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The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River (WATR) is a citizen-based
group dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the health and quality
of the Tuckasegee River and its watershed.
Although we certainly assist local, state,
and federal regulators in their duties to protect water quality in the
Tuckasegee River and its tributaries, government alone won’t and can’t
protect this natural resource. Consequently, our members strive to be
vigilant in identifying pollution and other threats to the river.
Experience tells us that our environment
either improves or deteriorates; it foolish to believe that our watershed
can be just “left
alone” in
the face of the continual development. It is foolish to think that it
will just remain unchanged.
Our members have organized and
mobilized to:
• Collect
samples for water quality analysis, as part of a regional volunteer
monitoring program
• Detect biological waste discharges
(In one well-publicized incident,
we identified a source of bacterial contamination leading to the replacement
of failed sewer pipe in Sylva.)
– Possible nutrient pollution
(None has been found to date.)
• Hold river events, such
as hikes and canoe trips to know the watershed better
• Energetically assist other
groups in river clean-ups and environmental stewardship activities
• Develop citizen education
materials addressing erosion and sedimentation
• Speak to student and citizen
groups about the importance of our local water resources, threats to
those resources, and what each of us can do to keep our river and creeks
clean
• Conduct surveys of fellow
citizens (in the near future) to gage public knowledge of environmental
issues and to document our success in public education
• Be informed about water-related
issues, such as
– the federal government
process of licensing hydroelectric plants in our region (called FERC
relicensing)
– the proposed removal of
the dam at Dillsboro
– threatened
and endangered species in our streams, particularly the elktoe mussel
– regulations and enforcement designed
to keep soil on the land where it belongs, and not in our streambeds
• Promote businesses that
strive to be good stewards of our resources
• Enhance our own organization
by communicating with one another, seeking new members, and supporting
the cause of clean water in the Tuckasegee River watershed with our labor and resources.
• Build bridges between our members and
the Cherokee population who live primarily on the Oconoluftee River,
the largest tributary to the Tuckasegee.
• Enjoy the fellowship of
like-minded citizens, dedicated to environmental stewardship.
We are currently seeking
the resources to develop a Watershed Action Plan, an EPA-recognized first
step in seeking sponsorship for remediation activities within the watershed.
WATR is a not-for-profit corporation, established
in 2002, and qualifies as a tax-exempt organization eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions pursuant to Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).
We have a staff of 2 part-time paid leaders. Our executive director
is a Ph.D. hydrologist with 18 years at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
where he focused on the discharge of radioactive sediments to the Tennessee
River system.
Our office is in Bryson City, North Carolina.
Membership is available for as little as $10
annually.
We strive to meet regularly, to maintain robust committees to
organize our work and to address issues, and to welcome you!
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