After Hurricane Helene, we have a pipe problem in the French Broad River. Come out to @riversiderhapsody tomorrow night to hear how MountainTrue has been cleaning up thousands and thousands of pipes across 70 river miles from Woodfin to Douglas Lake.
For the last year and a half, we’ve been the ones cleaning up IPEX's inventory—pulling pipe out of the river by the thousands. Still, tons of pipe remain in and around the river. Meanwhile, we’ve tried everything to get IPEX’s attention about it—direct outreach, working with local officials, even bringing in the media. They have have remained silent.
We remain committed to getting all of their pipes out of the river, but we need IPEX to ensure that this doesn't happen again. We’re hosting 3 information sessions in the next few weeks, starting Tuesday, May 12 in Woodfin. Come join us to learn what all MountainTrue has done to clean up the pipe in the last 18 months, and how we can put pressure on IPEX to do better. Signup at the link in our bio.
🛶 Tuesday, May 12 WOODFIN: @Riverside Rhapsody Brew House, 5:30-6:30
If you’ve been in or around the French Broad River north of Woodfin in the last year and a half, you’ve definitely seen piles and piles of PVC pipes. Pipes lodged into the riverbed, stuck in debris jams, and scattered across the riverbanks. During Helene, IPEX lost a significant amount of its inventory of PVC and conduit pipe to the river. Thousands and thousands of pipes washed over 70 miles downstream and all the way to Douglas Lake.
For the last year and a half, we’ve been the ones cleaning up their inventory—pulling pipe out of the river by the thousands. Much of it landed in hard-to-get-to places, where we have to cut it up and float it out. The work is slow, difficult, and technical, but our crews are badass. Still, tons of pipe remain in and around the river.
In the meantime, we’ve tried everything to get IPEX’s attention about it—direct outreach, working with local officials, even bringing in the media. They have have remained silent.
Now, we need your help. Help us show IPEX that we haven’t moved on. Their pipe is still everywhere and business-as-usual is not enough.
We remain committed to getting all of their pipes out of the river, but we need IPEX to ensure that this doesn't happen again. We’re hosting 3 information sessions in the next few weeks. Come join us to learn what all MountainTrue has done to clean up the pipe in the last 18 months, and how we can put pressure on IPEX to do better.
🛶 Tuesday, May 12 WOODFIN: Riverside Rhapsody Brew House, 5:30-6:30
🚣 Wednesday, May 20 - MARSHALL: Mad Co Brew House, 5:30-6:30
💧 Wednesday, May 27 - HOT SPRINGS: Big Pillow Brewery, 5:30-6:30
If you’re a neighbor to the river like IPEX, you have a responsibility to protect it—and not let one flood become a long-term environmental hazard. Signup for these events at the link in our bio.
After Hurricane Helene, our rivers carried more than water. They carried the weight of everything left behind. Since the storm MountainTrue has mobilized thousands of volunteers and hired more than 100 people, all working tirelessly to remove over 5 million pounds of trash and debris from our rivers. This is more than a cleanup. We're rebuilding our environment, strengthening our economy and helping stabilize our communities. And there's still more to do. Find out how you can help by becoming a member of MountainTrue or joining a volunteer cleanup at our website, mountaintrue.org. Join the recovery.
Our crews have busted their butts for almost 18 months picking up millions of feet of Ipex plastic pipe. For almost that same amount of time we have been asking Ipex to step and do more for the cleanup, but just as important is to keep this from happening again.
Despite our hard work to cleanup their mess, despite our patience and persistence to meet with Ipex to discuss this, they have refused.
We want a commitment that this won’t happen again in the next flood. Our crews that have spent countless hours digging pipes out of the sand, cutting pipe that was entangled in trees and hauling pipes in their boats and on their back, and yet Ipex still refuses to even discuss how to store their material in way that won’t allow this to all happen again in the next flood.
So we need your help. Take action today and email Ipex directly and tell to do better!
/PBxZHkEShEShHjdof34nOQ2
3 Days. 32 Miles. One Unforgettable River Experience.
We’re excited to bring this adventure to life—the 2026 Zero to Penrose Paddle Trip is more than just a river trip… it’s a full-on community experience.
Paddle the French Broad with local guides who know every bend, shoal, and story
Camp riverside under the stars
Enjoy chef-prepared meals featuring local flavors
Connect with a great group of people who love the river just as much as you do
This is what makes Western North Carolina special—local knowledge, local food, and time well spent on the water.
📅 May 1–3, 2026
32-mile guided paddle from Headwaters to Penrose
Spots are limited, only a few left.
Grab your spot and be part of something special. Headwatersoutfitters.com
#FrenchBroadRiver #HeadwatersOutfitters #WNCAdventure #PaddleNC #mountaintrue
Ready to hit the water in style? We’re raffling off a Moken 10V2 kayak + paddle, and one lucky winner is going to paddle away with the ultimate adventure setup from our friends at Feelfree Kayaks & Waterways Paddle Sports!
