Annual French Broad River Clean-up.

The French Broad River Clean Up remains the best volunteer gig in town! Since the inception of “The Upper French Broad River Clean Up Day” in 1992, the annual river clean-up has netted more than 3,500 garbage bags, 4,500 old tires and roughly 15 additional tons of trash along the upper French Broad. Over 3,000 volunteers have participated in the event, many of them returning year after year.
Volunteers show up at Headwaters at 9:00 am. Everyone will be assigned Headwaters Outfitters canoes (2 people max per canoe, no kayaks please), paddles, life jackets, and garbage bags. Participants should bring sturdy gloves, river shoes, and tools such as trash grabbers or long-handled barbecue tongs to grab trash with. It’s always a good idea to bring a change of clothing for afterwards! After a light complimentary sponsored breakfast, volunteers will hit the river to collect as much trash as they can. Volunteers need to have solid paddling skills, be team players, and be ready to get dirty and work hard. Headwaters Outfitters will provide transportation to and from the river for the start and end of the day. Once back at the shop, a sponsored lunch will be provided thanks to generous donations from community members and businesses.
In 2019, we started a new tradition for the clean-up; Dedicating the day to an individual who has been not only a river clean-up supporter, but also a long time steward of the French Broad River. We were honored that year to celebrate the life of Richard Fry, a “Friend of the River” recipient. In 2020, during the Global Pandemic, we were unfortunately unable to host our annual clean-up. While heartbreak was happening around the world, our own local community and river clean-up team suffered the loss of a very dear friend, Sara Cathey. Sara loved the French Broad River and held it dear. She grew up along its banks and was dedicated to being a good steward to our public lands and rivers. She was a long time volunteer and supporter of the river clean-up and we proudly announced the 2021 Annual River Clean-up in honor of her. This year’s 2022 recipient will be announced soon…
Anyone who would like to donate funds can send a check to the Headwaters Outfitters, P.O. Box 1057, Rosman, NC 28772. Make checks out to “The French Broad River Clean Up”.
All volunteers must pre-register via Eventbrite to secure your spot. Space is limited.