MountainTrue Wins Historic Investments for WNC

As you may know, lawmakers at the North Carolina General Assembly finally approved a budget in November after months of wrangling among themselves as well as with Governor Cooper. The new spending plan represents the first full budget approved by the legislature and signed by the Governor since 2018.

The budget makes substantial investments in Western North Carolina, including many of the funding priorities MountainTrue has been promoting since this time last year — when lawmakers began their 2021 session.

Every year, MountainTrue makes a list of priority projects and programs for funding in the state budget. We then work with WNC legislators and our various partners — including our members at the grassroots level — to help convince lawmakers to invest in our rivers, streams, mountains, and forests.

Here’s a quick look at MountainTrue’s budget victories in Raleigh:

Funding for removal of dams across WNC — $7.2 million.
Recurring funding for landslide mapping in WNC — $370,000.
Restoration of the successful Waste Detection Elimination Program (WaDE) to help property owners identify and remedy failing septic systems on their property — $200,000 in both years of the biennial budget.
Recurring funding for water quality testing in the French Broad and other WNC rivers and streams — $100,000.

MountainTrue also went to bat for several important projects to improve public access to and/or protect water quality in rivers and streams throughout our region. New state funding for these projects included:

Watauga River Paddle Trail in Watauga County — $150,000.
Permanent public access to a popular recreational area on the Green River Game Lands in Henderson and Polk counties — $150,000.
Removal of the Ward Mill Dam on the Watauga River in Watauga County — $100,000
Outdoor recreation improvements at Island Park on the Tuckaseegee River in Swain County — $200,000.
Expanded fishing, canoeing, and kayaking on the Valley River in Cherokee County — $125,000.
Improved access to and stream restoration on the Bakersville Creekwalk in Mitchell County — $200,000.

Some other budget items that MountainTrue supported include $12.2 million for Pisgah View State Park in Buncombe County and $750,000 for planning and improvements to DuPont State Forest.

Of course, no one gets everything they want in the state budget process. Two of MountainTrue’s priorities — additional funding to help livestock producers reduce water pollution from their farming operations and communities to manage stormwater runoff — did not make it into the state’s spending plan. MountainTrue will continue to work in support of these investments in 2022.

We at MountainTrue extend our gratitude to the WNC legislators from both parties for their help with these budget victories. A big shout out to Sen. Chuck Edwards of Henderson County — from the beginning of his time in the Senate, Edwards has shown a consistent commitment to water quality issues in our region and used his position on a key Senate budget committee to address them. We are especially grateful to him for his partnership with MountainTrue.

But you, our supporters, are still MountainTrue’s most important partner. We are the only WNC environmental organization with a year-round presence in Raleigh. Your support makes our work in the capital possible! Thank you and cheers to an impactful 2022!

Read about our 2021 organizational successes here!

Tell FERC to Protect Mountain Rivers

On October 4, 2021, the Oconaluftee River below Ela Dam — once a high quality mountain river — was completely filled with sediment during a reservoir drawdown for a repair by the dam’s owner, Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, LLC.

TAKE ACTION

Tell FERC to protect rivers in the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River basins by monitoring and enforcing the provisions of Northbrook’s license for the Bryson, Franklin, and Mission Hydroelectric Projects.

MountainTrue has been tracking the successful efforts of state agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold Northbrook accountable for this disaster. However, our review of public documents revealed that Northbrook “has conducted no active sediment management activities since obtaining the Bryson Project” in 2019. Furthermore, the company hasn’t developed the long-term sediment management plans required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s project license at any of its three Nantahala Projects: Bryson on the Oconaluftee (where the massive sediment release occurred), Franklin on the Little Tennessee River, and Mission on the Hiwassee River.

Our mountain rivers contain a dazzling array of wildlife species, some of which are threatened or endangered. High quality water means high survivability for aquatic wildlife, especially those species most sensitive to pollution. Increased sediment pollution in our local waterways makes it difficult for native wildlife to feed, mate, move, and even breathe. This was the unfortunate fate suffered by many aquatic species when tons of sediment were unloaded into the Oconaluftee River last October.

Mountain rivers often provide our communities with drinking water. They’re also important recreational resources in our region, hosting a wide variety of recreation opportunities, including fishing, snorkeling, canoeing, and kayaking.

Hydroelectric dams owned by private companies like Northbrook are licensed every 30-40 years by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Licenses have many pages of provisions designed to minimize impacts to human safety and the environment from the dams and their operations. But FERC’s responsibility doesn’t stop when the license is finalized. FERC must ensure that the requirements of the license are met to protect our river resources!

We’ll deliver this petition to FERC on January 28, 2022. We’ve got to do all we can to prevent a catastrophe like this from happening again!

