Haywood Waterways became a nonprofit member corporation on Sept. 23, 1998. With help from volunteers, Haywood Waterways has gathered baseline water quality data for the Pigeon River Watershed since 1996 and currently has 25 monitoring stations across Haywood County, and it continues to conduct micro-invertebrate sampling throughout the watershed, as it has done since the late 1990s.

Since its inception, Haywood Waterways has collaborated with numerous organizations on projects across the Pigeon River Watershed and French Broad River Basin. These partnerships have resulted in the Pigeon River Watershed Action Plan and successful projects from more than $12 million in grant funding. Since 1997, the annual Kids in the Creek program has provided an immersive learning experience for more than 16,500 eighth graders since 1997.

The Aug. 19 event will include a chance to learn more about Haywood Waterways and share experiences — with drink deals available for members.