Dear Friends and Supporters,

Every year in early December, my family goes to Sandy Hollar Farm to cut down our Christmas tree. The farm is classic Western North Carolina. We take the tractor ride to the top of the mountain where we hunt for the “perfect” tree. After some debate, we settle on one, and then my boys and I get to work with the dull saw chopping it down.  It’s a family tradition that I love.

As December ushers in some cold, snowy days, we know that because of Helene, more people than usual will find the holidays hard. And while much progress has been made, many homes, businesses, and communities remain wrecked from the storm.

At MountainTrue, we have pivoted our resources to address some of the biggest issues facing our region. We hired a River Cleanup Coordinator to ramp up our volunteer efforts around the most hard-hit river basins. We continue to test for pollution and toxins in our wells and rivers. Our Healthy Communities team is piloting a program pairing volunteer designers and planners with devastated communities to help them create a more climate-resilient build-back plan. Our Resilient Forests team continues to advocate for forest management practices that center climate impacts like Helene.

The people of WNC are resilient and hopeful. We will clean up, recover, and rebuild our rivers, forests, and communities one day, one family, one tree at a time – and will not rest until that work is done. Thank you for your support and for being MountainTrue!

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Get Involved: Take Action

MountainTrue has three active action alerts: check them out below and sign on to make your voice heard. 

✅Help us remove debris from our rivers after Hurricane Helene

✅Protect the Nolichucky River: Urge CSX to rebuild responsibly without damaging public lands

✅Support an eviction moratorium & boost housing aid for Helene survivors

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene. 

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing. If your well has been flooded or flood waters pooled around your well, then we recommend having your well tested for bacteria pollution. We’re asking that only wells that were flooded during Helene be tested. After testing, we can connect you with resources for next steps – or there may be no action required! Where to get a bacteria sampling kit through the end of December:

✔️Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on TUESDAYS, and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on SATURDAYS through December 28. State Line is in desperate need of volunteers, if you’re interested in volunteering at State Line Resource Center visit their website and/or sign up for volunteer shifts here.

✔️If you’re interested in getting your well or spring tested for E. coli bacteria, you can also email emma@mountaintrue.org or call 828-446-5086 for an appointment, supplies, and/or water quality info.

Soil and Water Pollution Testing Updates

🔬 The Watauga Riverkeeper team is continuing to collect surface water samples and testing for bacteria and chemicals. Levels of E. coli have generally been low or stabilizing to “normal” levels. We’re still waiting for the lab results of our most recent chemical sampling round, and appreciate our monthly volunteers that collect from 17 sites across the New, Elk, and Watauga rivers. We’re ramping up our monitoring and will be using sample results to track down septic, sewer leaks, and other water quality issues within our watershed jurisdiction. 

🔬 The French Broad Riverkeeper team will have another sampling blitz on Thursday, December 12. From 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., volunteers can help us track pollution sources around the Swannanoa River Watershed. Learn more + register. 

🔬 The French Broad Riverkeeper team received another round of water and sediment sample results back from the lab. Those results mostly tell a positive story: 

These include water and sediment samples from the Nolichucky River in Erwin + the Nolichucky downstream of Erwin; the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa and Biltmore Village; the French Broad River at Westfeldt Park, Woodfin, Marshall, and Hot Springs; Mud Creek downstream of Hendersonville; and the North Toe River downstream of Spruce Pine. 

We’ve analyzed these results, with the help of other water experts. We found a variety of pollutants, but are encouraged by our findings and the lower levels of those pollutants. We continue to find a host of metals in our samples, but for the most part, these metals are at fairly low levels (not above background levels) and aren’t very problematic to human health or the environment. We did find some pollutants with higher concerns around toxicity, such as Trichloroethylene (TCE), Pyrene, and Diesel Range Organics. 

TCE was found in the sediment at Charles D. Owen Park along the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa. TCE is volatile, meaning it readily evaporates into the air at room temperature, where people can sometimes smell it. It’s used as a solvent to remove grease from metal, spots from clothing, and as a paint stripper. It’s also an ingredient in paints, varnishes, adhesives, and it’s used to make other products like furniture and electric/electronic equipment. The results found in our sample were 7.19 ug/kg, which is much lower than most state regulatory limits. 

Pyrene was found at 286 ug/kg in our Woodfin sediment sample along the French Broad River. Pyrene is one of a group of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are a group of naturally occurring pollutants. Pyrene is a natural component of coal tar, crude oil, and fossil fuels. The health effects of brief exposures to pyrene are unknown. Longer-term animal studies show that pyrene can cause nephropathy (kidney disease) and decreased kidney weight. Based on the regulatory levels we studied, this level does not appear alarming. 

