french broad - Environmental Education

FRENCH BROAD
T
RIVER
BASIN
he Cherokee Indians already had countless names for the French Broad River by
the time white huntsmen first approached this mountain region. Their river was
“Long Man” and its tributaries “Chattering Children.”
The settlers were more literal in their naming of the
Tenn.
river. They had already encountered wide streams,
or broads, that flowed away from the ocean that
they or their parents had crossed. But this river ran
northwest, into what was then French territory, and
eventually joined the mighty Mississippi. To the newcomers, it was plainly the French Broad.
The headwaters of the French Broad River spill from a 50-foot waterfall in Transylvania County.
Known as Court House Falls, the waterfall rushes into a creek that feeds the North Fork, which
joins the West Fork near Rosman and eventually the Middle and East forks to form the French
Broad. About half of the land surrounding these headwater streams is forested, with much
of the basin within the Pisgah National Forest or Pisgah Game Lands. Steep slopes limit the
land area suitable for building and farming. In fact, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi
River rises from this basin—Mount Mitchell stretches 6,684 feet skyward. Cold Mountain,
immortalized by the novel and film of the same name, rises 6,030 feet above the Shining
Rock Wilderness area.
profile:
Total miles of
streams:
3,985
Total acres of lakes:
1,736
Municipalities
within basin: 24
Counties
within basin: 8
Size: 2,829
square miles
Population:
485,140
(2010 U.S. Census)
The French Broad originates
from a tiny waterfall (left);
The French Broad River Basin drains land in both North Carolina and Tennessee. Besides the
French Broad River, the basin includes two other major watersheds in North Carolina: the Pigeon
and Nolichucky rivers—tributaries that join the French Broad in Tennessee. The Mills, Davidson
and Swannanoa rivers are major tributaries of the French Broad River in North Carolina.
BEN T. WALTERS
BILL LEA
the basin’s Mount Mitchell
is the tallest peak in the
East (below).
USFWS
Pink Beds
A large, flat valley within the Pisgah National
Forest’s Cradle of Forestry area contains the
most extensive system
of upland valley bogs
and marshes in the
Southern Appalachians,
according to the N.C.
Natural Heritage Program. These wetlands
are home to North
Carolina’s largest population of the swamp
pink (pictured above),
a plant in the lily family
that is federally listed as
BILL LEA
Trout are abundant in the upper reaches of the basin, and many waters A bobcat makes a rare
daytime appearance,
have such good quality that the state classifies them as Outstanding
framed in fall foliage.
Resource Waters. About 263 miles of Outstanding Resource Waters
in the basin include most of the South Fork Mills River, the South Toe
River (which joins the Nolichucky River) and Cataloochee Creek and its feeder streams
(which empty into the Pigeon River). These waters receive extra protection due to excellent
water quality and exceptional ecological or recreational significance.
a threatened species.
The entire area is nicknamed the Pink Beds
and got its name from
the resident pinkblooming flowers that
also include wild phlox
and mountain laurels.
The Eastern spiny softshell
(far right) and the hellbender (right) can both
be found in the French
Broad River Basin.
Unique plants and animals also distinguish the French Broad River Basin. It contains two
aquatic salamanders, the common mudpuppy and hellbender, and is the only basin with
the distinctive turtle known as the Eastern spiny softshell. The Nolichucky, Cane, South
Toe and North Toe rivers contain several rare fish, notably the entire state population of
sharphead darters.
WAYNE VAN DEVENDER
WAYNE VAN DEVENDER
ASHEVILLE IS
THE BASIN’S
LARGEST CITY.
S
everal riverfront
parks are part of a
revitalized downtown
in Asheville. Paddlers
can access the French
Broad at several sites
within the city limits.
Asheville is also home
to a growing greenway system enjoyed
by citizens and tourists alike.
CHARLES BRASWELL JR.
CHARLES BRASWELL JR.
Rock Window
The most ecologically significant aquatic area in the basin is the lower section of the French Broad
River from the town of Marshall to the Tennessee state line. Numerous fish species found in
no other rivers of the state appear here, including the freshwater drum and mooneye.
More than 10 rare fish species and three rare mussels are found in the French Broad River,
including the federally endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel. Recreation, including fishing
and rafting, also makes the French Broad River an outstanding resource. Besides the basin’s
ample trout fishing opportunities, the entire French Broad River supports a celebrated muskie
fishery. Below Asheville, the river falls and tumbles, creating enough excitement to make whitewatering the main economy of Madison County. There are nine rapids on the 8-mile section
of river between Barnard and Hot Springs.
