Water champions honored
Haywood Waterways Association had a hard time choosing from the many people and organizations deserving of its annual awards recognizing outstanding effort to protect Haywood County’s waterways. Five winners received three awards during the organization’s annual membership dinner in December 2019.
The Pigeon River Award, which recognizes individuals or organizations making a significant contribution to protecting Haywood County’s land and water resources, was bestowed upon three winners.
The Haywood County Agricultural Advisory Board received the award for its work to protect farmland and green space from development. The Voluntary Ag District and Enhanced Voluntary Ag District programs the board started have protected more than 15,000 acres and served as models for other counties. The organization has also helped farmers protect 1,800 acres using conservation easements.
The North Carolina chapter of The Conservation Fund received an award for helping to permanently protect more than 7,000 acres in Maggie Valley. The work has focused on protecting Maggie’s drinking water supply, with 52 percent of Campbell Creek and 35 percent of Upper Jonathan Creek protected to date.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was the third organization recognized. Since 1993, the nonprofit has protected more than 12,000 acres of land in Haywood County, including Cataloochee Ranch, Waynesville Watershed, Canton’s Rough Creek Watershed and Cold Mountain Game Lands. In the past year alone, SAHC has helped nine property owners permanently protect more than 760 acres.
The Big Creek Award for Partner of the Year went to Dave Angel of Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley, who gave land to the town for establishment of Elevated Park. The property includes 160 linear feet of frontage on Jonathan Creek, which was severely eroding prior to a streambank restoration project being completed. Angel donated 10 asphalt parking spaces adjacent to Elevated Park to be removed so a stormwater collection and treatment device called a bioswale could be built, and he regularly hosts and supports Haywood Waterways events.
The Richard T. Alexander Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Jim Pearson, who in one year put in more than 450 hours of labor to remove 200 bags of trash. Estimated at 8,000 pounds, most of the trash came from the place where Richland Creek enters Lake Junaluska.