Even better—the winner will be drawn live at the Paddling Film Festival screening this Thursday, April 23, so come join the fun and see if your name gets called!
Raffle Highlights:
🛶 Prize: Moken 10V2 Kayak + Paddle
🎟️ Tickets: 1 for $5 or 5 for $20
🎬 Drawing: April 23rd at the Paddling Film Festival screening
Enter to win & get your film fest tix @ mountaintrue.org/paddling-film-festival-world-tour (link in bio)
I was really thrilled to take a trip down the French Broad today and see the remarkable progress our cleanup has made. See for yourself and go out and enjoy your river!
#cleanup
🚨 North Carolina’s waterways—and our health—are at risk. Take action by joining your French Broad Riverkeeper at tomorrow’s public hearing in Asheville & providing comments in support of stronger protections against chemical pollution in our waterways! Here’s what you need to know: (learn more @ the link in our bio)
The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) is considering new rules that would allow industries to continue discharging toxic chemicals like PFAS and 1,4-dioxane into our rivers. These rules were shaped by the very polluters they are supposed to regulate, and they fall far short of what our communities need.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and 1,4-dioxane are both linked to serious health harms, including cancer, organ damage, immune system disruption, and developmental impacts in children. Yet instead of requiring meaningful reductions, the proposed rules only ask industries to monitor pollution and create plans—without enforcing real limits or consequences.
That means companies can continue polluting, while communities across North Carolina pay the price.
Right now, more than 3.5 million people in our state are exposed to unsafe levels of PFAS in their drinking water, and over 1 million are affected by 1,4-dioxane. We cannot rely on voluntary action from polluters—history shows that doesn’t work.
We need strong, enforceable protections that put people before profits. Take action by:
✅ Submit a public comment by June 15 (link in bio)
✅ Attending a public hearing happening across the state until May 12. Check the link in our bio for the full list of hearings + their dates/locations/times.
Since early 2025, river stewards have worked to move more than 100 tons of trash from the French Broad River’s most rugged whitewater stretches, with the hopes that the debris would be removed from the banks before the next storm. This month, the job was finally completed.
MountainTrue's Madison County river cleanup crew and French Broad Riverkeeper staff teamed up with RJ Corman, a railroad services contractor to complete the largest storm debris removal operation since the Army Corps of Engineers left WNC. Working under access agreements from Norfolk Southern, crews were able to remove 203,728 lbs of flood debris that had been collected and staged along the French Broad River between Redmon Dam and Stackhouse Boat Launch (sections 8 and 9) over the last sixteen months.
This project represents a true culmination of progress — the fruits of so many different community laborers, finally coming to a successful conclusion.
Fritz Johnson (Blue Heron Outfitters) was the first to initiate the cleanup on this stretch. She raised funds in order to employ local paddlers to get out on the river and begin dismantling debris with their bare hands.
By March of 2025, MT recognized the cleanup was too much for one crew and hired a small crew to continue cleanup full time. In September 2025, MT expanded cleanup efforts and hired a crew to focus on the Madison County section of the FB, led by Jemima Filiss-Cook.
For 16 months, crews have worked to remove, pile, and sort debris, then haul up to the railroad tracks for future removal.
This month, RJ Corman stepped in to make some of our biggest river miracles finally come true! ✨️
We couldn't have done this without the help of our entire FB River community, especially: Fritz (Blue Heron), Jack Henderson (FB Paddle Trail Manager), RJ Corman Railroad Services, MT's Madison County Crew, Trevor at Big Daddy's, Jeremiah (EZWaste) & Rusty from On Time Tire Removal
The wait is over! The French Broad River Paddle Trip returns this spring as a collaboration between MountainTrue, Headwaters Outfitters, and Food for Adventures for an unforgettable three-day float down the river in Transylvania County. During this 32-mile trip, you’ll experience a beautiful section of river, learn about local stewardship, eat tasty food and drink local beer, camp under the stars, meet new friends, and come away with a new appreciation for this amazing place. Registration includes boats (if you need), meals, drinks (including local beer!), campsites, shuttle, and a variety of entertainment. Guests will need to bring their own personal items and camping gear. Learn more + claim your spot on the @headwaters_outfitters website (link in bio).
The future of the Craggy Dam on the French Broad in Woodfin carries meaningful financial, ecological, and community implications. The Dam’s owner, Buncombe County Municipal Sewerage Department (MSD), is considering major investments in the 120-year-old Craggy Dam, but an alternative exists; removal of the Craggy Dam to set the French Broad River free.
A broad coalition of local, regional, and national organizations, including American Rivers, MountainTrue/French Broad Riverkeeper, RiverLink, Sierra Club, Southern Environmental Law Center, and American Whitewater, supports exploring the possibility of dam removal.
If dam removal proves feasible and can be appropriately funded, potential benefits include:
✔️ Flood risk reduction
✔️ Public safety
✔️ Ecological restoration
✔️ Recreation and economic vitality
🚨 Click the link in our bio to learn more + take action
Photo credit: Marc Hunt
