The settlers were more literal in their naming of the

river. They had already encountered wide streams

or “broads” that flowed away from the ocean they

or their parents had crossed. But this river ran north-

west into what was then French territory and eventually

joined the mighty Mississippi. To the newcomers, it was plainly the French Broad.

The headwaters of the French Broad River spill from a 50-foot waterfall in Transylvania County.

Known as Court House Falls, the waterfall rushes into a creek that feeds the North Fork, which

joins the West Fork near Rosman and eventually the Middle and East forks to form the French

Broad. About half the land surrounding these headwater streams is forested, with much of the

basin within the Pisgah National Forest or Pisgah Game Lands. Steep slopes limit the land area

suitable for building and farming. In fact, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River rises

from this basin—Mount Mitchell stretches 6,684 feet skyward.

The French Broad River Basin drains land in both North Carolina and Tennessee. Besides the

French Broad River, the basin includes two other major watersheds in North Carolina: the Pigeon

and Nolichucky rivers—tributaries that join the French Broad in Tennessee. The Mills, Davidson,

and Swannanoa rivers are major tributaries of

the French Broad River in North Carolina.

T he Cherokee Indians already had countless names for the French Broad River bythe time white huntsmen first approached this mountain region. Their river was

“Long Man” and its tributaries “Chattering Children.”

Total miles of streams and rivers:

4,136

Municipalities within basin: 25

Counties within basin: 8

Size: 2,830 square miles

Population: 392,906 (2000)

(in North Carolina)

profile:

RIVERBASINFRENCH BROAD

The French Broad originates

from a tiny waterfall (left);

the basin's Mount Mitchell

is the tallest peak in the

East (below).

BEN T. WALTERS

BILL LEA

TnVa

Trout are abundant in the upper reaches of the basin, and many waters

have such good quality that the state classifies them as High Quality or

Outstanding Resource Waters. Outstanding Resource Waters in the

basin include most of the South Fork Mills River, the South Toe River

(a Nolichucky River tributary), and Cataloochee Creek and its tributaries (Pigeon River trib-

utaries). Such waters receive extra protection due to excellent water quality and exceptional

ecological or recreational significance.

Unique plants and animals also distinguish the French Broad River Basin. It’s the only river

basin in North Carolina where you’ll find the 9-inch aquatic salamander called the common

mudpuppy or the distinctive turtle known as the Eastern spiny softshell. The Cane River, which

feeds into the Nolichucky, contains several rare fish, notably almost the entire state population

of sharphead darters, striped shiners, stonecats and olive darters.

fast FACTS: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.

Natural Heritage Pro-

gram. These wetlands

are home to North

Carolina’s largest pop-

ulation of the swamp

pink, a plant in the lily

family that is federally

listed as a threatened

species (pictured

above). The entire

area is nicknamed the

“Pink Beds” and got its

name from the resident

pink-blooming flowers

that also include wild

phlox and mountain

laurels.

A bobcat makes a rare

daytime appearance,

framed in fall foliage.

Hellbender (right); eastern

spiny softshell (far right)

BILL LEA

WAYNE VAN DEVENDER WAYNE VAN DEVENDER

USFWS

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 no

other rivers of the state appear here, including the freshwater drum, banded sculpin and mooneye.

Two rare aquatic species live in all three watersheds of the French Broad: the hellbender, a large,

uncommon aquatic salamander; and the Appalachian elktoe, a freshwater mussel that is feder-

ally listed as endangered. Recreation, including fishing and rafting, also makes the French Broad

River an outstanding 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. There are nine rapids on the 8-mile section of river between Barnard and Hot Springs.

The Pigeon River below Canton has been a

hot spot for decades as wastewater discharges

from a paper plant caused serious pollution of

the river. In spite of improvements made at the

plant in the ‘70s and ‘80s, dioxin (a byproduct

of the bleaching process and a significant con-

taminant) still entered the river. The paper com-

pany, now known as Blue Ridge Paper Prod-

ucts, replaced chlorine as a bleaching agent in

1993. Employees bought the company in 1999,

pledging to cooperate with state agencies and

environmentalists to improve the condition of

the river. A decade ago, an observer might see

a solid raft of foam on the Pigeon River from

the company’s wastewater. Today the view is

of a progressively cleaner river that supports

rafting, paddling and fishing.

ASHEVILLE IS

THE BASIN’SLARGEST CITY.

CHARLES BRASWELL JR.

fast FACTS:Rock Window

The faulted and folded

rocks of the Hot Springs

area form an extraordi-

nary geologic “window”

where one can see sed-

imentary rock buried

under older metamor-

phic rock. Other nearby

earthly attractions

include Paint Rock

and Lover’s Leap.

CHARLES BRASWELL JR.

GEORGE HUMPHRIES

Pigeon River

FRENCH BROADRIVER BASIN

You may notice “French

Broad River Basin” signs

posted along highways

throughout the basin.

The signs are part of a

statewide educational

program to raise pub-

lic awareness that we

all live in a river basin

and that our individual

actions affect the

quality of its waters.