We also found Acetone in several of our samples, including a Nolichucky water sample taken downstream of Erwin, Swannanoa sediment samples at Charles D. Owen Park and Biltmore Village, and sediment samples from the French Broad in Marshall and Woodfin. Because of the low level of acetone found, we aren’t terribly concerned about the exposure this pollutant presents. 

Another test was run to look for the impact of fuel that was present in the flood waters. We had the lab run two tests to look for any remaining fuel in the water or sediment in the form of diesel range organics (DRO) and gasoline range organics. None of our samples showed gasoline range organics, but DRO was present in five samples. The samples that showed DRO were all sediment samples and included the following locations: the North Toe at Penland (5.7 mg/kg), French Broad River at Woodfin (37.4 mg/kg), French Broad River in Marshall (16.9 mg/kg), the Swannanoa River at Charles D. Owen Park (69.7 mg/kg) and Biltmore Village (74 mg/kg). According to an NC State Extension article about DRO in soil for gardening, these levels would be classified as low or moderate.  

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ MountainTrue’s French Broad, Green, and Watauga Riverkeepers will continue to host cleanups in the coming weeks; look for cleanup info + updates in these weekly emails and on our Instagram and Facebook accounts: MountainTrue Instagram, Facebook + Twitter, French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Green Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook. 

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups: 

✔️ Buncombe County, NC:

🔹12/5, Asheville: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.  Learn more + register.

🔹12/12, Alexander: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

✔️ Polk County, NC:

🔹12/14, Saluda: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Lower Green; roadside cleanup. Learn more + register.

✔️ High Country, NC:

🔹12/14, Cove Creek: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register. (rain date is 12/21)

🔹Save the date: 1/25, Lansing: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

🗑️ The French Broad Riverkeeper team, with help from awesome volunteers, has hauled out almost 90,000 pounds of trash via cleanups in Transylvania County, Buncombe County’s River Parks, Asheville’s River Arts District, and Madison County’s public access points, along with all of our Paddle Trail campsites. These locations will expand as access is reopened and the scale is better known.

The need is so great that MountainTrue has hired a full-time River Cleanup Coordinator. We’re pleased to introduce Jon Stamper, formerly of Asheville Adventure Company (AAC), to lead this effort. Stamper’s story is familiar to many in our river community. AAC was devastated by the flood and almost everyone is out of work until the river can be restored to a safe and accessible condition. To get this rolling through the winter and onwards, Stamper will be leading three to four cleanups a week throughout the areas impacted most heavily by Hurricane Helene, including the French Broad, but also the Watauga, Nolichucky, Green, and Broad. Let Stamper know if you have a group that you would like to bring out for a work day by emailing cleanup@mountaintrue.org.

We’re also partnering with Blue Heron Whitewater to put 18 raft guides back to work cleaning up the French Broad in Madison County via generous funding from local donors.

While we’re still seeking large-scale state and federal funding to dramatically expand this work, we’re already doing quite a bit with the resources we currently have. If you would like to support this effort with funding or equipment, please email jack@mountaintrue.org. 

🗑️ The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to haul out massive amounts of trash from our riparian areas. Since Helene, we’ve removed over 27,000 pounds of trash with volunteers across nine+ river cleanups. Thank you to partners like The Speckled Trout Outfitters and Blue Ridge Conservancy for helping coordinate debris removal! And thank you to Deer Valley Athletic Club and Beech Mountain Ski Resort for supporting our cleanups and providing snacks and refreshments to volunteers. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future cleanup, please contact hannah@mountaintrue.org

Other River Updates: High Country

✔️ As the Watauga Riverkeeper team prepares for their winter livestaking season, they’re collecting information to determine viable planting areas in the watershed. Please fill out our Livestaking Bank Stabilization Survey.

✔️ The Watauga Riverkeeper is still collecting data on large debris too difficult to remove by hand (including but not limited to propane tanks, cars, fridges, bridges, etc); fill out the form here. We’ll be using this info to help SDR and FEMA crews prioritize areas for clean-up in the coming weeks and months. 

Healthy Communities Team

Temporary Housing Solutions Offered Across WNC

Whether you’re looking for short-term housing due to impacts from Helene or you have a home available to offer to families in need of housing, both the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust and the NC STR Alliance would like to work with you. They’ve both created programs to match those who need shelter with available homes. Learn about the ABCLT matching program here. Learn about the NC STR Alliance program here. Want to talk to someone directly about these programs? Contact Susan Bean at susan@mountaintrue.org.

