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
Michael Franti & Spearhead Headline Riverkeeper Beer Series with Benefit Concert at Salvage Station on August 3
MountainTrue, the French Broad Riverkeeper, Blue Ridge Orthodontics and Mix 96.5 are pleased to announce the 2017 Riverkeeper Beer Series, including the French Broad River Concert on August 3 starring Michael Franti & Spearhead. Each Riverkeeper Beer Series, presented by MountainTrue and Blue Ridge Orthodontics and sponsored by Mix 96.5, will organize folks for a fun and easy float down the French Broad River or a river cleanup near one of the premier breweries in the region, including New Belgium Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewery, Wedge Brewing Company, Hi-Wire Brewing and Wicked Weed Brewing.
Riverkeeper Beer Series Launches with River Float, Clean-up and Mango IPA from Hi-Wire Brewing
Saturday, June 17 the French Broad Riverkeeper Beer Series presented by MountainTrue and Blue Ridge Orthodontics and sponsored by Mix 96.5 launches its second summer full of great beers and fun in the water. Pick, paddle and party this summer. The kick off event will take place at HiWire’s Big Top location in Biltmore Village, and participants will have the choice of taking part in either a river clean-up on the Swannanoa River or a float trip on the French Broad River, and everyone is invited to meet back up at the release party of Hi-Wire Brewing’s new, limited-release MountainTrue Mango IPA.
Kids in the Creek Students Get a Surprise Visitor!
On the last school day before Spring Break, dozens of Rugby Middle School students got a rare treat. Instead of staring out the classroom window and counting the hours until Summer vacation, the 8th graders were out in the early spring sunshine at the annual Kids in the Creek event learning about river ecosystems and water quality.
MountainTrue Announces Green Riverkeeper at 11th Annual Spring Green Bash
MountainTrue is pleased to announce that Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue’s Southern Regional Director, is now also the new Green Riverkeeper and will serve as a fundamental protector of the Green River watershed. MountainTrue’s Riverkeeper programs are key to our endeavors to monitor and protect the quality of our region’s waterways.
Saving our Rivers and Streams, One Live Stake at a Time
Have you ever been out on your favorite river, gliding by a beautiful green and mossy bank, and noticed what looked like a big bare dirt scar? Chunks of the bank are falling into the water like icebergs, and not even a blade of grass can hold onto the quickly eroding soil. A lot of factors can contribute to such erosion, but the end result is the same, Sediment — the number one problem pollutant impacting our rivers.