Update: Thanks to all who signed on! We’re thrilled to have exceeded our goal of 500 signatures. MountainTrue will continue to monitor the situation — stay tuned for updates!

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MountainTrue FAQ: Live Staking

We love live staking here at MountainTrue, as it’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to support native biodiversity and stream bank restoration! This blog hopes to answer many of the frequently asked questions we get about live staking. Most of this information is general, but some is specific to the Watauga Basin and Riverkeeper Program.

Q: What’s live staking?

Live staking is a method of stream bank repair using native tree cuttings to revegetate the riparian buffer. The riparian buffer consists of trees, shrubs, and grasses alongside stream banks — it plays a crucial role in protecting stream health. The resiliency of riparian buffers is frequently impacted by land use. Activities like mowing to the edge of a stream, cutting down trees to see the water, or new development can negatively impact water quality. By live staking, we can positively and directly impact the overall health of our waterways!

Q: Where do you get the stakes from?

We get our live stakes from Foggy Mountain Nursery in Lansing, NC — their team harvests the stakes from native tree species, cutting stakes two to three feet long and one-half to two inches thick. While it’s possible to cut the stakes ourselves, we choose to support a fantastic local business and ensure that we’re planting the correct species. We’ve also harvested stakes from our previous live staking sites, where planted stakes have become well established.

Q: How do you choose where you’ll be planting?

We prioritize local public parks and river accesses because they’re easy to access and directly benefit the public. We’ve frequented Valle Crucis Community Park in Banner Elk, Cove Creek, and other public riverside locations around Watauga County. We also partnered with the City of Hendersonville to host two live staking workdays in Henderson County this February!

Q: What species do you plant?

We only plant tree species native to our region — primarily silky willow, silky dogwood, elderberry, and ninebark stakes. We’ve also planted other species, like buttonbush, black willow, and red stem dogwood. Recommended for stream bank repair by the NC State Cooperative Extension, these native tree species prefer moist soil and thrive in riparian habitats. These species support native wildlife, especially local pollinators. They can also establish extensive root systems to successfully hold soil in place along riparian buffers, ultimately preventing erosion.

Q: Why do you plant during the winter?

Live stakes are living cuttings of dormant trees that can propagate or sprout a new plant from the cutting of the parent plant. During winter, trees enter a state of dormancy to conserve their energy and weather the colder temperatures. Our live staking season lasts from November to March. We plant hearty hardwood stakes that use their energy to establish roots, waiting until spring to grow their branches and leaves. These resilient roots serve as a stream bank’s first line of defense against erosion, especially during high-flow events. Planting live stakes while tree species are in their natural pattern of energy conservation allows for a higher likelihood of survival along riparian buffers.

Q: How successful are the stakes?

Live stakes have a survival rate of 30-80%. However, survival varies from species to species and depends on environmental conditions. For example, we’d likely have very low survivability if a drought occurred after planting. But, if we plant under ideal conditions using correct planting techniques and have favorable weather post-planting, our stakes can do remarkably well! We can also remove invasive plant species and water the freshly planted live stakes to give them a better chance of success.

Stakes are most successful when planted along naturally sloped stream banks. They can still be planted on extremely incised banks, though they’re more likely to be less impactful in those locations. In our experience, silky willow and silky dogwood stakes tend to fare better than other native tree species we plant.

Q: How long does it take for the stakes to grow?

Roots, leaves, and branches can be well established after one growing season. From there, they continue to grow in length from the tips of their roots and branches year after year.

Q: How do live stakes benefit our waterways?

Live stakes grow root systems that hold soil in place and prevent erosion in local waterways. Sediment pollution remains a significant threat to the Watauga River Basin. This type of pollution clogs aquatic habitats and transports toxic substances through local waterways, increasing water temperatures and negatively impacting native biodiversity.

Once planted, small live stakes will grow into larger trees that stabilize and support riparian buffer health. Healthy riparian buffers benefit stream health in a multitude of ways — they also absorb nutrients, create wildlife habitat, and reduce the intensity of flooding from rain events. Unvegetated streams are often incised and can lose several feet of bank in a single rain event — this can be detrimental to nearby homes and other structures.

Q: What’s a typical day of planting?

We prep the stakes by cutting the live ends at a 45-degree angle. The NC State Cooperative Extension states that such cutting is enough to catalyze root growth at the nodes. The folks at Foggy Mountain Nursery kindly mark the planting ends of our stakes, so we know which ends to cut (pictured right). Once prepped and ready, we take the stakes in buckets down to the stream. We plant along the bank from the water’s edge to the bank’s top — not in the actual stream bed. Stakes are planted at an angle and submerged into the soil about two-thirds of the way. From there, the rest of the work is up to the stakes!