Design Volunteers Needed!

MountainTrue is excited to announce the launch of a community-driven design program aimed at helping rebuild areas in Western North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Currently, our Recovery and Resilience Design Teams are focused on providing assistance to the Swannanoa and Marshall communities. Ultimately, we hope to provide the critical design services to communities throughout Western North Carolina.

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

     ✔️Architects

     ✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

     ✔️Landscape Architects

     ✔️Environmental Consultants

     ✔️Land Planners

     ✔️Surveyors

     ✔️Soil Scientists

Many communities are still in rescue and recovery mode, and they may not yet fully understand their design needs. Banking design hours now is crucial for meeting future commitments to these communities.

If you’re a designer interested in volunteering and ready to pledge some hours, or if your community needs design assistance, please reach out to our Director of Healthy Communities, Chris Joyell, at chris@mountaintrue.org. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in the recovery process.

FEMA Application Deadline Extended to Jan. 7, 2025

To complete your application…

✔️ In-Person: Visit your local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC Locator: https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator)

✔️ Online: DisasterAssistance.gov available 24/7.

✔️ Phone: 800-621-3362, available daily 7:00am-11:00pm, multilingual.

Henderson County, NC, Affordable Housing Listening Sessions

Henderson County residents: check out the rescheduled listening session dates here. 

Dear Friends and Supporters,

During these times of hardship, I am more present. I notice the intricate spots in my dog’s fur, take more time to chat with and listen to my neighbor in front of their house draped with a blue tarp, and admire the mountain view that used to be obscured by a large oak tree. And, while there are plenty of reasons to remain despondent, right now, I am choosing to be grateful. Grateful for drinking water flowing in my sink, a dry and warm home, roads not blocked by downed power lines or trees, being able to hike a short section on the MST, and much more. And, I’ve realized that the goal is not to recover what we’ve lost, but to rebuild in ways that make us a stronger, more resilient, and caring community. Helene has given us this opportunity. 

At MountainTrue we realize it may take years to remove the debris and restore our rivers, clear our favorite trails, and rebuild our neighborhoods. See below to read about the MountainTrue staff and volunteers who are working on critical issues now. We will not miss the opportunity to strengthen the fabric of our communities. We are excited about the days ahead and give thanks for each of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Get Involved: Take Action

MountainTrue has four active action alerts: check them out below and sign on to make your voice heard. 

✅Help us remove debris from our rivers after Hurricane Helene

✅Protect the Nolichucky River: Urge CSX to rebuild responsibly without damaging public lands

✅Protect the Broad River Basin: Comment on the 2024 Broad River Basin Plan for the future of our lakes, rivers, & streams (comment deadline = 11/22; read MountainTrue’s comments and the Basin Plan on our action page)

✅Support an eviction moratorium & boost housing aid for Helene survivors

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene. 

⚠️ MountainTrue’s Riverkeepers and Clean Waters Team ask that you stay out of rivers and waterways at the moment. 

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing in partnership with the NC Department of Health and Human Services and Waterkeepers Carolina.

💧Who should test: If your well has been flooded or flood waters pooled around your well, then we recommend having your well tested for bacteria pollution. We don’t recommend testing every well and there aren’t resources to test every well, so we’re asking that only wells that were flooded during Helene be tested. Where to get a well-testing kit:

✔️ Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday – CLOSED Wednesday & Sunday. 

✔️Watauga County, NC: The Greenhouse (164 Depot Street Boone, NC 28607) to pick up supplies and check in with our team on Monday or Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Completely fill sample bottle with well water from your sink and return to us within 24 hours of collection time (ex. if you collect sampling supplies on a Thursday evening, wait until Sunday night to collect your water sample). Drop off your water sample and I.D. sheet back at the Greenhouse on Monday or Thursday between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Results will be communicated to you within 36 hours.

Soil and Water Pollution Testing Updates

🔬MountainTrue continues to survey the impact of Hurricane Helene on the French Broad River and its tributaries. We recently received another batch of test results back from the lab and we believe the news is overwhelmingly good. Here are the latest results from Cane Creek in Fletcher, the French Broad River in Hot Springs, French Broad River in Marshall, the French Broad River in Asheville, and Hominy Creek at Hominy Creek Greenway:

Out of ~185 chemical pollutants that we tested for, we found almost none of the pollutants present in any of our samples. The only pollutants we found in these latest samples were metals. Each sample contained some level of metals, but the vast majority of the metals consisted of more benign metals such as iron, manganese, zinc, strontium, and aluminum. While some of these do have drinking water standards, for the most part, the levels we found in our samples were below those standards, and we were not testing drinking water.

