Becca, Garrett, and I just returned from a four-day float trip on the French Broad River from Brevard to Asheville (hosted by local conservation group, Mountain-True). We were able to enjoy this wonderful river and the sights and sounds of nature; however, it was startling to see the difference in water clarity between the French Broad and the various creeks and rivers that join it. The Davidson River, Little River, Mills River, and Bent Creek all flow through protected forest areas (Pisgah and DuPont). Where these tributaries joined the French Broad there was a line separating the two flows where you could see river bottom along the tributary and nothing but brown water along the French Broad; eventually the two rivers mixed so it was the color of the French Broad. Meanwhile, there wasn’t much difference in clarity between Mud Creek, Cane Creek, and the French Broad; and Hominy Creek in Asheville made the French Broad look like spring water. It’s hard to deny the impact of land use methodologies when you observe the aggregate effect where two rivers meet.
Likewise, racial violence and open bigotry in the media make it hard to deny that our current culture is dividing us. One of our UU principles grounds me in how to interact with both people and planet, namely: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. I certainly hope that message can spread and create awareness not only of how we impact each other, but how we need each other. For me, the good news is that we don’t have to fix government and industry or pass laws that protect this or that group or pollutant. The bad news is that we have to do the hard part of changing our culture.
One final note: there are beautifully clear rivers and streams flowing in our region, and our hosts informed us that the French Broad is making progress.
Joe Criscione
President