'A minor little thing:' Macon moved ahead on watershed ordinance revision
The Macon County Planning Board voted last week to recommend a revision of the water supply watershed ordinance to the county commission. Set against the backdrop of catastrophic flooding in Western North Carolina, and despite public opposition to the change, board members maintain the revision is a minor and will have little impact.
Celebrate water quality in style
The 16th annual Hiwassee Watershed Gala will take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, at the Charles Suber Banquet Hall at Young Harris College in Georgia.
Watershed restoration underway after 2021 flooding
More than two years after flooding along the Pigeon River and its tributaries killed half a dozen people and destroyed businesses, cars and homes from its headwaters near the Blue Ridge Parkway on down through the towns of Canton and Clyde, contractors are set to begin some of the most intensive debris removal operations in Haywood County since the floods of 2004.
WNC's watershed moment: Regional leaders discuss French Broad’s past, present and future
More than 100 people came together to discuss the future of one of the region’s most important resources during the fifth annual French Broad River Partnership meeting Wednesday, Nov. 8.
Maggie Valley water earns prestigious award
The Maggie Valley Sanitary District again earned top marks for water quality from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, one of 15 facilities to be recognized with the “Gold Star” honor for systems that have received an award for exceeding drinking water standards for 10 or more consecutive years.
Clearing the creek: Dam removal project frees Beaverdam watershed
Beaverdam Creek is easy to miss. Tree-lined banks shield the small, shallow stream from view as it runs toward the Pigeon River in Canton, and until their leaves fall in winter, the trees also hide the dam blocking the creek’s flow just above the confluence.
Protecting the headwaters: Additional 1,250 acres conserved in Maggie watershed
In 2015, not a single acre of conserved land dotted the landscape between the Blue Ridge Parkway surrounding Soco Gap and the town of Maggie Valley below.
Grant to spur regional watershed education efforts
A $36,500 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will fuel education efforts on the wonders of the French Broad River Basin over the next several years.
E. coli testing yields mixed results in Little Tennessee, Hiawassee watersheds
Halfway through the season for its weekly E. coli sampling program in Western North Carolina swimming holes, MountainTrue reported 11 sites in the Hiawassee and Little Tennessee river basins that passed all seven tests and six locations that failed all tests.
Changes proposed for stormwater infrastructure grants
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is proposing changes to its priority rating system for stormwater infrastructure grants and offering draft intended use plans for state revolving funds. Public comment on these items will be accepted through 5 p.m. June 30.