The faulted and folded
rocks of the Hot Springs
area form an extraordinary geologic “window”
where you can see sedimentary rock buried
under older metamorphic rock. Other nearby
earthly attractions
include Paint Rock
and Lover’s Leap.
The Pigeon River below Canton had been
affected for years by polluted discharge from
a paper mill. Now an employee-owned company, the mill releases much lower levels of
contaminants and continues to improve its
operation. Water quality in the Pigeon River
has improved dramatically. Biologists in North
Carolina and Tennessee are reintroducing
native snail, fish and mussel species to the
river. Today, the Pigeon River is a progressively cleaner resource that supports rafting, paddling and fishing.
As in many areas across the state, the population in the French Broad River Basin is
increasing, particularly in Buncombe and
Henderson counties. Population growth is
GEORGE HUMPHRIES
Pigeon River
often accompanied by the removal or alteration of natural areas, which
may damage or destroy wildlife habitat and harm surrounding waters
when pollutants wash into them. Many types of land use in the basin
are affecting the condition of receiving waters, including land development and construction activities, forestry operations, mining operations,
orchards and cropland, animal feeding lots, failing septic systems, roads
and parking lots. When improperly managed, these activities generate
contaminants—including sediment, pesticides, fertilizers and animal
waste—that are carried to nearby waterways by rain and melted snow.
The landscape of the French Broad River Basin has changed dramatically over a short period of time. Cultivated and uncultivated cropland, along with pastureland, decreased by 91 percent between 1982
Nature lovers pause along
the Appalachian Trail in
the Pisgah National Forest.
BILL LEA
Looking Glass Falls,
Transylvania County
(below left); a whitewater
kayaker finds thrills, not
spills (below right).
KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC
N.C. DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC
The Little River flows
through the 10,400-acre
DuPont State Forest.
Triple Falls, Dupont
State Forest
and 1997, while urban and developed areas
grew by more than 85 percent. This change is
most apparent around Fletcher, Flat Rock and
Hendersonville in the upper French Broad
region. These areas account for some of the
highest growth rates in the basin. The population of Hendersonville has increased by 50
percent since 1990. In rapidly growing areas,
development has historically redirected stormwater in a way that accelerates flooding and
erosion. Proper landuse design and management can help control
stormwater runoff in both urban and rural areas.
KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC
View from Looking
Glass Rock
Local organizations are cooperating to protect and promote the ecological and recreational importance of the entire French Broad River
Basin. By working together, community organizations and natural
resource agencies can combine professional expertise and local
knowledge to determine the best way to protect the basin’s water
resources. To learn how you can help, contact any of the organizations listed on the back page.
JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC
State of North Carolina: Governor Pat McCrory • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Secretary
John E. Skvarla, III • Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs: Program Manager Lisa Tolley; Project Manager Ian Brown
• Editor Carla Burgess • Designer Kimberly KC Schott, Red Gate Design • Special Thanks North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission,
North Carolina Division of Water Quality and North Carolina Natural Heritage Program • Date: 2013 • 5,500 copies of this public document
were printed at a cost of $1,324.12 or 0.241 per copy. • This publication was funded through a Walmart Stormwater Compliance Grant.
Printed on recycled paper
HIKING & BIKING
Roan
Mt.
PI
ON
TI
N AE S T
H
R
A
SG FO
Fr
Hot
Springs
in the French Broad River Basin
M ITC H E LL
AL
N
MA D ISON
Newland 14
1
or
th
Burnsville T o e
YA N C E Y
ch
AVE RY
Bakersville
Riv
21
er
Mt.
Mitchell
Marshall
9
Br
2a
eon
oa d
Pig
Mt.
Sterling
en
12
River
The French Broad River Basin offers many
8
opportunities to enjoy and explore nature
3 22BU N C OMB E
H AYWOOD
through walking, hiking and biking. This list
Asheville
15
10
includes places with at least a few trails for
Waynesville
6
easy to moderate activity. Keep in mind that
Cold
Pisgah
Mt.
19 20
at some mountain sites, the steepness of terrain
Mt.
Richland
may limit easy activity, other than at an overlook
Balsam
16
or short path. Many sites include views of streams,
13 2b
L
H E N D ER SON
A
rivers, creeks, lakes and/or waterfalls. Remember
11 T I O N
that some trails are multi-use, serving pedestrians,
N AE S T
7 4
AH R
SG FO
bicyclists, equestrians and other recreational users.
