French Broad River. Photo courtesy of RiverLink
On Wednesday, June 7, at 7 p.m., WNC Sierra Club presents The Past, Present & Future of the French Broad River, a presentation by RiverLink leaders Lisa Raleigh and Renee Fortner. The event will be held both in-person in the Manheimer Room at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center and also virtually via Zoom. “Parts of our French Broad River have been declared bacterially impaired,” says Judy Mattox, chair of the WNC Sierra Club. “It’s vital for us to know how to protect it. As so many of us are again walking the greenways along the French Broad River or using it to fish or kayak, it is important to remember how many people are responsible for one of Asheville’s greatest assets’ continued beauty. Our hope is that some who hear Lisa and Renee will want to participate in the River’s maintenance.”
Fortner is the water resources manager and Raleigh is the executive director for RiverLink, a nonprofit that has been instrumental in transforming the French Broad River corridor over the past 35 years. The presentation will explore how the River arrived at its current state, what has been done in the past to protect and support it and the opportunities and challenges facing the watershed today.
The Reuter Center is located at 1 University Heights, Asheville. To learn more or register in advance for the Zoom meeting, visit WNCSierraClub.org.
