Love Your Watershed – French Broad Watershed Ambassador Program

Lead organization: Land of Sky Regional Council

This project builds upon and expands the French Broad River Partnership’s initiative “Love Your Watershed: Cultivating River Stewards of the French Broad Basin.” It targets river and water-dependent businesses to create a “River Ambassador” program and focuses on increasing broad public awareness of and involvement in addressing water quality issues in the French Broad River Basin (FBRB). It synergizes with member organization outreach efforts in subwatersheds throughout the basin, and provides unifying Love Your Watershed (LoYoWa) messaging and branding across the entire FBRB. This initiative is unique within the FBRB, and has already generated interest from several breweries who are eager to participate. 205(j) funding is being sought to formalize the program and provide the initial resources and supplies to get it started. 

The River Ambassador program will offer a variety of participation options under three main categories:

1. Outreach
2. Fundraising
3. Signage

See the Ambassador Program flyer here

Participating businesses will be provided with a “River Ambassador” door sign. FBRP member organizations will provide educational content and engagement opportunities at the respective businesses within their service area. The program will build upon existing relationships between FBRP member organizations and businesses, and will also create new partnerships, all with a common delivery and support structure. The program will create a sustainable source of funding to continue the Love Your Watershed initiative and FBRP activities.

This project continues the momentum and expands the reach and scope of the FBRP’s Love Your Watershed (LoYoWa) program by targeting river and water-dependent businesses to create a “River Ambassador” program.

Project Timeline

Phase 1 – Completed June 2023

• Developed program branding
  • Educational signage
  • Stickers
  • Coasters
  • Posters
• Initial partner engagement strategies
• Launched the program implementation at 9 sites
  • Six on French Broad River or nearby tributaries
  • Two in Pigeon River Subwatershed
  • One in the Nolichucky River sub-watershed
• Each site has a local host including Bearwaters Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Headwaters Outfitters, Zen Tubing, RiverLink, Yancey County, Madison County, and the towns of Waynesville and Marshall

Phase 2

• Phase 2 will provide the seed funding to create a self-sustaining LoYoWa “River Ambassador” program
• Currently, the FBRP Outreach & Education work group has focused on breweries and presented the program to the Asheville Brewers’ Association in August 2024.
  • Several breweries have expressed interest and two are already confirmed for participation in addition to the two breweries that participated in Phase 1.
• 205(j) funding is needed for staff time to formalize the program and develop additional outreach materials- print materials (River Ambassador door sign, stickers, coasters, posters, pint glasses) & customize, print and install LoYoWa educational signs (participating businesses will be encouraged to provide match funding). 
  • Ambassador Program Flyer submitted as application

Approach

1. Ambassador program development – meetings with businesses to structure participation, develop MOUs, plan for operational support from FBRP member organizations.
2. Outreach development – coordination with FBRP Outreach & Education work group to develop educational materials and activities.
3. Fundraising strategy and fund management – develop process for different fundraising options, manage fundraising platform and fund accounting.
4. Ambassador program expansion strategy and plan – identification of additional river and water-dependent businesses in the region, sector prioritization, targeted outreach, and program customization for sector-related water quality outreach and activities.

Project Outcomes

1. Increase participation in LoYoWa program (Phase 1 = 9 partners; Phase 2 goal ~ 20 partners).
2. Increase awareness and visibility of the LoYoWa program, and FBR basin water quality issues and solutions – breweries and river-dependent businesses like rafting companies are high traffic areas with tens of thousands of customers.
3. Provide a sustainable funding mechanism for the LoYoWa program and the French Broad River Partnership – Asheville-metro breweries alone have a nearly $1B economic impact (Riverbird Research 2021), which illustrates how many people can be reached through the program.

Official French Broad River Ambassadors

Previous Events

April 22, 2025 – Earth Day Trivia Night – Hi-Wire Brewing, Asheville, NC
Aug. 7, 2025 – All About Water Happy Hour – Oklawaha Brewing, Hendersonville, NC