Hendersonville
PI
Brevard 17
5
For information about urban and regional bikeways,
visit www.ncdot.gov/bikeped.
TR A N SY LVA N IA
l hiking
18
Rosman
l hiking and biking
l HIKING l
1 Bakersville Creek Walk
www.bakersville.com l ~1-mile trail along
Cane Creek.
Blue Ridge Parkway
2a Craggy Gardens l www.nps.gov/blri/
planyourvisit/brochures.htm l 700 acres
l .8-mile trail. Spectacular display of
rhododendrons in June/July.
2b Pink Beds Loop Trail l www.blueridge
heritage.com/attractions-destinations/
pink-beds l 3.2 miles of trails along the
South Fork Mills River.
3 Botanical Gardens at Asheville
www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org l 10
acres l .5-mile trail—including bridges
spanning streams—through meadows and
over a woodland ridge to a wildflower cove.
4 Carl Sandburg Home National
Historic Site
www.nps.gov/carl l 264 acres l 5 miles of
trails on the farmstead of the late Pulitzer
prizewinning poet.
8 Long Branch Environmental
Education Center
www.longbrancheec.org l 1,635 acres l 2.5
miles of trails, plus old logging roads.
9 Mount Mitchell State Park
www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php
l 1,946 acres l 32 miles of trails. A short trail
beginning at the summit parking lot leads to a
stone observation tower from which visitors
may see as far as 85 miles on a clear day.
16 Westfeldt River Park
www.historichendersonville.org/activities_
recreation.htm l 22 acres l .6-mile trail
skirting the French Broad.
l HIKING and BIKING l
17 Brevard Bike Path/NC Rails-Trails
www.traillink.com/trail/brevard-bike-path.
aspx l 5 miles of trails.
18 Dupont State Forest
10 Pigeon River Greenway/Canton
Recreation Park
www.dupontforest.com/ l 10,400 acres l
With nearly 80 miles of trails, this is a hot spot
for mountain biking. Six named waterfalls.
11 Cradle of Forestry – Forest Discovery
Center/ Pisgah National Forest
19 North Carolina Arboretum
www.cantonnc.com/ l 1.7-mile walking trail.
www.cradleofforestry.com/ l 6,500 acres
l 2.3 miles of trails.
12 Roan Mountain Gardens
www.hikewnc.info/trailheads/pisgah/appalachian/
toecane/roan.html l 600 acres l 1-mile trail
through rhododendron gardens.
www.ncarboretum.org l 434 acres l more
than 10 miles of hiking and biking trails
Pisgah National Forest
20 Bent Creek Forest Trails l www.srs.fs.usda.
gov/bentcreek/recreation.html l 5,242 acres
l 44.2 miles of hiking trails; 27.5 miles of
biking trails.
5 Holmes Educational State Forest
13 Shining Rock Wilderness/Art Loeb Trail
6 Hominy Creek River Park
www.hikewnc.info/trailheads/pisgah/pisgah/
shining.html l 18,500 acres l 10.6 miles of
hiking trails, including a view of Cold Mountain.
21 Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area l www.
visitnc.com/listings/view/44520 l 4.8 miles
of hiking trails; bikes allowed only on throughtrail for horses.
14 Waterfall Park
22 Warren Wilson College
www.ncesf.org/HESF/home.htm l 235 acres
l 5 miles of trails among mountain hardwoods.
www.buncombecounty.org/Governing/Depts/
Parks/Facilities/River/ l 19 acres l .25-mile
trail on the Swannanoa River.
7 Jackson Park
www.hendersoncountync.org/recreation
/jacksonpark.html l ~2.3-mile wheelchairaccessible nature trail and boardwalk along a
stream and wet meadow.
= some trails designated as wheelchair accessible
www.averycounty.com/relocation-info/
communities/newland l Highway 194,
Newland l 2 miles of trails with cascades.
15 Western North Carolina
Nature Center
www.wncnaturecenter.com l 42 acres l
.6 mile nature trail winding through forested
areas along the Swannanoa River .
www.warren-wilson.edu l 25 miles of trails,
a few open to cyclists.
PADDLING
Roan
Mt.
PI
O
TI
NA ST
H RE
A
SG FO
Fr
Hot
Springs
in the French Broad River Basin
or
th
Burnsville T o e
YA N C E Y
Newland
AVE RY
Bakersville
Riv
er
Mt.
