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Madion County Waterways Benefit from Activists and Environmental Programs
By Ryan Jackson
Traveling up and down the French Broad River, looking for unseen pollution, going to bat over environmetal policies -- sounds like the adventures of a modern Huckleberry Finn. In fact, it's just a day in the life of Hartwell Carson.
Muddy Waters Watch Program
A group of trained individuals were certified late last month to begin patrolling the waterways and drainage routes of western North Carolina. They were not officers of the law, or even conservation officers. These were volunteers for the Muddy Water Watch program. The Muddy Water Watch program is an effort started just outside of Raleigh. The aim is to monitor the water that is deposited into North Carolinas lakes, streams and rivers from construction site runoff.
With much of western North Carolina recovering from a long drought, recent rains have deposited construction site mud and sediment into the French Broad River, which runs through Madison County. Representatives for the Muddy Water Watch effort say this is unacceptable. Construction sites that allow sediment to fill storm drains are not only breaking the law, they are responsible for severe degradation of our waterways,” said Hartwell Carson, one of the French Broad Riverkeepers. Construction site runoff occurs when loose sediment, which is turned up during construction, is washed into waterways. Construction sites are furnished with drainage ports for rain. However, they are not made made to deposit mud and construction debris into local rivers. This pollution affects many different aspects of living around the waterways of Buncombe and Madison counties. Representatives for Muddy Water Watch program said that anyone is eligible to volunteer to keep the waterways safe and clean. There are a multitude of opportunities to get involved. Although many people are training to be a part of the Muddy Water Watchers, volunteers can be involved in less demanding ways as well, according to program staff. One way to be involved is the “Adopt a Stream” program whereby an organization volunteers to keep an eye on a local stream. This involves two scheduled cleanups a year.
Organizations have the opportunity to grow closer together working on the river as well as have the group represented with a sign near the area they are stewarding. Many organizations have already taken advantage of the opportunity, such as churches, schools, fraternities and sports teams.
For more information on construction site runoff or to volunteer to become a member of the Muddy Water Watch effort, visit www.Riverlink.com.
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Carson is a River Keeper for the International Environmental Association of River Keepers. Carson has spent the last three years working on improving environmental policies and monitoring the progress and condition of the French Broad River and its streams and tributaries.
Carson got his start while attending graduate school at the University of Missouri. He fell in love with the Missouri River. He was already studying recreation and municipalities, so he was a natural fit for an organization like the River Keepers.
"I love my job," he said. "I am basically an advocate for the river, and the river needs a voice."
River Keepers gives him the opportunity to be around what he loves and make a living doing it. He describes it as a 24-hour-a-day job.
"So much goes into making the river a safe environment," he said.
On a typical day, Carson spends is time overseeing the progress of installation of runoff filters, testing the water and evaluating the laws and policies that protect the French Broad.
Carson said that the French Broad is in trouble. "Since the Clean Water Act of 1972, the French Broad has been doing better and becomig notably cleaner," he said. "But lately the river has taken a turn for the worst."
Carson said that the river is becoming more polluted, namely because of construction site runoff. When construction takes place, temporary runoff drains are installed to catch water and keep it from building up on construction sties; however, these drains are not meant to collect sediment and mud that runs into the drains.
"Change and growth is good, but if Asheville and the surrounding areas are going to expand, they need to go about it in the right way, and that starts by following the guidelines for construction and expansion," he said.
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