Want to learn more about live staking? Check out our Events page to sign up for one of our upcoming volunteer workdays, or contact our resident live staking experts listed below:

Andy Hill, High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper

Hannah Woodburn, High Country Watershed Coordinator

Community Action Safeguards the First Broad River

Before I was your Broad Riverkeeper, I founded the Broad River Paddle Club in 2011 to connect with other river paddling enthusiasts seeking to get together and float the local rivers. At the time, accessing the river was difficult — only the Broad River Greenway offered public river access. So, the Broad River Paddle Club decided to help each other and their community find ways to get outside and on the water.

On behalf of the Broad River Paddle Club, I asked Richard and Betty Hord of Lawndale permission to access the river via a sandbar the couple owned behind the Methodist Church on the First Broad River — a tributary to the Broad.

David Caldwell

Broad Riverkeeper

The couple’s reply: “Just don’t leave any trash behind.” No problem there!

With a new access point secured, things were looking up. But around the same time, Cleveland County Water was working to build a reservoir on that same stretch of river. The proposed project would have dammed the river; destroyed 24 miles of free-flowing water; submerged 1,400 acres of forest, several farms, ten homes, and parks; and harmed aquatic habitat and endangered species both up and downstream.

Worried about the future health of the Broad River, I also joined a coalition of concerned residents called Stop the First Broad River Reservoir that, with the help of the Southern Environmental Law Center and American Rivers, fought to stop the damming of our beloved First Broad. Coalition members attended the water authority’s board meetings and spoke out about their opposition to the reservoir.

It took more than a decade of community opposition to compel Cleveland County Water to abandon the project and withdraw the reservoir construction application it had submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2005. Instead, Cleveland County Water constructed a far less damaging off-river reservoir to store water in Lawndale and installed infrastructure for a new water intake on the Broad River in Boiling Springs, NC.

The defeat of the reservoir wasn’t just a victory for the environment. It also allowed for the possibility of creating something extraordinary on the banks of the Broad River.

Remember the Hords and their sandbar in Lawndale? Richard Hord had been raised on the shores of the First Broad River and loved it. When he passed away in 2019, his wife Betty offered the 60 acres — land that would have been forever changed had the reservoir been built — to the water authority on the condition that it be made into a public park. Betty’s contribution land in honor of Richard spurred the Lawndale community and Cleveland County Water administrators to think bigger and start planning an extensive new Greenway.

Now two years into the project, the community has just received some much-needed grant funding to complete what we now know as the future Stagecoach Greenway. The project’s first stage — a public swimming beach, picnic area, and canoe access at the sandbar — should be completed by 2024 and will provide increased access to river recreation along the First Broad to many more folks.

In summary, when we fight bad proposals, we don’t just avoid the immediate harm to our environment and our communities. We make room for better things to come in the future — like a greenway that contributes to economic growth, adds new recreational opportunities, and creates a wonderful place where our community can gather and enjoy the long and winding First Broad River.

Learn more about the Stagecoach Greenway’s master plan here.

SMIE: What’s Bugging Our Rivers?

A species of stonefly that is sensitive to pollution in streams. This quick, crawling predator is an indicator of overall good water quality.

MountainTrue has many water sampling programs that tell us much about the health and status of our waterways. The Stream Monitoring Information Exchange (SMIE) program is a volunteer-based water quality monitoring program that operates throughout Western North Carolina. MountainTrue works in partnership with the Environmental Quality Institute based in Black Mountain to facilitate bi-annual sampling across our Southern and High Country Regions each year. SMIE sampling efforts occur each spring and fall typically in the months of April and October.

Some of MountainTrue’s water quality monitoring programs look specifically at the chemical indicators of water samples, which give us a snapshot of the water quality at one particular moment in time. SMIE is unique in that we look for living samples to help us form a more holistic understanding of water quality over a longer period of time — a process known as biomonitoring. Biomonitoring allows us to assess the ability of certain underwater habitats to maintain the right chemical conditions needed for the survival of living aquatic species.

Close-up of an ice cube tray that we use to collect and identify species of macroinvertebrates. Pictured here are net-spinning caddisfly larvae.

So, what do we find when we’re looking for living aquatic samples?

Insects! Or benthic macroinvertebrates, if you want to get more scientific. While benthic refers to the bottom of a stream bed, macroinvertebrates are any animal without a backbone (invertebrate) that you can see without a microscope (macro). Essentially, we’re looking for stream bottom-dwelling bugs, including species like mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, and many more!

Why do we care so much about bugs?

Different species of macroinvertebrates have different abilities to tolerate pollution.

Species that are highly sensitive to pollution are found in our cleanest waterways, while more pollution-tolerant species can be found in our less healthy streams. These special little bugs are excellent bioindicators — their health and presence in local waterways give us key insights into the health of our region’s aquatic ecosystems.

