WCP Online Newsletter

WATRline Alert -- The Tuck is muddy brown day after day in June
by Charlotte Lackey (email)

Contributed 06/15/2005  Responses:  0

WATRline Alert...

Have you been watching? Can you see it? The Tuck is muddy brown day after day in June! I measured an unacceptable level of 67 units in Bryson City just a couple of days ago.

THE RIVER NEEDS YOU! WATR NEEDS YOU!

Here's what's happening. We are looking for a few good souls to gather up some simple supplies and to sample the creeks and the river near their homes. When you get the word, collect the samples that day and the next 3 days. WATR staff will collect the samples and test for turbidity (our chief pollutant). Simple -- you bet! But it will take a tad more organization and communication so...

Come to the next WATR Public Action Meeting! Monday evening 6/27 at the Sylva Town Hall (on Municipal Drive). 6:30 Socialize, 7:00 Meeting.

We will brainstorm the how and the when! If everyone helps a little we will have a DYNAMITE Preliminary Assessment Database. Leading to funding and restoration (the holy grail)! After the meeting, you will come away with: sample bottles, labels, a rain gage, and some instructions.

Other news:
Fecal Coliform Project: We are aiming at one sampling campaign on Monday 6/27 at about 4 sites with samples going to separate labs. Then intensive sampling of VWIN sites for FC on Monday 7/18 or 7/25.

VWIN sampling dates: Saturday, 6/25, and Saturday, 7/22. This is our core sampling program!

Greens and Savannah Watershed Planning Project -- No meetings while we await the funding decision from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. By the way, in early May, Jerry Deweese worked with Martha and Dale Hall to get flow data from the creeks that flow into Greens Creek.

"Building Community to Preserve the Tuck" -- WATR co-hosted a May workshop "Partners for Water Quality in the Little Tennessee River Basin" -- which was a success. Over 50 participants, good networking, helpful exchange of information among watershed associations, and key players from the State sat up and took notice of us. We turned in a follow-on grant application for next year.

Scotts Creek -- We turned in a grant for so-called 319/EPA funding. The grant will cover the installation of a public turbidity meter -- a WATR innovation!

Bryson Water Watch -- We still need to organize.

Roger Clapp
WATR Executive Director
Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River
PO Box 2593
835 Main Street
Bryson City NC 28713
phone: 828 488-8418 cell: 828 507-9144
fax: 828 488-8410 email: rbc99@aol.com

Link:  Watershed Association of the Tuckaseegee River