OUR STORY
The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River (WATR) is a citizen-based group dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the health and quality of the Tuckasegee River and its watershed.
Our work is shaped by three priorities:
- We monitor the health of the river through multiple sampling programs and observation efforts.
- We restore damaged streambanks, insufficient riparian borders, and other problem areas.
- We educate people of all ages about how to care for our water and appreciate all that the watershed has to offer.
While we assist local, state, and federal regulators in their duties to protect water quality in the Tuckasegee River and its tributaries, we recognize that government alone can’t protect this natural resource– it’s up to all of us. Consequently, our members strive to be vigilant in identifying pollution and other threats to the river.
Our members have organized and mobilized to:
- Monitor weekly E. coli levels at 17 recreational sites.
- Organize monthly water quality sampling efforts at 20 sites for the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN).
- Develop Watershed Action Plans for Scotts and Savannah Creeks.
- Stabilize and restore riverbanks damaged by erosion, debris removal efforts, and poor development practices.
- Maintain the Discovery Trails at Monteith Farmstead and Community Park.
- Provide educational programming for K-12 and college groups, property owners, community groups, and other interested citizens.
- Develop educational materials addressing issues like erosion and sedimentation, riparian borders, and bacterial contamination.
- Help community members who have water quality concerns connect with appropriate resources.
- Inform ourselves about local water-related issues like plans for the removal of the Ela Dam, Planning Board proposals, and the status of threatened and endangered species in our streams.
- Collaborate with other groups in river clean-ups and environmental stewardship activities.
- Hold river events, such as hikes and canoe trips to enjoy the watershed.
- Enjoy the fellowship of like-minded citizens, dedicated to environmental stewardship.
- Promote businesses that strive to be good stewards of our resources.
WATR is a not-for-profit corporation established in 2001, and qualifies as a tax-exempt organization eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions pursuant to Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).