This year, we had many returning volunteers join us in the water, along with some new enthusiastic volunteers willing to learn on the fly. We recently wrapped up this year’s SMIE efforts after spending some colorful and scenic fall days sampling local streams. October and November saw13 hard-working volunteer teams sample the streams of Henderson, Polk, and Cleveland counties. The excitement and investment of long-standing and new volunteers who helped us throughout the 2021 sampling season was infectious — every time we don the waders, hop into the water, and rustle up rocks and leaves to scour for bugs, we get to share in discovery together.

Want to learn more about the results of these biomonitoring efforts over the years? Check out the Environmental Quality Institute’s interactive Water Quality Map to see sampling locations and review data from the past 30 years of biomonitoring efforts!

If you’re interested in becoming a SMIE volunteer, sign up for our spring season training in Hendersonville! Hosted by Americorps Water Quality Administrator and SMIE extraordinaire, Mara Chamlee, our spring SMIE training promises to be a fun day full of learning (and bug watching!) on the Green River that you won’t want to miss!

3/5/22 SMIE training: Sign up!

‘Tis the Season to Treat Backyard Nonnative Invasive Plants

With winter around the corner, many of our region’s native plants now lay dormant — they’ve paused their seasonal growth to conserve their energy until springtime returns once again. The wintry absence of leaves, blooms, and other seasonal greenery makes it easier to spot common evergreen nonnative invasive plant species (NNIP) found throughout our region, in our backyards, and even in our gardens. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your garden until spring — now is the perfect time to identify and weed out pesky NNIPs around your home! Read on and find out how you can identify and treat common backyard NNIPs.

Why are NNIPs bad?

Abundant, thriving native biodiversity is our best defense against climate change. The harmful presence of NNIPs decreases the capacity of ecosystems to withstand the effects of climate change. NNIPs are capable of fundamentally altering the natural state of any ecosystem they invade, compromising the ability of native plant and animal species to survive. NNIPs pose major threats to biodiversity as they compete with native plant and animal species for resources like sunlight, water, nutrients, and space.

According to the US Forest Service, “invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of US endangered and threatened species,” serving as the primary cause of decline for 18% of the country’s endangered or threatened species. Learning and sharing knowledge about NNIPs — like how to identify, remove, and treat them — is one of the best ways we can support native biodiversity and combat the effects of climate change locally. In fact, the Southern Appalachian Mountains are one of the most biodiverse regions in the temperate world — it’s up to all of us to work together to safeguard our region’s abundant biodiversity!

Identifying common NNIPs

Let’s review some of our region’s more noticeable NNIPs. If you discover your garden has been invaded by one or more of these common NNIPs, know that you’re not alone — you can use your newfound NNIP knowledge to help treat and remove those pesky plants! If your situation requires the use of herbicides, remember to always observe labels.

Remove those roots!

Oftentimes, home gardeners can successfully remove NNIPs through mechanical control (digging them out), though herbicide use is also a good option for more challenging situations. When working with herbicide, it’s important to remember that the label is the law, so make sure to thoroughly read it and only use the product as directed — following the label helps you protect yourself and your natural surroundings.

For English ivy, vinca, and Japanese honeysuckle:

We recommend using glyphosate* as a foliar spray application. This time of year is particularly good for foliar spray applications, as other native plants that now lay dormant are less likely to be harmed by this herbicide application technique.

*A note on glyphosate: when treating NNIPs, we only recommend using glyphosate when other herbicides would be ineffective in comparison. Much of glyphosate’s bad press can be attributed to its overuse in large agricultural operations — its use in this setting differs from its use as a NNIP removal aid, where it can be used sparingly. Click here for more information on glyphosate.

For other NNIPs like sacred bamboo, multiflora rose, privet, and Oriental bittersweet:

We recommend a cut stump treatment using a dauber bottle filled with triclopyr. In this treatment method, the smallest effective amount of herbicide is directly applied in order to minimize harm to the surrounding environment. Use these pro tips for a successful cut stump treatment:

Cut the NNIP within one inch of the ground
Apply triclopyr within one minute of cutting for the highest chance of success — outside temperatures should be at least 40 degrees during application.

Questions? Contact our resident native plant expert and Western Region Program Coordinator, Tony Ward.

English Ivy

English ivy (Hedera helix) is easily identified by its dark green and glossy leaves with distinct white veins. Younger leaves have three to five lobes, but the lobes can become indistinct as the leaf matures. This vine attaches its aerial roots to walls and trees in cascading, blanket-like structures. Recommended treatment: foliar spray.

Periwinkle

Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is a semi-evergreen trailing NNIP — its cascading foliage has a blanket-like ground cover. Its thick oval-shaped, small, dark, and glossy leaves grow opposite each other, producing small purple flowers in the spring and fall seasons. Recommended treatment method: foliar spray.

