Clean Waters
MountainTrue works to restore and preserve our waterways as healthy ecosystems that are great places to swim, paddle and play. Our Riverkeepers are the primary guardians of their respective river basins; and our members and volunteer maintain the health of our waterways by monitoring pollution and cleaning up our rivers and streams.
MountainTrue supports the development and enforcement of standards and regulations to protect surface and ground water, and we work to preserve and restore waterways as healthy ecosystems as well as recreational and aesthetic resources.
Programs
MountainTrue is dedicated to protecting our waterways and our mountain communities through a variety of programs:
Riverkeepers
French Broad River Paddle Trail℠
The French Broad River Paddle Trail℠ project was born out of the public’s desire to explore the entire French Broad River by boat. Now it is possible to do so, as the entire trail is composed of paddle-in-only campsites. The French Broad River Paddle Trail℠ is a recreational watercraft trail created and operated by MountainTrue and RiverLink. The paddle trail facilitates the public access to and camping on over 140 miles of the French Broad River, from the headwaters in Rosman, North Carolina to Douglas Lake in Tennessee.
Explore the French Broad
Clean Waters News
Success Story: MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper Helps Avoid Shooting Range Next to Green River Game Land
We did it! After a week of whirlwind organizing, residents of Saluda and the greater Henderson County area are celebrating victory as Hendersonville County Commissioners have promised to back away from building a proposed shooting range and law enforcement training center. “As our region continues to grow, we have to consider what type of development we want to see and how we can strike a balance between the influx of people moving to our beautiful area and the protection of our special places and rural character,” says Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper.
Calling All Businesses: Our Planet Needs You
As part of #WNCforthePlanet – a celebration of Earth Day throughout the month of April – local conservation and environmental nonprofits are recruiting businesses, civic groups and community organizations to take part in the Business & Community Challenge. Through this competition, groups compete with each other to earn Planet Points and work for the improvement of our local environment.
George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Play for Clean Water
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist and legendary funk act, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, will light up the Salvage Station on Friday, May 11 to raise money for drinking water wells in Togo, West Africa. MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper works with the Yoto River Waterkeeper in Togo to provide safe, potable water. This partnership has already created three wells that now provide clean drinking water to hundreds of Togolese.
Super-Volunteer Sky Conard Receives 2017 Esther Cunningham Award
Sky Conard is the winner of the 2017 Esther Cunningham Award, given in honor of Esther Cunningham – the founder of the Western North Carolina Alliance, one of three organizations that merged in 2015 to become MountainTrue. To celebrate Esther’s legacy, this award is given to people who have fought the fight, often giving over a large portion of their lives to these battles, who win some and who keep fighting even in the face of defeat.
Support Local, Sustainable, Farmers From Your Watershed This Holiday Season!
A large portion of farmers in North Carolina produce meat, but the way farmers raise their animals makes a huge difference for our waterways. Waterkeepers across North Carolina have compiled a list of farms in their watersheds that feed us without threatening our rivers, lakes, and streams – farmers who deserve our thanks and our business. Check out the list in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas here.