|  |  | Recovery Blooms and the Rivers Roll On One year after Hurricane Helene’s devastating floods, we continue to see signs of resilience and recovery across our watershed. The storm left scars—on our rivers, our greenways, and in our communities—but it also deepened our understanding of how connected we are to each other and to the waterways that shape our lives. In this anniversary issue of our newsletter, we highlight moments of renewal: places where nature is flourishing, people are reconnecting, and hope is taking root along the French Broad. |
|  | In the weeks immediately following Helene’s flooding, one of the clearest needs we heard was: “We need someplace we can just be outdoors.” Whether the impulse was to laugh, to cry, or just to pause and think, people sought healing in open space. Fortunately, the damage to RiverLink’s Karen Cragnolin Park was minimal, and our work with Patchwork Meadows has continued toward the vision of creating the largest public pollinator meadow in Asheville. Today, that vision is alive. Native wildflowers, birds, and bees have returned to what was once an auto junkyard, transforming it into a flourishing meadow. It is a living reminder that recovery is possible and that beauty can emerge from even the most difficult seasons. Thank you to our friend Jim Clark for capturing the photos (above) of the meadow in bloom. |
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|  |  | Stronger Banks, Stronger Rivers From blooming meadows to flowing streams, signs of recovery keep emerging, and our riverbanks are no exception. Healthy rivers depend on more than just clean water; the riverbanks themselves are vital. These riparian zones, rich with native plants and trees, act as natural buffers that prevent erosion, slow storm runoff, and filter pollutants like sediment, the French Broad’s #1 pollutant by weight. During Hurricane Helene, streambanks with healthy vegetation largely held firm, while areas with degraded banks suffered severe erosion, property losses, and infrastructure damage. Many riverbanks remain vulnerable, and without intervention they will continue to erode for years to come. That’s why RiverLink launched the Adopt-a-Stream program in January 2025, helping landowners restore and revegetate streambanks. In just nine months, this work has already made a big impact: - 38 repairs completed, totaling 12,227 linear feet of restored streambank
- 3,872 native trees and 2,582 grasses & wildflowers planted
- 65 property owners supported with site-specific consultations
We will continue our Adopt-a-Stream Program into 2026, prioritizing streams where owners cannot afford to do the repairs. Do you know someone who needs assistance? Click here to learn more about this program. |
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|  |  | Learning, Healing, and Reconnecting In the year since Hurricane Helene, RiverLink’s education program has focused on helping students process what happened in our community and rebuild their connection with the waterways around them. Recovery takes many forms, and we saw it take root in the curiosity and resilience of our youth. This past year, we leaned into teaching in ways that both acknowledged the challenges of the storm and created space for healing. Students explored how our water infrastructure functions, gaining a clearer understanding of the struggles we faced last fall. They created nature-based art that gave them an outlet for expression and a space to process these complex emotions. In the classroom, we used hands-on simulations to show how flooding happens and what can be done to reduce its impacts. And as the seasons turned, we began returning to creeks and smaller waterways together, discovering the life that still persists beneath the surface—an inspiring reminder of nature’s resilience. The topics we explored together were not easy or light. Yet time and again, students approached them with curiosity, honesty, and vulnerability. In their reflections, questions, and discoveries, we find hope for our community’s future. We are deeply proud of the progress we’ve seen in our youth this year, and grateful to witness the strength, imagination, and resilience they carry with them into tomorrow. |
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|  |  | Reflecting on the RAD Asheville’s River Arts District holds a special place in RiverLink’s heart. Our visionary founder, Karen Cragnolin, inspired local actors and played an instrumental role in the district’s evolution from a dilapidated industrial corridor into a vibrant and thriving creative community engaged in adaptive reuse of its historic brick buildings. Unfortunately, the powerful Hurricane Helene delivered extensive damage especially to the lower sections of the RAD, forcibly altering the landscape and the opportunities. One year on, RiverLink is delighted to report that our work with the River Arts District community, Unified RAD and the project design team at Sasaki continues to move forward with energy. As we’ve shared in previous communications, we received a significant grant to help define the next chapter of the RAD post-Helene, ensuring the craft community can continue to thrive with greater flood resilience going forward. After the first round of in-person charretting with representatives who work, live and own property in the RAD, plus City of Asheville staff and local Black leaders, we have transitioned into the second phase which included over 1,150 folks—from inside and outside of the RAD—completing a detailed online survey to help define the priorities and attributes for a more flood-resilient RAD. Next up: Sasaki has returned to reflect and share with district stakeholders all they have gathered, and to introduce preliminary imaginations of small, medium and large-scale catalyst projects that would help advance the project goals of a thriving, flood-resilient creative community. Please stay tuned for more, including a community-wide event to share the results in early November. |
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|  |  | Spotlight on Generosity | Mast General Store RiverLink is thrilled to shine a spotlight on our friends at a WNC icon, Mast General Store. Since 1979, owners John and Faye Cooper—and now their daughter, CEO Lisa Cooper—demonstrate our shared commitment to the core mission of a land trust. “The work of land trusts and conservancies benefits everyone,” they wrote in a recent blog. “By protecting wetlands and open spaces, the damage caused by flood waters can be lessened, and when wildlife has habitat preserved, native plants are saved to continue contributing to the biodiversity of the area, and WE have recreational spaces to enjoy.” The Coopers have placed conservation easements on several properties they own and others that are owned by the business. Their decades of investment in the community have been recognized through the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor. (RiverLink founder Karen Cragnolin also received this award.) In the wake of Helene, Mast General Store made a significant contribution to support RiverLink’s work for restoration of area waterways. We are humbled and honored to have such partners with us in the work to conserve WNC’s essential natural resources. |
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| | Other News - No Water, No Beer | Join RiverLink and the Environmental Quality Institute on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 5pm for an evening at Burial Beer’s Forestry Camp. Tickets ($40, available at the door) include a refreshing beverage, a delicious meal, and the chance to bid on silent auction items like aquatic outings, unique accommodations, and a paddleboard package from Hellbender Paddleboards.
- Resilient Communities | Hurricane Helene deeply impacted Swannanoa and Woodfin, highlighting long-standing vulnerabilities. RiverLink is part of a Fernleaf-led project, funded through a $130,000 Climate Smart Communities Initiative grant, to support community-led planning, hazard assessments, and recovery efforts. Learn more here.
- River Champion Award | RiverLink has been named the 2025 Tennessee River Champion for Science & Management by the Tennessee River Basin Network (TRBN). Only two “River Champions” are recognized each year. Read the Mountain Xpress article
- Volunteer Spotlight | Huge thanks to Signature Wealth, whose team of financial advisors from across the Southeast volunteered with RiverLink to restore native habitats at Karen Cragnolin Park, AB Tech, and the Erskine community.
- Gateway Park Pavilion | RiverLink is partnering with Engineers Without Borders to design a flood-resilient pavilion at Gateway Park, echoing the historic carousel once located there. The new structure will be compatible with the dynamic French Broad and is planned for completion in 2026.
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| | Thanks for being part of our French Broad River community! |
| RiverLink promotes the environmental and economic vitality
of the French Broad River and its watershed. Please join us with a gift today! |
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| | Contact Us information@riverlink.org | 828-252-8474 |
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