Japanese Honeysuckle

Capable of growing up to 80 feet long, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) stems can become very thick, often forming dense clumps. This climbing NNIP can smother small native trees and shrubs. Stems are distinguishably tan and have opposite, elliptical-shaped leaves that produce light yellow and white tubular flowers in the spring and summer seasons. Recommended treatment method: foliar spray.

Sacred Bamboo

While Sacred bamboo’s (Nandina domestica) bright red berries persist throughout the winter, its leaves change color with the seasons and often turn a purplish-red in the colder months. Its opposite leathery-textured leaves have smooth edges and pointy tips. The leaves themselves are bi and tripinnately compound, so one leaf has several leaflets. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

Privet

One of our region’s worst NNIPs, Privet (Ligustrum sinense) is a shrubby plant with “hair” — a.k.a., trichomes — growing densely along the twig when young. Its opposite oval-shaped leaves have smooth edges and are less than one inch wide. Its dark purple berries persist throughout the winter. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

Multiflora Rose

Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) is a thorny shrub and climbing vine that can form thickets. Its opposite leaves stem directly above the thorn with five to eleven elliptical leaflets. This NNIP appears to have a set of eyelashes — known as fringed stipules — where its sharp-edged leaves connect to the stem. Its “eyelashes” distinguish multiflora rose from other rose species. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

Oriental Bittersweet

The last NNIP we’ll cover is Oriental bittersweet. Those who are familiar with this woody plant likely know it’s not an evergreen species. However, this NNIP is easily distinguishable thanks to the dark circles on its bark, which are formed by its lenticels — the woody stem’s raised pores that intake oxygen (O2) and release carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). Its entwined vines are capable of astounding growth, frequently encircling and killing native trees via strangulation as they hoard sunlight. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

We hope this information inspires you to get out into your garden, backyard, or local green space to put your NNIP identification skills to the test. Check out this helpful resource for more information on NNIPs and NNIP removal, or reach out to our native plant and NNIP virtuosos (featured below).

Highlands, NC Becomes the Country’s First BearWise Certified Town

It took a decade of effort, but this scenic Western North Carolina town did what no other town or city in the country has done to date: become a BearWise certified community. However, this major accomplishment was no easy feat.

Highlands’ six-member BearWise Liaison Committee — chaired by former MountainTrue Highlands Chapter head, Cynthia Strain — began its work as the Bear Education and Resources (B.E.A.R.) Task Force of MountainTrue. Members worked hard to engage their community with over a decade’s worth of educational programs, school visits, special events, newspaper articles, brochures, and online resources.

Becoming BearWise

Expertly developed by black bear biologists and supported by state wildlife agencies, BearWise, according to its website, “shares ways to prevent conflicts, provides resources to resolve problems, and encourages community initiatives to keep bears wild.”

BearWise Communities

While no other town or city in the US has received a BearWise certification, it’s important to note that Asheville’s own Mountain Meadows neighborhood recently received its BearWise certification in October. The Mountain Meadows neighborhood is North Carolina’s first BearWise certified neighborhood — read more about the accomplishment here.

The BearWise website defines the three steps counties, cities, towns, or neighborhoods that want to become BearWise certified must take:

First, communities must consult with local authorities (like conservation and police officers) or local experts (like fish and wildlife biologists) and assess if garbage and other food attractants are drawing the attention of local black bears. Potential food attractants include birdseed, pet food, and outdoor grills.

Second, communities must organize and rally support for a BearWise certification among community members, after which they can discuss the next steps with local officials, including fish and wildlife personnel.

Lastly, communities must take action by implementing strategies to reduce human-black bear conflict.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) BearWise certification process obligates interested North Carolina communities to meet five requirements that expand upon the three-step process described above. The NCWRC requires communities to establish a BearWise liaison committee to coordinate information and act as the point of contact between the community and the agency.

Highlands has successfully met all of the NCWRC’s BearWise requirements, working with Mayor Patrick Taylor, community leaders, and NCWRC officials to effectively reduce instances of human-bear encounters in the town. Highlands residents and visitors should keep an eye out for BearWise certification signage, which will soon be proudly displayed throughout the town!

Despite this monumental achievement, Highlands’ BearWise work continues. Being a BearWise certified community has proved to be a dynamic endeavor, explains Mayor Taylor, “We’ve had to go back and change ordinances several times, and we’ll change more. We always want to look back at what we’re doing and improve upon it.”

Why it matters

While it can be a memorable experience to see wild black bears in an urban setting, it’s a risky one. Human-bear conflict is exacerbated by increased human development and subsequent habitat fragmentation, resulting in the increased likelihood of bears coming into contact with humans, especially in urban areas. Those interactions can be dangerous for humans and deadly for bears. Unfortunately, bears can become reliant on human sources of food and display more assertive or aggressive behaviors toward people. When such conflict arises, those ‘problem bears’ often have to be put down by Wildlife Resources staff.

