RIVER FRENCH BROAD BASIN The Indians already had countless names for the French by the time white huntsmen first approached this mountain region. Their river was “Long Man” and its tributaries “Chattering Children.” Va profile: The settlers were more literal in their naming of the Total miles of river. They had already encountered wide streams, streams: or “broads,” that flowed away from the ocean that 3,985 they or their parents had crossed. But this river ran Total acres of lakes: northwest, into what was then French territory, and 1,736

eventually joined the mighty Mississippi. To the newcomers, it was plainly the French Broad. Municipalities within basin: 24

The headwaters of the spill from a 50-foot waterfall in Transylvania County. Counties Known as Court House Falls, the waterfall rushes into a creek that feeds the North Fork, which within basin: 8 joins the West Fork near Rosman and eventually the Middle and East forks to form the French Size: 2,830 Broad. About half of the land surrounding these headwater streams is forested, with much square miles of the basin within the or Pisgah Game Lands. Steep slopes limit the Population: land area suitable for building and farming. In fact, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi 393,795 River rises from this basin— stretches 6,684 feet skyward. , (2000 U.S. Census) immor talized by the novel and film of the same name, rises 6,030 feet above the Wilderness area. The French Broad originates from a tiny waterfall (left); The French Broad River Basin drains land in both and . Besides the the basin’s Mount Mitchell French Broad River, the basin includes two other major watersheds in North Carolina: the Pigeon is the tallest peak in the and Nolichucky rivers—tributaries that join the French Broad in Tennessee. The Mills, Davidson East (below). and Swannanoa rivers are major tributaries of the French Broad River in North Carolina.

BEN T. WALTERS BILL LEA USFWS

Pink Beds A large, flat valley with- in the Pisgah National Forest’s Cradle of For- estry area contains the most extensive system of “upland valley” bogs and marshes in the Southern Appalachians, according to the N.C. BILL LEA Natural Heritage Pro- Trout are abundant in the upper reaches of the basin, and many waters A bobcat makes a rare gram. These wetlands have such good quality that the state classifies them as Outstanding daytime appearance, are home to North Resource Waters. About 263 miles of Outstanding Resource Waters framed in fall foliage. Caro lina’s largest pop - in the basin include most of the South Fork Mills River, the South Toe ulation of the swamp River (which joins the ) and Cataloochee Creek and its feeder streams (which pink (pictured above), a plant in the lily family empty into the Pigeon River). These waters receive extra protection due to excellent water that is federally listed as quality and exceptional ecological or recreational significance. a threatened spec ies. The entire area is nick- Unique plants and animals also distinguish the French Broad River Basin. It’s one of only two named the “Pink Beds” river basins in North Carolina where you’ll find the 9-inch aquatic salamander called the and got its name from common mudpuppy and the only basin with the distinctive turtle known as the Eastern spiny the resident pink- softshell. The Nolichucky, Cane and North Toe rivers contain several rare fish, notably almost bloom ing flowers that also include wild phlox the entire state population of sharphead darters. and mountain laurels. WAYNE VAN DEVENDER WAYNE VAN DEVENDER

The Eastern spiny softshell (far right) and the hell - bender (right) can both be found in the French Broad River Basin. ASHEVILLE IS THE BASIN’S LARGEST CITY. Several riverfront parks are part of a downtown revitaliza - tion in Asheville. Pad - dlers can access the French Broad at sev- eral sites within the city limits, and plans are under way for a 6-mile riverfront greenway.

CHARLES BRASWELL JR. 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 CHARLES BRASWELL JR. no other rivers of the state appear here, including the freshwater drum and mooneye.

Two rare aquatic species live in the French Broad: the hellbender, a large, uncommon aquatic salamander, and the , a freshwater mussel that is feder ally listed as endan - gered. Recreation, including fishing and rafting, also makes the French Broad River an out - standing 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. Rock Window 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 GEORGE HUMPHRIES The Pigeon River below Canton has been area form an extraordi- nary geologic “window” affected for years by polluted discharge from where you can see sed- a paper mill. Now an employee-owned com - imentary rock buried pany, the mill releases much lower levels of under older metamor- contaminants and continues to improve its phic rock. Other nearby operation. Water quality in the Pigeon River earthly attractions has improved dramatically. Biologists in North include Paint Rock Carolina and Tennessee are beginning to and Lover’s Leap. reintroduce native snail, fish and mussel species to the river. Today, the Pigeon River is a progressively cleaner resource that sup- ports rafting, paddling and fishing.

