Since Helene ravaged the region's rivers, MountainTrue volunteers and employees have handpicked 4 million pounds of debris out of WNC waterways.

In July, the NC Department of Environmental Quality awarded the environmental nonprofit $10 million to tackle storm cleanup, creating one of the largest river cleanup operations WNC has ever seen. And with a new $750,000 grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy Truist WNC Recovery and Resiliency Fund, MountainTrue will continue its work on an even bigger scale.

The grant allows MountainTrue to add a crew with more specialized technical experience to clear less accessible areas — its River Debris Cleanup Program currently employs 79 people, many of whom were initially left without work after the storm. The program expansion is also geographical, allowing crews to begin work in the upper French Broad and Nolichucky watersheds in eastern Tennessee. The new funding will continue waterway debris removal through August 2027. "We'll be here 'til the last bag of trash is gone," said MountainTrue Clean Waters Director Hartwell Carson.

Items range from t-shirts to family photos. | Photo by AVLtoday

Rescuing treasures from the rivers

Even through rainy, 40-degree mornings, MountainTrue's eight cleanup teams are pulling 10,000 pounds of debris out of the waterways per day. But among the trash, shards of metal, and PVC piping picked up along the rivers are people's precious belongings. MountainTrue’s Artifact Recovery Technician Mandy Wallace leads the Found Items Program, reuniting people with things they lost during the storm. Items from backpacks to scrapbooks to a very special Reba McEntire mug have found their way back to 12 people so far. A Facebook page documents the found items to help find their owners — explore the page to see if you can help identify anything.

Getting involved

While all cleanup roles have been hired, MountainTrue is always accepting volunteers for a variety of projects. Check out the calendar of upcoming opportunities, including a riverside cleanup in Chimney Rock and invasive plant removal near Sylva — public river cleanups will start to wind down once temperatures decrease.