Blue Ridge Country July/August 2020 - 33

What to do: Wading and floating are
perfect plans for the Holston. Much of the
riparian areas are privately owned lands,
so a bit of research for ramps and access
points is required.
The river is a lesser-known yet premier waterway for fly fishing. The upper
20 miles of the Cherokee Dam tailwaters
are exceptional for rainbow and brown
trout-with the chance to land one measuring over 20 inches.
Factoid: In the late 18th Century, the
Holston River was viewed as Virginia's
southern boundary since the line had
never been surveyed.
Challenges: By this summer, corrective
measures and compliance with pollution
permits must be completed by an ammunition plant in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Get Involved:
* Legacy Parks Foundation (legacyparks.org): "We work collaboratively to preserve our natural area's extraordinary natural resources and to expand parks, create
trails and increase access to our rivers."

North Toe River
Born in the mountains of western North
Carolina, this meandering river is a (fairly) well-kept secret of natural beauty,
environmental significance and long human history.
Description: With headwaters in Sugar
Gap, it travels alongside U.S. Route 19E
and traces the base of the eastern-facing

mountains on its way to join the South
Toe, Cane and Nolichucky rivers to the
west. While technically classified as a
"stream," it's the largest in the North Carolina high country.
What to do: Angling, swimming and
paddling in cool summer waters, as well as
snowy mountain winters attract visitors to
the river valley. Hike maintained trails for
scenic vistas. Fish in winter at the delayedharvest section for rainbows, browns and
brookies.
Challenges: A sewage leak and the illegal discharge of hundreds of gallons
of hydrofluoric acid in 2018 near Spruce
Pine closed the river nearby and killed
fish in the area. Discharge permits for ongoing mine processing facilities continue
to be a challenge. Ongoing efforts, such
as the removal of a dilapidated concrete
dam, extraction of a fallen train trestle,
fencing livestock and restoration of native plants, are creating a healthier watershed for the Toe.
Get Involved:
* Toe River Valley Watch (toerivervalley.org): "Works with local, regional,
state and national partners for the sake
of our region's precious waterways and
the future of the communities that depend on them."

French Broad River
As the largest watercourse in western
North Carolina, this river on its journey

BELOW: The Holston has sections for great fly fishing, as well as student aquatic studies.
COURTESY OF USFWS

to Tennessee reminds us of our impact
on nature and the tenacity required to
make amends.
Description: Flowing north for 218
miles from North Carolina into Tennessee, the watershed for this river covers
4,000 miles of streams and tributaries. For
117 miles the waterway is a designated
"blueway" or paddle trail in North Carolina. It is a designated state scenic river
across the line in Tennessee. Near its lower
end, Douglas Dam creates a large lake.
What to do: Enjoy swimming, fishing,
kayaking and tubing on the water; hiking
and camping at several primitive wilderness areas along the shores. Explore the
thriving arts district and the completed
portions of Asheville's greenway system,
aptly named The Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan.
Factoid: The headwaters are west of the
Eastern Continental Divide; and its confluence with the Holston River forms the
headwaters of the Tennessee River.
Challenges: During the first half of
the 20th Century, the French Broad was
the unfortunate recipient of negligent
practices, human trash and pollution.
Thanks to the author (and this writer's
former university professor) Wilma
Dykeman, this devastating trajectory began to change with her stewardship novel, "The French Broad" (1955). As one of
the first voices defending the health of
the environment, she exposed the damages of logging, industrial dumping and
"a half-dozen other related malpractices"
(p. 289) into this watershed.
Current-day issues still remain. Potential leaching and/or failure of impoundments holding toxic coal ash, sewage
bacteria, chemical runoff and petroleum
product spills all continue to threaten the
health of the French Broad. However, ongoing monitoring and dedicated efforts
have greatly improved the overall health
of this river.
Get Involved:
* French Broad Riverkeeper (mountaintrue.org): "We value the integrity of natural systems-air, land, water and native
plants and animals-and believe in protecting and restoring them for the benefit
of all generations."
* Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
(southeastcoalash.org): "We are a group
of [seven] environmental and commu-

JULY/AUGUST 2020

Blue Ridge Country July/August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country July/August 2020