go some eight miles further north to the Flat River. Competent consulting angineexa oP the day had differing opinions on the question. Eventually the decision was made to go to the new site on the Flat River - largely because of a fear of some up- stream pollution on the Ezo. The Flat River has been Durham~a water supply source since 1917. Down through the years Durham has recognized that the Flat River would not last forever, and that the F~.o, with its potential capacity of some 50 million gallons per day, would probably ba needed again, eventually. The City never relinquished its ownership of the LE3-acre tract on t$e river at Nancy Rhodea~ branch where the old water works were located. Lake Miahie an the Flat River was to last Durham a long time. And Durham was still a long distance from the Eno so that its availability for use once again as a water source aametime in the distant future was not threatened. __. Then Durham like other North Carolina cities grew. Urban development moved aloaer tc the river. The Reaearah Triangle Park became a reality and signed a contract for an eventual $ million gallons per day of Durham water. Ciraumataneea dictated that Durham should plan and act in anticipation of future need. From time to time tracts of land whioh would be needed for a future lake came en the market and were bought by the City. _ i