Signs in all 17 river

basins of the state

are made possible by

a partnership between

the N.C. Department of

Environment and Nat-

ural Resources and the

N.C. Department of

Transportation, along

with funds from the

Federal Transportation

Enhancement Program.

Looking Glass Falls, Transylvania

County (left); a whitewater kayaker

finds thrills, not spills (above).

Nature lovers pause along

the Appalachian Trail in the

Pisgah National Forest.

Water quality is generally good in the basin, but several areas still cause

concern. The greatest impacts on water quality occur along the middle

and lower French Broad River and some smaller tributaries. Apple

orchards and croplands for corn, tomatoes and burley tobacco, along

with dairy operations and urban development, contribute significant

amounts of nonpoint source pollution. Those pollutants include pes-

ticides, fertilizer, oil, heavy metals, animal wastes and eroded sediment

that are washed from land or paved surfaces when it rains. Individuals

also contribute to this type of pollution through everyday activities

like maintaining their lawns and gardens, washing and servicing their

vehicles, and leaving behind pet waste when walking their dogs.

N.C. DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

BILL LEA

KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC

State of North Carolina: Governor Michael F. Easley • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: SecretaryWilliam G. Ross Jr. • Office of Environmental Education: Director Anne Taylor • This publication was funded through the Clean Water

Act’s Section 319 Grant Program: Project Manager Lisa Tolley • Editor Carla Burgess • Designer Kimberly Schott, Red Gate Design

• Special Thanks North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission • Date: 2002 • No state funds were used to print this public document.

Printed on recycled paper

JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC

JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC

KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC

The Little River flows

through the 10,400-acre

DuPont State Forest.

In the future, urban growth may surpass agricul-

ture as the major cause of nonpoint source pol-

lution in the basin. Between 1982 and 1992,

cultivated and uncultivated cropland decreased

by about 67 percent, while urban and devel-

oped lands grew by about 42 percent. Hender-

sonville and Black Mountain are among the

fastest growing cities in the basin. As popula-

tion and development increase, so will the chal-

lenges for protecting the basin’s water resources.

Major revitalization efforts are under way in

Asheville, the basin’s largest city, to protect

and promote the French Broad River as a

recreational resource. Civic groups, local governments and researchers

have joined hands to revitalize the river. The resulting organization,

RiverLink, stages events every year to raise money for conservation

efforts. RiverLink also runs the Volunteer Water Information Network,

one of the state’s largest water quality monitoring efforts conducted

by volunteers. Other groups in the basin also are working to protect

streams and rivers in the basin.

Triple Falls, Dupont

State Forest

View from Looking

Glass Rock

WHERE SHOULD

I GO

WHAT CAN I DO

WHO SHOULD

I CONTACT

?

??

What makes the French Broad River Basin special? See for yourself. Visit these

Environmental Education Centers to discover more about your ecological address:

� BackCountry Outdoor Education Center

� Blue Ridge Parkway

� Bullington Horticultural Environmental

Education Center

� Colburn Gem and Mineral Museum

� Eagle’s Nest Foundation

� Flat Rock Nature Center

� Forest Discovery Center, Cradle of

Forestry in America

� Holmes Educational State Forest

� Long Branch Environmental Education Center

� Mount Mitchell State Park

� Mountain Horticultural Crops

Research Station

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.ee.enr.state.nc.us

� Do your part to positively influence water quality in the French Broad River Basin.

� Get involved in basinwide planning or a local organization interested in rivers and

streams in the river basin.

� Take the time to learn about the environmental consequences of your actions.

The following contacts can provide information:� North Carolina Office of Environmental Education, Department of Environ-

ment and Natural Resources, (800) 482-8724 or (919) 733-0711, Web site:

http://www.ee.enr.state.nc.us

� Stream Watch Program, Division of Water Resources, Department of Environment and

Natural Resources, (919) 733-4064, Web site http://www.ncwater.org

� Land of Sky Regional Council, (828) 251-6622, Web site http://www.landofsky.org

� Pigeon River Fund, (828) 254-4960, Web site http://www.pigeonriverfund.org/

� RiverLink/French Broad Riverkeeper, (828) 252- 8474, Web site http://www.riverlink.org

� Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN), University of North Carolina at Asheville,

(828) 251-6823

� Haywood Waterways Association, (828) 452-9077, Web site http://www.haywoodwaterways.org

� Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Depart-

ment of Environment and Natural Resources. Go to http://www.enr.state.nc.us/DSWC/

files/dos.htm for a listing of all county offices, call (919) 733-2302 or check your local

phone book in the county government blue pages.

To find out more about water quality in the French Broad River Basin, contact the Division

of Water Quality’s Basinwide Planning Program, Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, at (919) 733-5083, Web site http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/basinwide/.

� Mountain Trail Outdoor School

� Purchase Knob: Appalachian Highlands

Science Learning Center

� The North Carolina Arboretum

� North Carolina Outward Bound School

� North Fork Water Treatment Facility

and Education Center

� Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education

� Swannanoa 4-H Educational Center

� Western North Carolina Nature Center

� YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly

Environmental Education Center

� YMCA Camp Greenville

NCWRC