Charlotte Open Water Championship

At the confluence where Dutchman's Creek meets the slow meander of the Catawba River, swimmers gather at Mount Holly for open water races. The Charlotte Open Water Championship takes place on this freshwater river corridor in Mount Holly, North Carolina. Setting off from Dutchman's Creek Landing at the Mt. Holly Boat Landing on Elm Avenue, the race traces an out-and-back course along the moving waters of the Catawba. Entering the river, swimmers immediately feel the steady rhythm of freshwater current under their stroke, sighting buoy markers against the green backdrop of the Carolina riverbank. Athletes choose between three distinct distances mapped along the riverway: 731 meters, 1,609 meters, and 3,218 meters.

Each distance follows the same out-and-back route, requiring competitors to gauge the flow of the Catawba on the way out before turning around to trace the line back to the landing dock. Navigating an out-and-back course on a natural river demands focus, as swimmers adjust their breathing to spot turns and maintain clean navigation in the pack. Organized by Go Ahead Events, this championship meet serves as the grand gathering for the swimming community that has trained and raced across the Charlotte series throughout the summer. The atmosphere on race morning brings a sharp competitive edge, as regional swimmers come together for one final test of endurance. Once the racing finishes, participants gather along the scenic riverbank to unwind, with food and beverages provided right by the water to celebrate the close of the season.

Cowan's Ford and the historic crossings on the Catawba

The Catawba River carries centuries of travel along its bed, seen most vividly at the site of the Battle of Cowan's Ford, located about eleven kilometres away from the race area. In earlier eras, crossing the river was a delicate operation governed entirely by the bottom profile and water depth. At Cowan's Ford, travelers faced two distinct crossing routes: a shallower, longer horse ford that wound across the riverbed, and a deeper, more direct wagon ford carved through the main channel. The river's natural force presented formidable obstacles during the military campaigns of the eighteenth century. During their march toward the Catawba riverbank, British troops struggled through difficult terrain and lost some of their artillery cannons before even reaching the water.

Further along the river at Beatties Ford, the raw intensity of the current ran so strong that the Catawba was considered entirely impassable to crossing troops. Swimming through these river valleys today offers a quiet connection to waterways that once tested the passage of armies.

Mountain Island Lake and the Latta Plantation shoreline

The Catawba expands into Mountain Island Lake, an extensive reservoir created in 1924 following the construction of the Mountain Island Hydroelectric Station. The lake is fed directly by the Catawba River and faithfully traces the river's winding curves and meanders. Managed for power generation, the lake maintains a full pond water elevation of roughly 647.5 feet above sea level. The impoundment altered the river landscape dramatically, spreading across approximately 3,281 acres of water framed by 61 miles of natural shoreline. In 1922, anticipating the dam's completion, Crescent Land and Timber purchased the historic Latta Plantation property because of its strategic proximity to the Catawba River. Deep within the preserved landscape along the lake sits the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, where the Carolina Raptor Center operates directly on the water's edge.

Dutchman's Creek confluence and River Street Park

River Street Park is a shaded, tree-lined green space that frames the water's edge, giving swimmers and families an inviting place to stretch out before race call. River Street Park serves as a natural launch hub for outdoor life on the Catawba. Paddlers use its natural launch area to slip canoes and kayaks into the water, while anglers cast lines from a dedicated fishing pier. On race day, the landing buzzes with the transition from quiet morning water to active competition as heats move toward the starting line. Tracing the bank away from the water, the Dutchman's Creek Greenway offers visitors and traveling swimmers an accessible route to explore the riparian corridor on foot.