Mitchell
Marshall
Br
oa d
2
Cold
Mt.
Pisgah
Mt.
Richland
Balsam
1 French Broad River Trail
P
BU N C OMB E
Asheville
O
TI
N AE S T
H
R
G AF O
IS
Brevard
3
NA
1
L
River
(highlighted in yellow) The French Broad River
Trail is a state-designated canoe trail with 23
access points along the river’s 116-mile journey
through North Carolina. The river begins near
Rosman in southern Transylvania County, then
flows north through Henderson, Buncombe and
Madison counties before crossing into Tennessee. The upper portion of the river is perfect for
float trips, and many of these stretches are suitable for novice paddlers. There are several access
sites with only a few miles between, providing
convenient options for short paddle trips. Local
outfitters provide shuttle services for a fee.
H AYWOOD
Waynesville
N
MA D ISON
eon
The French Broad River Basin offers many opportunities for paddling creeks, ponds, streams, rivers
and lakes. The places included here offer public
access areas maintained by state, federal or local
governments. Privately operated marinas and boat
docks may also be available. These trails and lakes
are suitable for easy to moderate paddling.
L
ch
Pig
Mt.
Sterling
en
NA
MITC H E LL
H E N D ER SON
Hendersonville
TR A N SY LVA N IA
Rosman
2 Pigeon River Greenway/Canton
Recreation Park
www.cantonnc.com/
www.pigeonriverfund.org
3 Lake Julian
www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/
parks/facilities/parks/lakejulian.aspx l 330
acres l Rental boats available
PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
For more information please visit:
www.riverlink.org/FBRPaddleTrail.asp
Access Area
Miles to Next
Take-out
Headwaters Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.5
Champion Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.5
Lyons Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Headwaters Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Island Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Hap Simpson Riverfront Park . . . . . . . . . . .5
Pisgah Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Blantyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17.75
Westfeldt Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.75
Glenn Bridge River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Sandy Bottom River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..5
Bent Creek River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Hominy Creek River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Southern Waterways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
French Broad River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Jean Webb Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.5
French Broad River Campground . . . . . . . ..5
The Ledges Whitewater Park . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Walnut Island River Park . . . . . . . . . . . .14.5
Barnard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.5
Stackhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Nantahala Outdoor Center . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Murray Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .end
?
WHERE
SHOULD
I GO
What makes the French Broad River Basin special? See for yourself. Visit these
Environmental Education Centers to discover more about your ecological address:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
NCWRC
HOW
CAN
I HELP
?
Appalachian Highlands Science
Learning Center
Blue Ridge Parkway
Bullington Center
Colburn Earth Science Museum
EnergyXchange Renewable Energy Center
Forest Discovery Center, Cradle of
Forestry in America
Holmes Educational State Forest
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Mount Mitchell State Park
Mountain Trail Outdoor School
The North Carolina Arboretum
North Carolina Outward Bound School
Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education
Western North Carolina Nature Center
YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly
YMCA Camp Greenville
For more information about Environmental Education Centers in North Carolina,
check out the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs’ website at
www.eenorthcarolina.org.
You can gain a sense of community pride by learning more and helping to protect streams, rivers
and lakes in the Catawba River Basin. The contacts listed below can help you do just that.
To find out about local river organizations and conservation groups, contact your local soil
and water conservation district. To find out about how you can get involved in local waterway and other litter cleanups, contact North Carolina Big Sweep.
Clean Water Management Trust Fund
www.cwmtf.net/
Division of Water Quality, Stormwater
and Runoff Pollution
www.ncstormwater.org/
French Broad Basinwide Plan*
http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/ps/bpu/basin/
frenchbroad
Land of Sky Regional Council
www.landofsky.org
(828) 251-6622
North Carolina Association of Soil &
Water Conservation Districts
www.ncaswcd.org
North Carolina Big Sweep
www.ncbigsweep.org/
North Carolina Stream Watch
www.ncwater.org/Education_and_Technical_
Assistance/Stream_Watch/
North Carolina Water Science Center
http://nc.water.usgs.gov/
Mud Creek Watershed Restoration Project
http://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/content/MudCreek
WatershedRestorationProject-Home
(828) 697-4891
t
*Basinwide water quality planning is a nonregulatory, watershed-based approach to restoring and protecting the
quality of North Carolina’s surface waters. The N.C. Division of Water Quality welcomes community input.
To order additional brochures on any of North Carolina’s 17 river basins, a general river basin booklet or a poster, fill out
the online order form at www.eenorthcarolina.org.