As in many areas across the state, the popu- lation in the French Broad River Basin is increas ing, particularly in Buncombe and Pigeon River Henderson counties. Population growth is 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 FRENCH BROAD are affecting the condition of receiving waters, including land develop - RIVER BASIN ment and construction activities, forestry operations, mining opera tions, orchards and cropland, animal feeding lots, failing septic systems, roads You may have noticed and parking lots. When improperly managed, these activities generate French Broad River Basin contaminants—including sediment, pesticides, fertilizers and animal signs posted along waste—that are carried to nearby waterways by rain and melted snow. highways. These were created through a part- nership between the Nature lovers pause along The landscape of the French Broad River Basin has changed dramat - Office of Environmental the in the ically over a short period of time. Cultivated and uncultivated crop- Education and the N.C. Pisgah National Forest. land, along with pastureland, decreased by 91 percent between 1982 Department of Trans-

BILL LEA portation with funding from the Federal Trans- por tation Enhance- ment Program. Signs in each of the state’s 17 river basins call atten- tion to basin boundaries and promote steward- ship of public waters.

KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC

N.C. DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT , Transylvania County (left); a whitewater kayaker finds thrills, not spills (above). JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC The Little River flows and 1997, while urban and developed areas through the 10,400-acre grew by more than 85 percent. This change is DuPont State Forest. most apparent around Fletcher, Flat Rock and Henderson ville in the upper French Broad region. These areas account for some of the highest growth rates in the basin. The pop ula - tion of Hendersonville has increased by 50 percent since 1990. In rapidly growing areas, Triple Falls, Dupont development has historically redirected storm - State Forest water in a way that accelerates flooding and

erosion. Proper land- KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC use design and management can help control View from Looking stormwater runoff in both urban and rural areas. Glass Rock

Local organizations are cooperating to protect and promote the ecol - ogical 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 organiza- tions listed on the back page. JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC

State of North Carolina: Governor Michael F. Easley • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Secretary William G. Ross Jr. • Office of Environmental Education: Director Lisa Tolley, Project Manager Rachel Golden • Editor Carla Burgess • Designer Kimberly KC Schott, Red Gate Design • Special Thanks North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission • Date: 2007 • 10,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $1,462 or $0.15 per copy. • This publication was funded through the Clean Water Act’s Section 319 Grant Program. • In the coming years, some river basin boundaries will change if the state moves forward with plans to modify them to coincide with federal maps. The , White Oak, Chowan, Pasquotank, Tar-Pamlico and Neuse basins would be the most significantly altered. Printed on recycled paper & BIKING Roan 12 Newland 14 MITCHELL AVERY L A N 1 O N T I o A T r Bakersville N S t H E h A R G O T S F F Burnsville o P I r e e n MADISON c R i v h YANCEY e r Hot 21 Springs Marshall Mt. in the French Broad River Basin Mt. 9

P B i r g o 2a e a The French Broad River Basin offers many o n 8 opportunities to enjoy and explore nature HAYWOOD 3 22BUNCOMBE through walking, hiking and biking. This list 10 Asheville 15 includes places with at least a few trails for Waynesville Waterrock 6 easy to moderate activity. Keep in mind that Cold at some mountain sites, the steepness of terrain Mt. 19 20 Richland may limit easy activity, other than at an overlook Balsam R

