After Tropical Storm Fred moved through Western North Carolina in 2021, litter cleanup throughout the East Fork and downstream along the Pigeon River was an unfunded effort, leaving local responsibility on the backs of property owners, volunteers and programs like Adopt-a-Stream.

Haywood Waterways is hosting a cleanup session for Waynesville’s Richland Creek.

The cleanup will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 7.

Meet at the Vance Street pavilion located along Richland Creek down the hill from the Waynesville Recreation Center at 550 Vance Street in Waynesville. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint is working with the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) to implement flood reduction and floodplain protection projects. DEQ is allocating over $9 million to 15 NCLWF projects that will provide an estimated 465 acre-feet of flood water retention, or 152 million gallons, during flood events.  

The day after Helene moved through the region, Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) was on the phone calling partners or visiting sites as they could to assess how they fared and if HWA could do anything to assist. 

Since 2006, Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) and the Haywood County Environmental Health Department, with grant funds, have repaired 200 failing septic systems in Haywood County through the Septic Repair Program.

Haywood Waterways is calling for volunteers to take part in a county-wide cleanup event that removes tons of trash from local waterways and roadways. 

 In 1996, the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) program was established as a water quality monitoring program for many Western North Carolina counties. In Haywood County, Haywood Waterways Association manages 25 sites on 19 streams. The program’s purpose is to provide long term water quality monitoring information to help leverage grant funding for water quality improvement projects. 

The nonprofit Haywood Waterways is inviting members and supporters to gather for its annual picnic to be held at the Hemphill Bald Learning Center.

On May 18, Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Community College will lead a moderate 6-mile hike in the Sunburst area of Haywood County. 

Haywood Waterways will host the county’s first fishing tournament.