We did find lead, chromium, and mercury in our soil sample from Marshall. The levels of Chromium and Mercury were below the drinking water standard. The levels of lead were 28.9 mg/kg, which is below EPA’s safe level for soil of 400 mg/kg.

We believe this is good news for the quality of the water around the French Broad Watershed. We’re still awaiting several more samples and we’ll continue to take samples throughout the watershed, but are very encouraged with the pollution levels found so far in our waterways and river sediment.

🔬The Broad Riverkeeper sampled the Broad River this past Monday, from the Greenway in Boiling Springs, up to 1/2 mile below the Lake Lure dam. Bacteria levels were fairly low everywhere, but turbidity was very high below the lake. The Broad Riverkeeper sampled at Hwy 150, Hwy 221, Coxe Road, Grays Road, Rock Springs Ch. Road, and just below the dam. The Lake Lure waste water treatment plant is partially operational after being out of service for a month, so the no flush order has been lifted for most residents. Plans are being made to build a new treatment plant on higher ground, out of the floodplain. Shoutout to the awesome folks at Rutherford Outdoor Coalition for helping our sampling efforts! 

🔬 The Watauga Riverkeeper team has collected 50+ surface water samples from the New, Watauga, and Elk Rivers. We’re happy to announce that our regular monthly chemical sampling program, VWIN, is back online post-hurricane. So far, E. coli levels have remained lower than normal, but we will continue to sample and track down sources of pollution. Thank you to folks who have reported water quality issues. As always, if you see something, say something! 

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ MountainTrue’s French Broad, Green, and Watauga Riverkeepers will continue to host cleanups in the coming weeks; look for cleanup info + updates in these weekly emails and on our Instagram and Facebook accounts: MountainTrue Instagram, Facebook + Twitter, French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Green Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook. 

🗑️ The French Broad Riverkeeper continues to haul out massive amounts of trash from our riparian areas. Since Helene, we’ve removed over 84,000 lbs of trash. French Broad Paddle Trail Manager Jack Henderson recently held another successful cleanup at Redmond Dam. In the coming weeks, we’ll be significantly expanding our cleanup operations after hiring a river cleanup coordinator, so look for a lot more cleanups in the near future. 

🗑️ The Watauga Riverkeeper also continues to haul out massive amounts of trash from our riparian areas. Since Helene, we’ve removed over 27,000 pounds of trash with volunteers across nine river cleanups. Thank you to partners like The Speckled Trout Outfitters and Blue Ridge Conservancy for helping coordinate debris removal! And thank you to Deer Valley Athletic Club and Beech Mountain Ski Resort for supporting our clean ups and providing snacks and refreshments to volunteers. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future clean up, please contact hannah@mountaintrue.org

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups: 

✔️ Buncombe County, NC:

🔹11/21, Alexander: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Whittier Branch. Learn more + register.

🔹12/5, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

🔹12/12, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

✔️ Watauga County, NC: 

🔹12/14, Sugar Grove: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Winklers Creek. Learn more + register.

✔️ Polk County, NC:

🔹12/14, Saluda: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Lower Green; roadside cleanup. Learn more + register.

Other River Updates: High Country

✔️ As the Watauga Riverkeeper team prepares for their winter livestaking season, they’re collecting information to determine viable planting areas in the watershed. Please fill out our Livestaking Bank Stabilization Survey.

✔️ The Watauga Riverkeeper is still collecting data on large debris too difficult to remove by hand (including but not limited to propane tanks, cars, fridges, bridges, etc); fill out the form here. We’ll be using this info to help SDR and FEMA crews prioritize areas for clean-up in the coming weeks and months. 

Resilient Forests Team

Hot Springs Workday w/ Carolina Mountain Club on Nov. 30

Work to clean up trails and parts of town that were impacted by Helene. All are welcome and youth ages 14+ can participate with a guardian. Bring lunch, water, boots, long pants, a long sleeve shirt, raingear, and work gloves. CMC will provide any tools and PPE needed. Learn more + register.

Public Safety/Access Announcements

Please respect closures of public land to allow for continued recovery efforts from Helene. Much of Pisgah National Forest remains closed, but the Pisgah Ranger District and a portion of the Grandfather Ranger District are now open. 

Chainsaw Certification Classes

There is a great need for folks to help clear trails to reopen recreational opportunities on public land, but federal saw certification is required to use a chainsaw on federal lands. If you are an experienced sawyer and want to get your federal saw card, McDowell Tech is offering six chainsaw classes in the next two months; click here to learn more. 

