RiverLink

10/16/2026

Happy 1 month to the Brevard Adopt-a-Storm Drain Program!
Special thank you to our neighborhood heroes, as 43 drains have been adopted to date!

This community-driven approach empowers residents to protect local water quality and take action to prevent localized flooding in Brevard.

We extend our gratitude to the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority and Enbridge Gas North Carolina which made this program launch possible through their support.

If you are ready to play a direct role in keeping waterways clean, visit the adoption webpage below!

https://riverlink.org/work/adopt-a-storm-drain/

10/14/2026

After a good rainfall, you may notice our rivers and streams looking cloudy or even like “chocolate milk.” This is called turbidity, which increases when erosion carries sediment into our waterways. High turbidity can reduce light pe*******on, affect dissolved oxygen levels, and impact aquatic life, including macroinvertebrates.

These changes help explain what we’re seeing during our macroinvertebrate sampling environmental education lessons and give us valuable insight into the overall health of our waterways!

10/12/2026

A healthy French Broad River starts with protecting the land around it. We endorse the Open Space and Affordable Housing bonds.

We need this investment especially for our seniors, working families, and to protect our drinking water. Past bonds delivered conservation of 2,600 acres of conserved land and 969 affordable homes, bringing in $7 of outside money for every $1. A citizens' committee tracks every dollar. Cost: 83 cents a week for the average homeowner. Early voting starts October 15. Learn more, request a yard sign, and volunteer at voteyesonbonds.org.

10/06/2026

We celebrated our 40th anniversary last week with friends, staff, Board members, and incredible supporters. We listened to speeches from Executive Director, Lisa Raleigh, from Nikki Harris, daughter of RiverLink's founding leader Karen Cragnolin, and from Jenny Ostendorf, Board Chair.

Raise your glasses and ring in a cheers to many more years protecting the French Broad River and her watershed! Thank you to Highland Brewing Company for hosting us and to Paul King for the photography.

10/05/2026

The Hound has created a delicious fall cocktail in honor of RiverLink’s 40th year of work for the French Broad! Stop by their cocktail lounge near the tunnel this month---it's a lovely space in a renovated Greyhound station---and try the new drink they call “Take Me to the River."

Made with Calvados, Kraken, Grand Marnier, housemade pumpkin spice syrup, and fresh lemon -- our tasters pronounced it delish! The Hound will donate a dollar for every drink sold in October to support our work.

10/02/2026

Our RiverRATS afterschool students have spent the past three weeks in local creeks, making the most of the warm weather while it's still here! We’ve been learning about macroinvertebrates and stream buffers, and how they can both be used as water quality indicators. We were excited to find several mayfly nymphs, who thrive in streams that are relatively clean and cold, and serve as an excellent food source for fish, including our local Swannanoa Darter!

Did you know that there are over 600 species of mayfly in the United States? These little macroinvertebrates spend almost all of their life underwater, feeding on algae and detritus, before hatching into their adult form.

09/30/2026

Here at RiverLink we LOVE our volunteers!!
Whether it’s removing invasives from our parks, collecting litter that would otherwise end up in our waterways, or planting natives to support local ecosystems ~ we salute YOU for sharing our passion of clean water, accessible green space, and a healthy watershed for ALL!

09/26/2026

RISE fly fishing festival is happening TODAY from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins at 9 Midnight Drive (on Amboy), Asheville, NC 28806.

RISE is a one-day fly fishing festival celebrating the resiliency of the French Broad River community and its stewards: outdoor guides, outfitters, and conservation advocates. A portion of proceeds from the one-day event will benefit RiverLink, who is celebrating 40 years promoting the environmental and economic vitality of the French Broad River and its watershed.

The fest will include activities for the novice and expert like casting and fly-tying competitions, kid-friendly programming, raffles, an artist market, and gear pop-ups by outdoor brands and outfitter partners Davidson River Outfitters, Hunter Banks Fly Fishing, and Headwaters Outfitters Outdoor Adventures.

RISE was born out of a desire to give back to a watershed that has given us so much. It’s a party with all our ragtag fishing buddies, down to the beers and BBQ and tall tales. It’s our back cast, bolstering our river guides to propel forward, standing tall as a group of people unified by the ri...

09/25/2026

Finding a dragonfly nymph in our streams is a pretty cool sign of what’s happening beneath the surface. Dragonfly nymphs are sensitive to pollution and changes in water quality, so finding them can tell us something about the health of our streams and waterways.

And here’s a fun fact: they breathe through gills inside their butts and can even use that water movement to jet themselves through the water! Sometimes the little things in our streams can tell us a lot about the health of the water.