French Broad Riverkeeper
Founded in 2001, the French Broad Riverkeeper serves as a fundamental protector of the French Broad River Watershed in MountainTrue’s Central Region in Western North Carolina. VolunteerAbout
MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper, Anna Alsobrook, fights for safe and healthy waterways for all residents of the French Broad River Watershed by bringing together local residents and communities to identify pollution sources, enforce and advocate for stronger environmental laws, engage in aquatic ecosystem restoration, and educate and empower the public. The French Broad Riverkeeper serves communities in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties.
Want to explore the French Broad River? MountainTrue provides multiple river recreation opportunities such as day trips, tube floats, section paddles, our annual French Broad River Paddle Trip (a multi-day paddle-camping adventure), and more. The French Broad Riverkeeper was key in the creation of the French Broad River Paddle Trail which is a recreational watercraft trail created and operated by MountainTrue and RiverLink. The trail is ranked by Outside Magazine as one of the world’s premier travel destinations. Paddle and camp on over 140 miles of French Broad River, from the headwaters in Rosman, North Carolina to Douglas Lake in Tennessee. Click here to visit the Paddle Trail website.
The French Broad Riverkeeper is a program of MountainTrue’s Central Regional Office and a proud member of the Waterkeeper Alliance.
Meet Anna
As MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper, Anna facilitates water quality monitoring, citizen science, and improvement programs in the French Broad River watershed. Prior to moving to WNC and working for MountainTrue in 2014, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Senegal and attained her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of TN, Knoxville. >>more
Volunteer
We have many regular volunteer opportunities throughout the warmer months. Please note that volunteer event dates and times are subject to change due to weather conditions with short notice. Follow the French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram and Facebook Page or email anna@mountaintrue.org to receive the most up-to-date information on event changes/cancellations.
French Broad Riverkeeper News
Celebrate 50 Years of Earth Day with MountainTrue
As social creatures, we need to maintain our connections and find new ways to lean on each other during hard times. As creatures of nature, we need to connect with our forests, our rivers and the plants and animals we share this planet with. Today more than ever, we appreciate how important clean water and healthy forests are to our mountain communities.
Update NC’s Spill Notification System to Keep People and Waterways Safe
The public has the right to know about major pollution spills that impact our waterways as soon as possible, and through the technology the public uses today. Sign the petition below to tell the NC Department of Environmental Quality: Update your spill notification system for modern times to keep North Carolina’s people and waterways safe.
Historic Settlement Results In Largest Coal Ash Cleanup In America
On January 2, MountainTrue, other community partners and our legal counsel the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) announced a historic settlement with Duke Energy and the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. The agreement mandates that 80 million tons of coal ash will be excavated from six Duke Energy coal ash sites: Allen, Belews Creek, Cliffside, Marshall, Mayo, and Roxboro. Prior settlements and court orders require cleanups and excavation of coal ash at the eight other Duke Energy sites in North Carolina for the excavation of 46 million tons of coal ash. This agreement now puts in place a comprehensive cleanup plan for all coal ash lagoons at all 14 Duke Energy sites in North Carolina under which 126 million tons of ash has been or will be excavated across the state and will result in the largest coal ash cleanup in America to date.