Free Firewood Collection: Pisgah National Forest

Pisgah National Forest is waiving permit requirements for collecting down firewood along open roads until December 2025. Please respect closure orders. 

Healthy Communities Team

Design Volunteers Needed!

MountainTrue is excited to announce the launch of a community-driven design program aimed at helping rebuild areas in Western North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Currently, our Recovery and Resilience Design Teams are focused on providing assistance to the Swannanoa and Marshall communities. Ultimately, we hope to provide the critical design services to communities throughout Western North Carolina.

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

     ✔️Architects

     ✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

     ✔️Landscape Architects

     ✔️Environmental Consultants

     ✔️Land Planners

     ✔️Surveyors

     ✔️Soil Scientists

Many communities are still in rescue and recovery mode, and they may not yet fully understand their design needs. Banking design hours now is crucial for meeting future commitments to these communities.

If you’re a designer interested in volunteering and ready to pledge some hours, or if your community needs design assistance, please reach out to our Director of Healthy Communities, Chris Joyell, at chris@mountaintrue.org. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in the recovery process.

Mold Matters Event w/ Thrive Asheville

MountainTrue is partnering with Thrive Asheville and other partners to host a program called Mold Matters on Monday, November 25 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. This program invites you to learn about the health risks associated with mold after flooding and provides guidance and options for how to remediate mold risks in a home. Information on accessing mold kits will also be provided to assist with ongoing monitoring and prevention. RSVP to attend in person here or RSVP to attend virtually here.

FEMA Application Deadline Extended to Jan. 7, 2025

To complete your application…

✔️ In-Person: Visit your local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC Locator: https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator)

✔️ Online: DisasterAssistance.gov available 24/7.

✔️ Phone: 800-621-3362, available daily 7:00am-11:00pm, multilingual.

Henderson County, NC, Affordable Housing Listening Sessions

Henderson County residents: check out the rescheduled listening session dates here. 

Creation Care Alliance

CCA continues to connect congregations from unimpacted areas to communities in need. Recently, groups from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Sylva, First Baptist Church of Sylva, and Cullowhee United Methodist Church traveled to Mitchell and McDowell counties to help sort donations and deliver items that continue to be essential, like heaters. 

Dear Friends and Supporters,

When Mr. Rogers was a boy and would see scary things in the news, his mother would say to him, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ With the devastation all around us and many still struggling, you don’t have to look far to find people showing up for one another. It’s true, our lively towns and the beautiful mountains we call home are struggling. However, mountain people have never been the type to waller in self pity. We have a deep connection to this place, to one another, and a can-do spirit. We will rise again amidst our losses because that’s what we do.

As we wake up the morning after the election, many in our community are afraid, and others feel joyous. But, I suspect most of us, regardless of our party affiliation, continue to feel uneasy and concerned. Let’s not let political division undermine the sense of community that we’ve fostered and witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, and hold onto the sense of unity that we’ve built and support each other in being our best selves.

At MountainTrue I have been continually inspired by our staff and volunteers. Read below to learn how we’ve been out there …  helping. Because that’s what we do. In time, our communities will rebound, our rivers will be restored, and our forests will once again provide solitude and inspiration. 

We appreciate you for being a helper and joining our recovery efforts. Together we are MountainStrong.

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene. 

⚠️ MountainTrue’s Riverkeepers and Clean Waters Team ask that you stay out of rivers and waterways at the moment. 

Riverkeepers from North Carolina and beyond gather in the MountainTrue Asheville office to help the French Broad Riverkeeper test well samples.

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing in partnership with the NC Department of Health and Human Services and Waterkeepers Carolina. With two well-testing stations set up in Trade, TN, and Boone, NC, our High Country/Watauga Riverkeeper Team has processed over 80 water samples since Helene hit. We’re seeing about an 18% failure rate and are referring folks to their local health department for further well/spring testing and disinfection. In addition to our well and spring testing, we have also been testing surface water along the Watauga, New, and Elk rivers. We have collected 30 river samples, and have been pleasantly surprised at the results with an average 30% failure rate based on the NC Department of Health and Human Services recreational E. coli standard (126 MPN/cfu). Looking ahead, water sampling for both wells and surface water will remain a priority in our High Country office. 

💧The French Broad Riverkeeper Team had six well-sampling sites last week and processed over 125 samples. We’re seeing about a 35% failure rate in samples and are referring folks to their local health departments to get their wells treated. We also took another 10 chemical samples looking at a wide variety of pollutants. We’re starting to get those results back and will analyze and communicate the results soon. Those samples will determine where we conduct future sampling. 