Highlands’ success in becoming a BearWise certified community makes a big statement about the importance of advocating for human-bear coexistence. Black bears are no strangers to residents of the Southern Blue Ridge; they live among us, trekking through our backyards and across city streets, and they’re often found digging through our neighborhood trash cans.

Highlands’ trailblazing efforts showcase the fact that organized community action leads to impactful change. We hope other communities around North Carolina and the greater Southern Blue Ridge region are inspired by Highlands’ success and choose to follow in the town’s footsteps (or pawprints) in the years to come.

On the importance of BearWise communities:

Ashley Hobbs, NCWRC Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist: “When you coexist, you keep the people safe and the bears wild… The bears can still move around; they’re just passing through. Highlands didn’t go halfway; they went all in. With all the effort that’s gone into this, you’ll see the benefit for years to come.”

Colleen Olfenbuttel, NCWRC Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist: “Not only is Highlands the first town to be BearWise certified, but the passion of the people working to accomplish this is a model community for North Carolina… People need to adapt to living with bears, and becoming a BearWise Community is key.”

Check out the BearWise website to:

Learn more about black bears and human-black bear coexistence
Get important safety tips
Download fact sheets and kids’ activity sheets
Find out how your community can become BearWise certified

Swim Guide Watershed Report: Watauga River Watershed

In the past year, the Watauga River Watershed experienced a range of highs and lows (we’re talking about bacteria counts, folks!). We’ll start with the good news, including which water testing sites had the lowest bacteria counts across the watershed. Then, we’ll give you the year’s bad news by spotlighting sites with the highest bacteria counts. We’ll conclude with achievable solutions for the future and a call to action so you can continue to help us protect the places we share.

Before we dive into our water quality summary, let’s review important terminology to help us better understand the data our Riverkeepers, volunteers, and Clean Waters teams worked so hard to collect, analyze, and report. Cfu, or colony forming unit, is a metric scientists use to estimate the number of microbes present per 100 milliliters of a singular water sample. Microbes (also known as microorganisms) include bacteria, algae, and fungi. Like most things, some microbes are good for human health and some aren’t. We test for E. coli bacteria because it’s the best indicator for the presence of microbes that pose threats to human health.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 235 cfu/100mL is the safe standard for primary recreational waters, where people are most likely to engage in recreational activities involving underwater immersion and potential water ingestion.

Good news headline: Popular Watauga River Spots Still Safe for Recreation

Popular among anglers, swimmers, sunbathers, and kayakers, our water quality testing site at Guy Ford remains the only Watauga River site to have experienced a statistically significant decrease in E. coli levels from 2020-2021. With an average value of 80.3 cfu/100mL, Guy Ford passes the EPA’s 235 cfu/100mL safe standard with ease.

About Our Swim Guide Program

Swim Guide is an international program used by Riverkeepers and other advocates to provide up-to-date recreational E. coli data for beaches, lakes, and rivers worldwide. E. coli is a bacteria found in the fecal waste of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and indicates contamination in our waterways. E. coli levels increase with rainfall events due to surface runoff and sewer overflow events.

Samples are collected every Wednesday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Volunteers collect surface water samples in a 100mL sample bottle and drop samples off at the lab, to be processed by MountainTrue staff. Results from samples are measured in MPN, the most probable number of colony-forming units (cfu). The EPA’s limit for recreational water quality is 235 cfu/100mL. The EPA estimates at that concentration, 8 in 1,000 people will contract an illness.

Pass/Fail results are updated every Friday on www.swimguide.org to inform the public about local water quality. We use the data generated from our Swim Guide Program to identify sites for follow-up sampling. We sample in both urban and rural areas. Determining the location and source of E. coli in our waterways is one way we can hold polluters accountable.

Our other best testing sites of 2021 include the Upper Gorge Watauga Park off Highway 321, Watauga Point, Wilbur Dam, Shook Branch, and Price Lake. All five sites passed the EPA’s safe standard.

Data collected from 76% of all 18 sampled sites reported no statistically significant change this year, meaning E. coli levels did not increase or decrease from 2020-2021. While this isn’t the result we’d hoped for, we’ll take it.

Bad news headline: E. Coli has a Dirty Affair with Lover’s Lane and Other Popular Spots in the Watauga River Watershed

Our data showcases the pressing need for water quality improvement across the Watauga River Watershed. Unfortunately, sites along the Watauga, New, and Elk Rivers rank among the Watauga River Watershed’s worst testing sites. This year, popular Watauga River accesses like Lover’s Lane, Hunter Bridge, and Blevins Road Boat Ramp experienced alarming increases in bacteria concentrations.

