The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians took home the regional 2015 EPA Rain Catcher Award in the tribal category for its native plant facility, which has grown 75,000 plants of 32 different species for restoration projects. The nursery provides native plants for projects to restore aquatic, riparian and wildlife habitat on tribal lands. 

The Rain Catcher Award recognizes excellence in projects that use systems mimicking natural processes to manage stormwater and reduce water consumption. The Cherokee project meets that standard by using two 6,000-gallon cisterns to capture and reuse about 1,750 gallons per inch of rainfall. Last year, the facility captured about 91,000 gallons to use on the plants it grew, reducing water needed from an on-site stream by more than 36 percent.