💧Who should test: If your well has been flooded or flood waters pooled around your well, then we recommend having your well tested for bacteria pollution. We don’t recommend testing every well and there aren’t resources to test every well, so we’re asking that only wells that were flooded during Helene be tested. Where to get a well-testing kit:

     ✔️ Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday – CLOSED Wednesday & Sunday. 

     ✔️Watauga County, NC: The Greenhouse (164 Depot Street Boone, NC 28607) to pick up supplies and check-in with our team on Monday or Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Completely fill sample bottle with well water from your sink and return to us within 24 hours of collection time (ex. if you collect sampling supplies on a Thursday evening, wait until Sunday night to collect your water sample). Drop off your water sample and I.D. sheet back at the Greenhouse on Monday or Thursday between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Results will be communicated to you within 36 hours.

Precision Grading working to assess and remove debris in the Green River Cove with the Green Riverkeeper.

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ Last week, the French Broad Riverkeeper hosted another very successful river cleanup in Asheville’s River Arts District. Since the hurricane, our team has picked up over 1100 bags of trash and approximately 73,000 pounds of trash. In the coming weeks, we’ll be hosting additional river cleanups and water sampling days to start to identify sewer leaks and other pollution sources. 

🗑️ The Green Riverkeeper continues to manage cleanup efforts on the Lower Green with Precision Grading, removing cars, homes, RVs, trailers, and more from the river.

🗑️ MountainTrue’s French Broad, Green, and Watauga Riverkeepers will continue to host cleanups in the coming weeks; look for cleanup info + updates in these weekly emails and on our Instagram and Facebook accounts: MountainTrue Instagram, Facebook + Twitter, French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Green Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook. 

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups: 

     ✔️ Watauga County, NC: 

          🔹11/7, Boone: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. w/ Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Middle Fork Greenway. Learn more + register.

          🔹11/9, Boone: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Deer Valley Athletic Club. Learn more + register.

          🔹11/23, Boone: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Winklers Creek. Learn more + register.

     ✔️ Buncombe County, NC:

          🔹11/8, Arden: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Glen Bridge River Park. Learn more + register.

          🔹11/14, Asheville: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., volunteers will meet @ MountainTrue’s Asheville Office for further French Broad River Sampling Blitz. Learn more + register. 

          🔹11/21, Alexander: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Whittier Branch. Learn more + register.

          🔹12/5, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

          🔹12/12, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

     ✔️ Marshall/Madison County, NC: 11/14 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Redmon Dam River Access. Learn more + register.

Resilient Forests Team

Public Safety/Access Announcements

While the Appalachian and Grandfather Ranger Districts of Pisgah National Forest remain closed, most other units of public land in the area are open. On November 1, all of the mountain State Parks opened, as well as some of the trails in Dupont State Forest. 

Get Involved w/ Local Groups

Many groups in the area are hard at work helping to reopen our public lands and trails. Check out the following volunteer opportunities with these organizations:

🌲 Carolina Mountain Club: for ongoing (Monday-Saturday) volunteer opportunities to assist with trail work, email volunteer@carolinamountainclub.org. 

🌲 Pisgah Area SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association): to be alerted of future volunteer opportunities, fill out this form.

🌲 Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance: 

     🍂 11/16 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.: work with the Alliance and NC NICA Teams to clean up and repair damage at Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir in Wilkesboro, NC. Sign up here.

     🍂 11/30 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.: help the Alliance clean up and repair the Zack’s Fork Mountain Bike Trail in Lenoir, NC. Read more here.

🌲 Friends of Panthertown: 11/11 & 11/12 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.: hike and help with trail maintenance in Panthertown Valley. Read more and sign up here.

🌲 Wild South: help with shifting hurricane relief and recovery efforts by filling out the contact form on this page with your daily availability. Read more here.

🌲 Friends of DuPont Forest: 11/12 from 8:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.: help clear debris and restore drainages along Shoal Creek Trail in DuPont State Forest. Read more and sign up here.

Healthy Communities Team

Design Volunteers Needed!

MountainTrue is excited to announce the launch of a community-driven design program aimed at helping rebuild areas in Western North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Currently, our Recovery and Resilience Design Teams are focused on providing assistance to the Swannanoa and Marshall communities. Ultimately, we hope to provide the critical design services to communities throughout Western North Carolina.

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

     ✔️Architects

     ✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

     ✔️Landscape Architects

     ✔️Environmental Consultants

     ✔️Land Planners

     ✔️Surveyors

     ✔️Soil Scientists

Many communities are still in rescue and recovery mode, and they may not yet fully understand their design needs. Banking design hours now is crucial for meeting future commitments to these communities.