i or short path. Many sites include views of streams, 13 16 v 2b e

L r HENDERSON A rivers, creeks, lakes and/or waterfalls. Remember N 11 O T I A T that some trails are multi-use, serving pedestrians, N S H E A R 7 4 G O bicyclists, equestrians and other recreational users. S F P I Hendersonville For information about urban and regional bikeways, Brevard 17 5 visit http://www.ncdot.org/transit/bicycle. TRANSYLVANIA 18 Rosman ● HIKING ● ● hiking ● hiking and biking 1 Bakersville Creek Walk http://www.bakersville.com/walk.html ● ~1-mile trail along Cane Creek. 8 Long Branch Environmental 15 Education Center Nature Center ● ● 2a Craggy Gardens ● http://www.nps.gov/ http://www.longbrancheec.org/index.html http://wildwnc.org/ 42 acres .6-mile trail blri/craggy.htm ● 700 acres ● .8-mile trail. ● 1,635 acres ● 2.5 miles of trails, plus old along the banks of the French Broad. Spectacular display of rhododendrons in logging roads. 16 Westfeldt River Park June/July. 9 Mount Mitchell State Park http://www.eco-wnc.org/westfeldt.htm ● 22 ● 2b Pink Beds Loop Trail ● http://sherpaguides. http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject//visit/momi/ acres .6-mile trail skirting the French Broad. ● ● com/north_carolina/mountains/balsam_ home.html 1,855 acres 32 miles of trails. mountains/cradle_of_forestry.html ● 3.2 A short trail beginning at the summit parking ● HIKING and BIKING ● miles of trails along the South Fork Mills River. lot leads to a stone observation tower from which visitors may see as far as 85 miles on 17 Brevard Bike Path/NC Rails-Trails http://www.ncrail-trails.org/mapkeys.htm 3 Botanical Gardens at Asheville a clear day. http://www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org ● ● 2 miles of trails. 10 acres ● .5-mile trail—including bridges 10 Pigeon River Greenway/Canton Recreation Park 18 Dupont State Forest spanning streams—through meadows and ● http://www.cantonnc.com/ ● 1.7-mile http://www.dupontforest.com/ 10,400 over a woodland ridge to a wildflower cove. ● walking trail. acres With nearly 80 miles of trails, this 4 Carl Sandburg Home National is a new hot spot for . Six Historic Site 11 Cradle of Forestry – Forest Discovery named waterfalls. www.nps.gov/carl ● 264 acres ● 5 miles of Center/ Pisgah National Forest trails on the farmstead of the late Pulitzer http://www.cradleofforestry.com/ ● 6,500 19 ● ● prizewinning poet. acres ● 2.3 miles of trails. http://www.ncarboretum.org 434 acres 8 miles of hiking trails; 5.6 miles of biking trails. 5 Holmes Educational State Forest 12 Roan Mountain Gardens http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/esf/hesf/hesf_ http://ncnatural.com/NCUSFS/Pisgah/ Pisgah National Forest ● home.htm ● 235 acres ● 5 miles of trails roan-mtnj.html ● 600 acres ● 1-mile trail 20 Bent Creek Forest Trails http://www.cs. among mountain hardwoods. through rhododendron gardens. unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/bent_creek_trails. htm ● 5,242 acres ● 44.2 miles of hiking 6 Hominy Creek River Park 13 / trails; 27.5 miles of biking trails. http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/ http://sherpaguides.com/north_carolina/ depts/ParksAlive/facilities/river/ ● 19 acres mountains/balsam_mountains/shining_rock_ 21 Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area ● ● .25-mile trail on the . wilderness.html ● 18,500 acres ● 10.6 miles of http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/ hiking trails, including a view of Cold Mountain. carolina_hemlocks.pdf ● 4.8 miles of hiking 7 Jackson Park trails; bikes allowed only on through-trail www.eco-wnc.org/eco_programs.htm ● 14 Waterfall Park for horses. 212 acres ● ~2.3-mile wheelchair-accessible Highway 194, Newland ● 2 miles of trails with nature trail and boardwalk along a stream cascades. 22 Warren Wilson College ● and wet meadow. http://www.warren-wilson.edu 25 miles of  = some trails designated as wheelchair accessible trails, a few open to cyclists. PADDLING Roan Newland MITCHELL L AVERY A N O N T I o A T r Bakersville N S t H E h A R FG O T I S F Burnsville o P r e e n MADISON c R i v h YANCEY e r Hot Springsngs Marshall Mt. in the French Broad River Basin Mt.

