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Registration is Now Open for A Day at the C.R.E.E.K.

July 28th or July 29th, 2009

HRWC is again offering single-day camps for youth that will be entering the 6th, 7th or 8th grades this year. The purpose of C.R.E.E.K. (Creative Recreational and Environmental Education for Kids) is to educate local young people about basic water quality science information that can be shared with others, to encourage the application of environmentally sound practices at home, and to promote career opportunities in the sciences. Identical camps will be offered from 9:00-4:00 on July 28th at Konehete Park in Murphy and July 29th at the Rivercane Walk on the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown.

The camps are FREE and open to residents of Cherokee and Clay counties, NC and Towns and Union counties, GA. Relatives of watershed residents and youth from surrounding counties will be allowed to participate if space allows. Also, if there is enough interest, HRWC will schedule another camp in Towns or Union counties.

For more information, including registration forms, visit the C.R.E.E.K. page.

A participant at A Day at the C.R.E.E.K. 2008 completes a test to determine how much dissolved oxygen is the water sample she collected.

Students and teachers worked on Earth Day to remove invasive plants along the Valley River at the Murphy High School track.

Do You Have Invasive Plants on Your Property?

Chances Are the Answer is "Yes"!

Restoration coordinator, Tony Ward recently compiled general information and photographs of nearly 30 species of invasive plants that are commonly found in the upper Hiwassee River watershed. Web pages have been created to help educate residents as to which species to avoid and why. HRWC has started a series of workdays to remove invasive plants from the riparian buffers of our restoration project sites. If you are interested in learning more about invasive plants and/or you want to be notified of future restoration program workdays, email Tony or call (828) 837-5414 ext. 203.

Click here to visit the new Invasive Plants web pages.

Get Involved!

New Program Committees Established

One of the actions taken by the HRWC Board of Directors as a result of the membership-wide survey and priority-setting session conducted last fall was to establish a series of program committees. Each of HRWC’s four major program areas now has a committee that will be comprised of members, directors, and staff. The primary purpose of the committees is to assist with both long-range and short-term planning in each program area. Another almost equally important purpose is to provide a way for more members to get involved with the organization beyond participation in pre-planned events!

One more thing… the idea of these committees is not to hold a bunch of meetings to talk about things that we never get around to doing! The idea is meet once or twice a year to plan and organize what we’re doing. Please visit the Program & Activity Committees page for details. We’re sure there is a place for you to contribute your skills!

Nominations Currently Being Accepted for the

2010 Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award

The Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award was created by HRWC in 2008 to honor the person that has done the most to advance HRWC’s mission of facilitating water quality improvements in the upper Hiwassee River watershed. Nominations are being solicited through September 15, 2009 for the award that will be presented at the 2nd Annual Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award Banquet in 2010. The award is named for Bill Holman who is currently Director of State Policy at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University.

For a more detailed award description, guidelines, and a nomination form, please visit the Award page.

Newly Released Resource Pages Will Support

Implementation of Watershed Action Plans

Supplemental resource pages have been developed by HRWC to provide more detail about selected strategies recommended in the Peachtree-Martins Creek Watershed Management Plan and the Lake Chatuge Watershed Action Plan to improve water quality and watershed health. With a couple of clicks you can learn what a riparian buffer is, where to go for detailed instructions on how to create a backyard rain garden, or find tips for water conservation. You can also learn more about erosion control best management practices, what the elements of a "conservation-based" development are, and the value of post-construction stormwater BMPs for controlling flooding. Printable versions of these newly released fact sheets are also available from the Publications page.

Need HRWC Web Site Assistance? Email the Web Site Administrator.