High Country Office
MountainTrue's High Country Office is located in Boone, serving communities in the Watauga, New, and Elk river watersheds. VolunteerAbout the High Country Office
164 Depot Street
Boone, NC 28607
The High Country Office partners with and protects communities in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Burke, Watauga, and Wilkes counties through the following programs, events, and initiatives:
- Watauga Riverkeeper
- Water monitoring programs
- Riverkeeper Float Fest
- Muddy Water Watch and reducing sediment pollution in the Watauga River Watershed
- Sustainable land use
- Sustainable transportation alternatives — improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and better public transportation
High Country Team
Volunteer with us!
We have many regular volunteer opportunities throughout the warmer months – visit our events calendar to view upcoming volunteer opportunities. Please note that volunteer event dates and times are subject to change due to weather conditions with short notice. Follow the Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram and Watauga Riverkeeper Facebook Page or email emma@mountaintrue.org to receive the most up-to-date information on event changes/cancellations.
High Country News
Protect the Clean Water Act from Industry Polluters!
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a proposal that would gut the Clean Water Act, a bedrock environmental law that has protected America’s waters for generations. Time is running out before the comment period closes on April 15. Take the action below to show that Western North Carolina will not stand for our waterways and communities being put at risk.
Call For Volunteers For Our Live Staking Days This Winter
Over the next few months, our Riverkeepers are teaming up with volunteers to plant “live stakes” along rivers in our region. We’re calling for potential volunteers like you to join us for a live staking day to help make this project a success.
Florence is Coming. Here Are Some Resources to Help Keep You Safe
With the path of Hurricane Florence shifting south, parts of Western North Carolina could see high winds and significant rain this weekend. Here are some useful resources for staying safe.
Sept. 8: Take Part in Big Sweep!
Join GreenWorks and MountainTrue’s French Broad, Green and Watauga Riverkeepers for the 2018 Big Sweep – Western North Carolina’s largest single-day river, roadside and creek cleanup. Last year, we broke records for attendance and tons of litter and garbage removed from our rivers, streams and roadsides. This year, help us do even more by taking part in a cleanup event at Westfeldt River Park in Mills River, the Green River Gorge in Saluda, Lake Adger or along the Watauga River.
Cleanups are paired with after parties at Sierra Nevada Brewing in Mills River and Appalachian Mountain Brewery, where cleanup volunteers will gather to celebrate their hard work and enjoy great beer.
What’s Going On With the NC Farm Bill?
Last night Governor Roy Cooper vetoed SB711, a dangerous bill that would greatly limit the constitutional right of North Carolinians living near industrial hog farms to seek justice in the courts for nuisance and pollution of their air and water. This is when we need your calls more than ever. Will you make a quick call to your state representative now to make sure Governor Cooper’s veto of SB711 stands?
Before You Go Out on the Watauga: Check the SwimGuide for the Latest Water Quality Reports
Swimmers, paddlers and anglers heading out for a day on the Watauga River have a new resource for checking water safety, the SwimGuide.org – a website that provides free real-time water quality information for over 7,000 beaches, lakes, rivers and swimming holes in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, the Bahamas and Australia.