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
Save the French Broad, One Fish at a Time
For the month of August, fishing will be good throughout the French Broad River Watershed for both fishers and non-fishers alike. In partnership with Sweetwater, MountainTrue is hosting a campaign to clean up the French Broad River through the sale of paper fish in local restaurants, bars and businesses. Show your support for swimmable, fishable and drinkable water in the French Broad.
9/10: Henderson County Big Sweep
The community is invited to lend a hand and help clean up Henderson County’s rivers and streams. Join MountainTrue on Saturday, September 10 for the annual Henderson County Big Sweep – a county-wide litter cleanup program that brings citizens and community organizations together to clear trash from their waterways. Civic organizations, Scout troops, church groups, school groups, Adopt-A-Stream teams, neighborhood associations, city and county departments, local businesses, and individuals can all pitch in to make our waters cleaner and healthier. Form a team with friends and family or join an existing team.
Bad Coal Ash Bill Being Rushed Through Raleigh
On the evening of Tuesday, June 28 the North Carolina Senate rushed through a rewrite to H630, the state’s coal ash cleanup law. This bad coal ash bill is quickly making its way through the legislature and we expect the House to take it up as soon as today. Please call your NC Representative Immediately and ask them to NOT CONCUR with the Senate’s version of House Bill 630.
French Broad Riverkeeper Father’s Day Clean-up
We want to thank all the people who came out for our French Broad Riverkeeper Father’s Day Cleanup. It was hot and sunny, and there were a lot of people splashing around and enjoying the river. And because of the hard work of our volunteers they were doing so in a river with less trash and debris floating in it.
June 19: Father’s Day French Broad River Clean-up
French Broad Chocolates is partnering with MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper and Asheville Greenworks for a special Father’s Day River clean-up. Fathers, mothers and children are all invited to come out on the water and lend a hand cleaning up the French Broad River. This day of hard work will be rewarded with French Broad’s bean-to-bar craft chocolate and followed by an afterparty on the South Slope at Catawba Brewing.