If you’re a designer interested in volunteering and ready to pledge some hours, or if your community needs design assistance, please reach out to our Director of Healthy Communities, Chris Joyell, at chris@mountaintrue.org. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in the recovery process.

Support an Eviction Moratorium and Boost Housing Aid for Helene Survivors

Join us in urging Governor Cooper to take immediate action to protect those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Many residents are facing eviction and displacement, and we need decisive action. By enacting an eviction moratorium and increasing housing funding, we can help vulnerable families stay in their homes and begin to rebuild. Take a moment to email the governor and ask for his support. Visit More Neighbors WNC’s action page to learn more and make your voice heard!

Henderson County, NC, Affordable Housing Listening Sessions

Henderson County residents: check out the rescheduled listening session dates here. 

Creation Care Alliance (CCA)

CCA volunteer Hannah Collins prepares to deliver donated supplies to communities in need.

CCA has partnered with Latinos Aventureros to support Spanish-speaking communities via resourcing congregational hubs and connecting our CCA volunteers. We’re also in the process of connecting families whose belongings were lost in the storm with much-needed larger resources donated by some awesome folks, such as a camper and car.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

More than once I’ve heard the saying that our region’s recovery from Helene is a marathon, not a sprint. Having run a handful of marathons, I can say that preparation is essential; and that during the race you will face inspirational moments, like running past bystanders high-fiving you, and painful moments when your legs rebel against the rest of your body. And, after nearly every race, I cry when I cross the finish line. Tears of exhaustion, joy, gratefulness, and sadness. The saying, in reference to our storm recovery, makes sense. I have all these emotions sometimes multiple times in one day. And, perhaps some of you do, too.

MountainTrue is prepared for this marathon. Our staff and volunteers have been amazing – and are prepared for the long haul. While recognizing some families are still very much trying to meet basic needs, MountainTrue is shifting to cleanups, restoration, and rebuilding. This will look different in different places. Read more below, and we will continue to keep you updated. 

Marathoners never run alone and often depend upon the support, coaching, and encouragement of those around them. Thank you for your support and being part of our MountainStrong Team.

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene. 

⚠️ MountainTrue’s Riverkeepers and Clean Waters Team ask that you stay out of rivers and waterways at the moment. 

Watershed Reports: Messages from MountainTrue’s Riverkeepers

📝 Broad Riverkeeper

📝 French Broad Riverkeeper

📝 Green Riverkeeper

📝 Watauga Riverkeeper

Brandon Jones w/ Catawba Riverkeeper helping the French Broad Riverkeeper distribute free well-testing kits yesterday, 10/29.

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing in partnership with the NC Department of Health and Human Services and Waterkeepers Carolina. 

💧The French Broad Riverkeeper tested around 100 samples from wells around the watershed yesterday; test results are still pending and will be available this afternoon (stay tuned for info on our Instagram pages). 

💧Who should test: If your well has been flooded or flood waters pooled around your well, then we recommend having your well tested for bacteria pollution. We don’t recommend testing every well and there aren’t resources to test every well, so we’re asking that only wells that were flooded during Helene be tested. Where to get a well-testing kit:

     ✔️ Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday – CLOSED Wednesday & Sunday. 

     ✔️ Watauga County, NC: The Greenhouse (164 Depot Street Boone, NC 28607) to pick up supplies and check-in with our team on Monday or Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Completely fill sample bottle with well water from your sink and return to us within 24 hours of collection time (ex. if you collect sampling supplies on a Thursday evening, wait until Sunday night to collect your water sample). Drop off your water sample and I.D. sheet back at the Greenhouse on Monday or Thursday between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Results will be communicated to you within 36 hours.

Soil and Water Pollution Testing Update

🔬The Broad Riverkeeper has been working with Rutherford Outdoor Coalition to test Broad River water quality below Lake Lure. On October 10, we got confirmation from the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) that Lake Lure’s wastewater treatment plant was severely damaged by floodwaters, resulting in raw sewage spilling into the Broad River. We immediately went out to take water samples and run an analysis in our lab. From a sample taken 1/2 mile below the Lake, results showed off-the-chart bacteria levels – greater than 2420 mpn E.coli/100 ml. Further downstream at Grays Road and Coxe Road accesses, and at the Broad River Greenway, bacteria levels were fairly low – between 30 and 88 mpn E.coli/100 ml. Five days later, the bacteria level just below the lake had dropped significantly, but 20 miles downstream, levels were rising. By October 21, high levels of bacteria were showing up 50 miles downstream at our Broad River Greenway. We’re happy to report that our latest sampling on October 23 showed low levels of bacteria at six locations from just below the Lake down to the Broad River Greenway. 

