Outreach & Education
We support and develop outreach and education efforts to maintain and improve stream health within the French Broad River watershed. Currently, we are expanding the LoYoWa project to involve other businesses and develop local outreach ambassadors.
LoYoWa is the abbreviation for the Love Your Watershed: Cultivating River Stewards of the French Broad Basin project, which received funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Five Star & Urban Waters Restoration Program. The project’s results to date are: multiple streambank repair and live stake workshops; diverse social media content that has reached thousands of users; stickers, coasters, and posters distributed throughout the watershed; and educational signage, designed to connect the nine sites where they were installed for greater emphasis of watershed protection.
Business & Recreation
We develop positive community connections and enhances understanding of the monetary and aesthetic values of the French Broad River watershed. We work with businesses, recreation providers, and other interested stakeholders to support river-friendly and sustainable activities.
Current activities include:
Water Quality
We work to understand watershed issues, develop projects and approaches that improve water quality, and seek funding to implement those projects. We are currently looking for opportunities to promote green infrastructure to support better stormwater management and implementing the FBRP Strategic Plan.
We are also identifying restoration opportunities to improve the Upper Swannanoa River (eastern Buncombe County), Richland Creek (Haywood County), and Cane Creek (southeastern Buncombe County, northeastern Henderson County) watersheds; all are on the NC list of impaired waterways.
As part of the Cane Creek effort, we are hosting a public event on June 8, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Turgua Brewery, 3131 Cane Creek Road, Fairview. We will provide information about the French Broad River watershed and the health of Cane Creek, stream benthic macroinvertebrate sampling for kids, a hellbender to meet, and a rain barrel workshop. All are welcome. Sign up for the free rain barrel workshop here.
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