Our Lover’s Lane site secured the top worst spot with an average E. coli count of 1754.9 cfu/100mL. Average E. coli levels were approximately three times the EPA’s 235 cfu/100mL safe standard at Hunter Bridge and Blevins Road Boat Ramp.

With E. coli levels above 590 cfu/100mL, both Elk River Falls and the New River’s Todd Island Park failed to pass the EPA’s safe standard. The latter, along with the New River’s Boone Greenway, ranked among Watauga County’s worst sites of 2021. Our Watauga River testing site off Calloway Road also fared poorly.

This year we saw 17% of our water quality testing sites experience increased overall E. coli levels compared to 2021. This increase is not considered statistically significant due to the wide variation among this year’s water quality samples, taken weekly during the 15 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Our weekly sampling often took place after or during a rain event. We believe that likely contributed to this year’s wide variation in average E. coli levels, which was double that of 2020’s.

This year’s increase in average E. coli levels is a concerning trend across the watershed. The average E. coli count for 2021’s 15-week sampling period was 408.04 cfu/100mL, up from 2020’s average of 238.76 cfu/100mL.

Hurricane Fred caused the week of August 18 to be the summer’s worst. After Fred’s heavy rainfall and flash flooding events, the watershed’s E. coli levels skyrocketed to 1222 cfu/100mL. Additional rain events correlated with the summer’s other average E. coli level peaks.

Future news headline: Direct Action Needed to Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change, Increased Development, and Tourism Across Watauga River Watershed

A symptom of climate change, increased annual rainfall and flash flooding events, will undoubtedly cause a decline in water quality across the watershed. Growing tourism pressure and resulting development projects will continue to exacerbate the existing strain on our region’s failing infrastructure.

If left unchecked, stormwater infrastructure deficiencies will open the literal and figurative flood gates, allowing increased polluted and bacteria-laden stormwater runoff to enter local waters.

Moving forward, MountainTrue will:

Encourage government officials to implement policies addressing land use and development impacts and make worthy investments to improve existing stormwater infrastructure.
Continue to monitor sites of most concern while aiming to pinpoint and eliminate sources of E. coli pollution at our newest testing sites in the near future.
Further develop valued relationships with community members to combat threats posed to water quality by poor development and agricultural practices.

Want to learn more about our efforts to bring about clean water for all? Check out our ILoveRivers webpage and join MountainTrue’s dedicated community of volunteers to help us protect the places we share.

Swim Guide Watershed Report: Hiwassee River Watershed

For the Hiwassee River Watershed, the 2021 water quality testing season gave rise to laudable successes. It also illuminated the need for deliberate action in areas of most concern. We’ll start with the good news, including which water testing sites had the lowest bacteria counts across the watershed. Then, we’ll give you the year’s bad news by spotlighting sites with the highest bacteria counts. We’ll conclude with achievable solutions for the future and a call to action so you can continue to help us protect the places we share.

Before we dive into our water quality summary, let’s review important terminology to help us better understand the data our Clean Waters team worked so hard to collect, analyze, and report. Cfu, or colony forming unit, is a metric scientists use to estimate the number of microbes present per 100 milliliters of a singular water sample. Microbes (also known as microorganisms) include bacteria, algae, and fungi. Like most things, some microbes are good for human health and some aren’t. We test for E. coli bacteria because it’s the best indicator for the presence of microbes that pose threats to human health.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 235 cfu/100mL is the safe standard for primary recreational waters, where people are most likely to engage in recreational activities involving underwater immersion and potential water ingestion.

Good news headline: Lakes Largely Free of E. Coli and Other Pathogens

Twenty twenty-one has been kind to Hiwassee Lake, Lake Chatuge, and Late Nottely. Sites on these three lakes produced a total of 11 readings with zero E. coli or other pathogens. Hiwassee Lake at Hanging Dog secured this year’s prize for best site with an average E. coli count of 6.5 cfu/100mL.

About Our Swim Guide Program

Swim Guide is an international program used by Riverkeepers and other advocates to provide up-to-date recreational E. coli data for beaches, lakes, and rivers worldwide. E. coli is a bacteria found in the fecal waste of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and indicates contamination in our waterways. E. coli levels increase with rainfall events due to surface runoff and sewer overflow events.

Samples are collected every Wednesday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Volunteers collect surface water samples in a 100mL sample bottle and drop samples off at the lab, to be processed by MountainTrue staff. Results from samples are measured in MPN, the most probable number of colony-forming units (cfu). The EPA’s limit for recreational water quality is 235 cfu/100mL. The EPA estimates at that concentration, 8 in 1,000 people will contract an illness.

