|  | After the Flood: The Heartbeat of Restoration RiverLink’s mission for restoration and revitalization came into sharp focus in 2025. Helene and its preceding tropical storm delivered over 30 inches of rain across parts of Western North Carolina. An event analysis by NOAA tells the story; one rain station in Yancey County recorded the equivalent of five and a half months’ of rain in just four days. The French Broad River gathers about 4,000 miles of streams, and a significant percentage of WNC landowners have a stream on their property. During Helene, small streams became scouring torrents, stripping streambanks bare and leaving highly eroded, unstable conditions that contribute ongoing sediment pollution. The resulting damage is more than many property owners are able to address. Now in its 40th year, RiverLink is proud to be focusing on restoration and resilience that keeps flowing waters front of mind, as our communities continue building back. Our projects are living proof that designing with nature in mind supports lasting solutions for everyone who lives, works, and plays in the French Broad watershed. |
|  | Recovery + Resilience Planning In response to Helene, RiverLink added a fourth program pillar that returns to our roots for revitalization in the River Arts District, while forging new relationships in hard-hit Swannanoa and elsewhere—convening stakeholders and marshalling restoration resources wherever communities seek resilience near rivers and streams. A collaborative partnership with UnifiedRAD (and funded by Etsy) provided stakeholder-driven visioning and planning services centering the creative community in the RAD, facilitated by the international design firm, Sasaki Associates. The compelling stories revealed by this effort, and the strategic outcomes for community resilience will be published soon; please stay tuned! |
|  | "We are grateful to work in a community that contains not only the river, but the river keepers; not only the beauty of nature but the artists who reflect that beauty in their work. Protecting and celebrating the River Arts District with our partners like Riverlink is an honor, and important to the culture and community of WNC." –Kimberly Self Hundertmark, River Arts District Artists Foundation |
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|  |  | Water Resources The rivers’ banks experienced as much damage as the human structures did—damage that continues with each major storm. RiverLink’s Adopt A Stream program has been working with property owners whose waterways experienced erosion after Hurricane Helene, equipping residents with the resources and knowledge to repair raw streambanks in Buncombe, Madison, Henderson, Transylvania and Yancey counties. |
|  | “Deep appreciation to RiverLink and the Warren Wilson students they brought to help restore my flood-ravaged property along the Swannanoa. Now my riverbank is more resilient to future storms. I am so pleased!" – Bill Queen, Swannanoa Resident |
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|  |  | Youth Education As normalcy returned, so did area students—many forever changed by the impact of flowing waters. When schools and communities re-opened after Helene, RiverLink was there to help reconnect kids with the natural world. Our free environmental programming in and after school helped students understand what happened to our waterways, process their emotions around the flood, and learn how humans can be more resilient in the future. We are deeply grateful to the many partners who welcomed us into their schools and programs for new and established lessons from our RiverRATS curriculum and we’re excited to keep these partnerships going in 2026. |
|  | “The whole experience was great! We loved having RiverLink bring the flood/soil erosion simulation table to the school. Students were engaged with the lesson and had a lot of fun while learning about topics that were relevant to our curriculum.” – Drew Sencabaugh, Teacher at Odyssey School |
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|  |  | Land Conservation When the flood waters receded, the land remained, needing stewardship and care. In 2025, our Land Program continued its focus on the health of the parks, greenways, and protected properties we manage, so they can continue serving as demonstration projects for ecological resilience near our dynamic waterways. (Pro tip: RiverLink will be opening two new riverside parks in 2026—one each on the French Broad and Swannanoa—so stay tuned for more on those!) |
|  | "I’ve added the trail through the Karen Cragnolin Park meadow to my list of favorite macrophotography spots in WNC." - Jim Clark, Local Nature Photographer |
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|  |  | Rivers of Gratitude for 40 years RiverLink has deep roots in this community. Our projects are anchored in the understanding that our economic well-being is inextricably linked to the health of local waterways—and that wise use of stream-adjacent land prioritizes stream conditions. We were incredibly gratified when RiverLink contributors broke several organization records in 2025, supporting the restoration and revitalization of the French Broad and her tributaries in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Transylvania counties. We are humbled by your generosity, and excited for the work ahead. |
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| DID YOU KNOW… RiverLink is celebrating 40 years of Impact for the French Broad and her tributaries in 2026? That’s thousands of hours of stewardship for 32 properties in our conservation portfolio; tens of thousands of students educated for preservation of clean water; dozens of capital projects for green stormwater solutions; and a ribbon of river parks for all to enjoy in Asheville. “I support RiverLink because the restoration and revitalization of the French Broad is important to our entire community. This organization gets so much done - whether it’s leading development of new parks and greenways, protecting tributary streams, reducing stormwater pollution, or providing environmental education for kids.” –Chuck Clonginger, former Asheville City Council Member. |
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| DID YOU KNOW… RiverLink is celebrating 40 years of Impact for the French Broad and her tributaries in 2026? That’s thousands of hours of stewardship for 32 properties in our conservation portfolio; tens of thousands of students educated for preservation of clean water; dozens of capital projects for green stormwater solutions; and a ribbon of river parks for all to enjoy in Asheville. “I support RiverLink because the restoration and revitalization of the French Broad is important to our entire community. This organization gets so much done - whether it’s leading development of new parks and greenways, protecting tributary streams, reducing stormwater pollution, or providing environmental education for kids.” –Chuck Clonginger, former Asheville City Council Member. |
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| | Our waterways connect us – and the river represents our ecological address. Please join us for the health of the French Broad! |
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