RiverLink was selected as one of four organizations from throughout the United States to receive the 9th Annual CF Industries National Watershed Award. The awards recognize model conservation programs that forge innovative partnerships designed to protect critical watersheds and improve water quality by balancing environmental and economic objectives. RiverLink was awarded a $10,000 grant for its efforts to improve water quality in the Swannanoa Watershed.

Michael Miller, RiverLink’s Water Quality Specialist, has focused his efforts over the past four years on installing water quality improvement projects (“best management practices”) both in the Town of Black Mountain and the City of Asheville. Additional projects include restoring a one mile section of the Swannanoa River at Azalea Park and acquisition of conservation easements to provide linkages of greenways and trails.

The CF Industries National Watershed Award was established as an outgrowth of the National Forum on Nonpoint Source Pollution convened by the National Geographic Society and The Conservation Fund. The goal of the National Forum was to identify and implement innovative, nonregulatory solutions to “nonpoint source pollution” – runoff from farms, construction sites, lawns and parking lots – based on economic incentives, voluntary initiatives and education.