While water quality may be improving, there are many new obstacles in our rivers. Volunteer scouts paddled from Grays Road to Coxe Road last Saturday and found three strainers (log jams) in that section alone. Trees and other debris create very hazardous conditions for paddlers. Don’t venture out alone. If you decide to go paddling, wear your PFD, allow extra time for navigating through obstacles, and be prepared to climb through some trees. This is especially relevant to the Broad River above the confluence with the Green River. Feel free to contact your Broad Riverkeeper at david@mountaintrue.org for more info.

Watauga Riverkeeper cleanup volunteers at last week’s Guy Ford River Access cleanup.

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ Thanks to the generous support of the Polk County Community Foundation and many individual donors, the Green Riverkeeper has been managing cleanup efforts on the Lower Green with Precision Grading to remove cars, homes, RVs, trailers, and more from the river.

🗑️ MountainTrue’s French Broad, Green, and Watauga Riverkeepers will continue to host cleanups in the coming weeks; look for cleanup info + updates in these weekly emails and on our Instagram and Facebook accounts: MountainTrue Instagram, Facebook + Twitter, French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Green Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook. 

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups: 

     ✔️ Asheville, NC/Buncombe County: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. this Thursday, October 31. Learn more + register for the MountainTrue x RiverLink cleanup.

     ✔️ Sugar Grove, NC/Watauga County: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. this Friday, November 1. Learn more + register.

     ✔️ Boone, NC/Watauga County: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, w/ Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Middle Fork Greenway. Learn more + register.

     ✔️ Boone, NC/Watauga County: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 @ Deer Valley Athletic Club. Learn more + register.

     ✔️ Saluda, NC/Polk County: time TBD on Saturday, November 9. Cleanup focused on the Lower Green; more details to come, but this will mostly be a roadside cleanup effort with one small river area to focus on. 

Resilient Forests Team

The scope of damage to our forests is coming into focus. Helene was a record-setting rain event, but it was also a wind event without a historical precedent. Over 50,000 acres of forest were heavily impacted by high winds in North Carolina alone, and Tennessee and Virginia also suffered severe winds. MountainTrue is working with other conservation organizations, foresters, and ecologists to provide recommendations and resources for landowners wondering what to do with all the downed trees. MountainTrue board member Nick Holshouser made a map of the damage caused by Helene using satellite measurement of the “greenness” of the forest after Helene vs. before. You can check out this interactive map here.

Public Safety/Access Announcements

All NC mountain State Parks remain closed. The Grandfather and Appalachian Districts of Pisgah National Forest are likewise closed. The Pisgah Ranger District is open to the public, as is Nantahala National Forest and Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Fire danger is high, and the ability to fight fire is hampered by storm damage. Please refrain from burning brush until significant rain occurs.

Before (left) and after (right) the MountainTrue & Wildwood Consulting chainsaw crew cleaned up the Canton Watershed in Haywood County, NC.

Chainsaw Crew Updates

Chainsaw crews have continued work in residential communities in Mitchell County and Asheville, most recently cleaning up the Hominy Creek Greenway and the Asheville Botanical Garden. MountainTrue is currently fundraising for more tree cleanup work. 

Healthy Communities Team

MountainTrue is launching a community-driven design program to help rebuild areas in Western North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene. By engaging volunteer architects, engineers, and planners, the Recovery and Resilience Design Team will address urgent needs and promote sustainable development, ensuring communities are healthier and more resilient against future disasters. If you are a designer interested in volunteering, or if your community is in need of design assistance, reach out to our Director of Healthy Communities, Chris Joyell (chris@mountainture.org).

Creation Care Alliance (CCA)

A truckload of firewood ready to be delivered to Yancey County.

In the past month, Sarah and the Creation Care Alliance network have distributed over $20,000 in emergency funds and supplies to communities severely impacted by Helene. You can learn more about these accomplishments, and the partnerships that made them possible, through this recent blog post on the CCA website. 

How You Can Help: 

     ✔️Connect as a Congregation: We’re gathering information to help connect congregations to relief support and ways to help. Let us know what you need, or have to offer, here.

     ✔️Volunteer: We need volunteers to help with various tasks. If you can lend a hand, please fill out our volunteer form. We will connect you with a volunteer location from there.

     ✔️Housing: If you have extra space to offer, please consider opening your home to someone in need. Fill out our form to let us know you’re interested. 

     ✔️Transportation: If you have an extra vehicle or another way to connect someone to reliable transportation, fill out this form today.

     ✔️Spread the Word: Share this message within your networks and encourage others to get involved.