Mountain Valleys
Resource Conservation and Development Council
Current Projects
The Upper Broad River Watershed Protection (UBRWP) Program, based in Lake Lure and covering the three counties of Rutherford, Henderson, and Buncombe, continued into its fifth year of existence this year. Two grants totaling over $690,000, one from EPA and one from CWMTF, were closed out December of 2003. Two new grants have been received from these organizations, and another $450,000 will be used to continue improvements in the watershed. Accomplishments under the first two grants included: 114 conservation plans written, 57 BMPs installed repairing 52.34 acres of eroded land, three riparian easements totaling 63.33 acres of riparian buffer, production of the booklet The Upper Broad River Watershed Protector’s Handbook, an educational video entitled Protecting the Upper Broad River Watershed, and monitoring of the water quality in the area. Efforts under the new grants will continue on new conservation plans for interested landowners, installation of BMPs and riparian easements, and continued education of the public concerning the needs of the watershed and opportunities for improvement.
Town of Marshall Fire Suppression - This project involves the installation of a non-potable water main inside the structure of the new bridge being built by DOT. It is envisioned that an all weather pump station will be placed on the opposite side of the river from the main part of town. The pump station would feed an 8” to 10” waterline to supply water for fire suppression in the downtown area. Many options for meeting the need for water for fire suppression have been considered, but none have proven feasible. This project is being adopted because the construction of the bridge has already been approved. The estimated cost for the project is $60,000 to $70,000.
Madison County Ag Center - This project is sponsored by the Madison County SWCD. The goal is to build agri-tourism in the county through the construction of a large agricultural center. It would be used for education and entertainment. It would encourage the merging of agriculture and tourism to promote and preserve Madison County agriculture and to increase the county’s economy. The estimated cost will be 1.5 to 2 million dollars. Grant money will be sought from the Golden Leaf Foundation. The measure proposal would be for assistance in grant writing and technical assistance.
Sedimentation and Erosion Control - Ivy River - This project is sponsored by the Madison County SWCD. They will be working with the Division of Water Quality on sedimentation and erosion control in the Ivy River watershed. The goal is to reduce/control sedimentation, especially in the part of the watershed that is above the water intake at the Weaverville water plant. Efforts on this project will be directed toward non-agricultural sedimentation sources as well as agricultural ones. It is an EPA 104B3 grant, which is a 90% cost share fund. Mountain Valleys RC&D will assist in writing the grant and working with DWQ. The estimated cost of the project is $150,000.
