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
The French Broad River Paddle Trail is a great way to explore the river at your own pace. Check out the campsites and recreation spots along the trail and make your campsite reservation today!
Clean Waters News
Member Spotlight: Meet Lee McCall!
MountainTrue is excited to introduce you to our new Spotlight Series: a place to highlight the members, volunteers, and communities of faith that inspire us with their dedication to the environment we all call home in Western North Carolina. Our first post is by Regina Goldkuhl, our Water Quality Adminstrator through AmeriCorps Project Conserve.
Riverkeepers Respond to Duke’s Coal Ash Dishonesty
Over the weekend, Duke Energy Spokesperson Danielle Peoples responded to MountainTrue’s paddle protest on the Broad River with multiple untrue statements about the dangers of coal ash and the extent of Duke’s pollution at their power plant in Cliffside, NC [“Battle over coal ash continues in Cliffside” (11/5/17)]. In a Letter-to-the-Editor for the Shelby Star, Western North Carolina’s Riverkeepers stand up for the truth on coal ash and our rivers and set the record straight.
Turnout for 30th Annual Big Sweep Nearly Quadruples, Volunteers Clean Up 50 miles in WNC
On September 9, more than 253 people from all walks of life turned out to remove more than 7,810 pounds of trash — 3.9 tons! — from Western North Carolina’s waterways as part of our 30th annual NC Big Sweep. Through a series of river and roadside cleanups in Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, and Watauga counties, Mountaintrue joined key partners Asheville Greenworks, the Waterkeeper Alliance and AmeriCorps Project Conserve to clean 50 miles of rivers and streams.
Finding This Sewage Leak Into The French Broad Rivers Wasn’t Easy, But We Got It Done
As I lowered myself into a deep, dark storm drain in the Asheville River Arts District, I asked my coworker “what’s the plan if I can’t climb back out.” She shrugged as I scaled down the drain and reached the concrete creek channel at the bottom.
Harvey’s Toxic Wake
French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson reports back from Houston where Hurricane Harvey had another dangerous effect: flooded superfund sites. Hartwell notes the dichotomy of the storm’s effects on business districts as opposed to poorer neighborhoods located near industry and refineries.