P B i r g o e a BBUNCOMBE The French Broad River Basin offers many oppor- o n tunities for paddling creeks, ponds, streams, rivers HAYWOOD and lakes. The places included here offer public Asheville 2 access areas maintained by state, federal or local Waynesville Waterrock governments. Privately operated marinas and boat Cold docks may also be available. These trails and lakes Mt. 3 Richland are suitable for easy to moderate paddling. Balsam R L A i N v O I e T A T r HENDERSON N S H E A R G O S F 1 French Broad River Trail P I (highlighted in yellow) The French Broad River HendersonvilleH Trail is a state-designated canoe trail with 23 Brevardard 1 access points along the river’s 116-mile journey TRANSYLVANIA through North Caro lina. The river begins near Rosman in southern Transylvania County, then Rosman flows north through Henderson, Buncombe and Madison counties before crossing into Tennes - see. The upper por tion of the river is perfect for float trips, and many of these stretches are suit - 2 Pigeon River Greenway/Canton 3 Lake Julian able for novice paddlers. There are several access Recreation Park http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/ sites with only a few miles between, pro viding http://www.cantonnc.com/ depts/parksalive/facilities/parks/LakeJulian. convenient options for short paddle trips. Local http://www.pigeonriverfund.org htm. ● 330 acres ● Rental boats available outfitters provide shuttle services for a fee. PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT A complete map of the trail points below, with detailed directions to the sites, may be down - loaded from http://www.riverlink.org or from the State Trails Web site, http://ils.unc.edu/ parkproject/trails/home.html.

Miles to Next Access Area 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 ...... 4 Murray Branch ...... end WHERE What makes the French Broad River Basin special? See for yourself. Visit these SHOULD Environmental Education Centers to discover more about your ecological address: ? ● ● I GO BackCountry Outdoor Education Center Mount Mitchell State Park ● Blue Ridge Parkway ● Mountain Trail Outdoor School ● Bullington Horticultural Environmental ● Purchase Knob: Appalachian Highlands Education Center Science Learning Center ● Colburn Gem and Mineral Museum ● The North Carolina Arboretum ● Eagle’s Nest Foundation ● North Carolina Outward Bound School ● Dupont State Forest ● Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education ● EnergyXchange Renewable Energy Center ● Swannanoa 4-H Educational Center ● Forest Discovery Center, Cradle of ● Western North Carolina Nature Center Forestry in America ● YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly ● Holmes Educational State Forest Environmental Education Center

NCWRC ● Long Branch Environmental Education Center ● YMCA Camp Greenville For more information about Environmental Education Centers in North Carolina, call the Office of Environmental Education at (919) 733-0711, or check out the Web site at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org.

HOW You can gain a sense of community pride by learning more and helping to protect streams, rivers CAN? and lakes in the French Broad River Basin. The contacts listed below can help you do just that. I HELP Appalachian Voices Mills River Partnership http://www.appvoices.org http://www.henderson.lib.nc.us/county/soil/ (828) 262-1500 millsriverweb1.html Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust (828) 697-4949 http://www.brrlt.org/ Mud Creek Watershed Restoration Project (828) 263-8776 http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/henderson/mudcreek Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (828) 697-4891 http://www.carolinamountain.org/ N.C. Soil and Water Conservation Districts (828) 697-5777 http://www.enr.state.nc.us/DSWC/ ECO (Environmental and Conservation (919) 733-2302 Organization) North Carolina Stream Watch http://www.eco-wnc.org/ http://www.ncwater.org/Education_and_Technical_ (828) 692-0385 Assistance/Stream_Watch/ Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway (919) 715-5433 http://www.blueridgefriends.org Pigeon River Fund (800) 228-7275 www.pigeonriverfund.org French Broad Basinwide Plan* (828) 254-4960 http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/basinwide/ Quality Forward (919) 733-5083 http://www.qualityforward.org French Broad River Watershed Education (828) 254-1776 Training Center Southern Appalachians Highlands Conservancy http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/wqg/ http://www.appalachian.org/ frenchbroad/about.html (828) 253-0095 Haywood Waterways Association Western North Carolina Alliance http://www.pagemanager.com/haywood waterways/ http://www.wnca.org (828) 452-9077 (828) 258-8737 Land of Sky Regional Council VWIN (Volunteer Water Information Network) http://www.landofsky.org/ http://orgs.unca.edu/eqi/vwin.htm (828) 251-6622 *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, call the N.C. Office of Environmental Education at (919) 733-0711, or order online at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org. ▼