The Dan River Basin Association is urging the Stokes County Board of Commissioners to reject a rezoning request for a proposed 1,850-acre hyperscale data center near Walnut Cove, citing concerns about water use, wastewater, flooding and potential impacts on the Dan River.
DRBA also is encouraging the county to consider a temporary or permanent moratorium on new data center development. The organization said a moratorium would give county officials additional time to evaluate the potential impacts of projects of that size and establish development standards.
“DRBA has never been opposed to responsible economic development. Conservation, recreation, community planning and economic vitality can and should work together,” said DRBA Executive Director Tiffany Haworth. “But responsible development requires good information and good planning. Right now, there are too many unanswered questions about Project Delta.”
The proposed Project Delta development would encompass approximately 1,850 acres of largely undeveloped land near Walnut Cove along the Dan River.
DRBA said it is particularly concerned about whether sufficient information is available to determine how much water the facility would require and where that water would come from.
The organization noted that the Stokes County 2035 Vision Plan, adopted in 2015, concluded the county had adequate water supplies for future needs, but said that assessment predates the proposed hyperscale data center.
Project Delta has reportedly considered obtaining water from the Town of Walnut Cove. DRBA also pointed to questions about the town’s water-system capacity and the Stokes County Water and Sewer Authority’s request that Walnut Cove reduce the amount of water it purchases because of other demands on the system.
DRBA said those concerns are particularly significant as the county experiences drought conditions.
The organization also questioned how wastewater from the proposed facility would be treated and whether existing municipal treatment facilities are designed to handle potential industrial wastewater from a hyperscale data center.
DRBA specifically raised concerns about the possibility of wastewater being treated through Walnut Cove’s constructed wetland treatment system before being discharged into Town Fork Creek and the Dan River.
The proposed development site also includes substantial FEMA-designated floodplain along the Dan River, according to DRBA.
The organization said the county’s planning documents identify floodplains as potential community assets for parks, greenways, recreation and connections between communities.
DRBA said the project should be evaluated beyond whether individual buildings can be constructed outside mapped floodplain areas, citing potential risks associated with industrial structures, electrical substations, backup generators and fuel-storage facilities near the floodplain.
The organization also pointed to the 2014 Duke Energy coal ash spill and its impact on the Dan River, and its work with numerous partners to restore and protect the river.
American Rivers named the Dan River one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers in 2026, citing development pressures facing the river, according to DRBA.
The river supports drinking water supplies, fish and wildlife, paddling, fishing, hiking and other recreational activities for more than 1 million people, DRBA said.
“Stokes County’s natural resources are among its greatest assets and decisions being made today will determine what future generations inherit,” Haworth said. “We hope to continue working with the county for decades to come. The decisions made today should protect and strengthen that asset, not put it at greater risk.”