Pass/Fail results are updated every Friday on www.swimguide.org to inform the public about local water quality. We use the data generated from our Swim Guide Program to identify sites for follow-up sampling. We sample in both urban and rural areas. Determining the location and source of E. coli in our waterways is one way we can solve pollution problems.

Bacteria levels in Lake Chatuge’s swimming beaches at Jackrabbit Mountain and in Towns County, Georgia, were commendably low. With an average E. coli count of 25.4 cfu/100mL, Lake Nottely’s Poteete Creek Park swimming beach also passed the EPA’s 235 cfu/100mL safe primary recreation standard with flying colors. Additionally, Clay County’s Fires Creek proved to be in good condition.

While not as clean as Hiwassee Lake or Lake Chatuge, samples taken from Lake Nottely and along the Nottely River showcase the relatively clean quality of these western waters. We collected our water quality samples during the 15 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Fortunately, our testing site at Nottely Dam failed to pass the EPA’s safe primary recreation standard only once.

Bad news headline: Heavy Rains, Leaky Septic Systems, and Animal Agriculture are Culprits of Hiwassee River Watershed’s Bacteria Pollution

Our Valley River site at Konehete Park rushed into 2021’s top worst spot with an E. coli count of 914 cfu/100mL, failing to pass the EPA’s safe primary recreation standard 80% of the time. Years of continued bacteria pollution have sadly caused the lower end of the Valley River to remain on North Carolina’s List of Impaired and Threatened Waters.

Poor animal agricultural practices, domesticated Canada Goose populations, and leaky septic systems are the primary causes of pollution in the Valley River. Monthly testing conducted upstream in both Andrews and Marble indicate that the Valley River’s E. coli problem is presently contained in the lower third of the river system.

Similarly, animal agriculture in the Sweetwater Creek Watershed is likely a primary contributor to the Hiwassee River’s larger E. coli pollution problem. One of our worst testing sites along the Hiwassee River, Sweetwater Park’s average E. coli count of 396 cfu/100mL failed to pass the EPA’s safe primary recreation standard 40% of the time. Monthly testing conducted upstream and downstream of Sweetwater Park suggests the bacteria pollution is currently isolated in a small portion of the Hiwassee River, including the confluence of Sweetwater Creek.

Another one of our worst sites of 2021, Meeks Park II canoe/kayak launch on the Nottely River produced an average E. coli count of 342 cfu/100mL and failed to pass the EPA’s safe primary recreation standard 53% of the time.

The week of September 1 proved to be the summer’s worst, with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida wreaking havoc across much of the Southeast. On average, the Hiwassee River Watershed received four inches of rain in the 48 hours before that week’s samples were taken. Ida’s increased rainfall caused the average E. coli count across each of our 10 water quality testing sites to spike at 371 cfu/100mL.

The weeks of August 11 and 18 also saw portions of the Hiwassee River Watershed receive several inches of rainfall shortly before our samples were taken. Hurricane Fred’s surge of stormwater in mid-August resulted in the highest overall E. coli levels of the summer at seven of our testing sites.

Future news headline: Mitigating Threats Posed to Hiwassee River Watershed by Pollution

The Hiwassee River Watershed is relatively clean. Still, we must be wary of negative changes associated with future summer seasons’ heavy rains. Polluted stormwater runoff remains a formidable threat to the Hiwassee River Watershed and the whole of the Southern Blue Ridge.

Water quality will suffer as higher annual amounts of stormwater runoff enter local waters due to climate change. Poor animal agriculture practices, outdated stormwater infrastructure, and decrepit septic systems will lead to future declines in water quality. That’s why we need to take action to address climate change — a pressing issue that affects us all.

MountainTrue is currently working with our state legislators to reinstate the Waste Discharge Elimination (WaDE) program, which is focused on identifying and fixing impaired septic systems. We also aim to secure increased funding for County Soil and Water Conservation Districts through our work with the North Carolina State Legislature. This necessary funding would help farmers adopt additional best management practices, like fencing livestock out of waterways and installing stream buffers to mitigate bacteria-laden runoff.

We believe these solutions will significantly improve the Valley River’s water quality and positively impact other Hiwassee River Watershed sections.

Moving forward, MountainTrue will:

Encourage government officials to implement policies addressing land use and development impacts and make worthy investments to improve existing stormwater and septic system infrastructure.
Continue to monitor sites of most concern while aiming to pinpoint and eliminate sources of E. coli pollution at our newest testing sites in the near future.
Further develop valued relationships with community members and our local Soil and Water Conservation Districts to minimize threats posed to water quality by poor animal agriculture practices.

Want to learn more about our efforts to bring about clean water for all? Check out our ILoveRivers webpage and join MountainTrue’s dedicated community of volunteers to help us protect the places we share.