On July 1, 2019 Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition merged with a larger regional environmental nonprofit called MountainTrue to establish MountainTrue’s new Western Regional Office. Although this step ensures a measure of sustainability, we still need everyone’s support to continue our vital programs in the upper Hiwassee River watershed.
General donations to MountainTrue will be attributed to the various offices’ budgets by zip code, so your donations will continue to go straight into our budget for programs and projects in the western region. The merger allows us to continue HRWC’s existing programs and to build one organization that can effectively advance the interests of our mountain region.
As of June 2019, the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition was a 25-year-old private, nonprofit organization dedicated to sustaining good water quality in creeks, lakes and rivers that flow into the Hiwassee River. The Coalition worked with local landowners, governments, schools and businesses to understand and address threats to our water resources. With a staff of knowledgeable professionals, the Coalition planned and implemented volunteer-powered projects to solve problems before water quality was beyond reasonable recovery. The Coalition also monitored water quality across the region and conducted education programs for all ages about water quality concerns and what individuals can do to help.
From 2000-2018, the Coalition brought $7.3 million in grant funding into the upper Hiwassee River watershed. Approximately 93% of these funds were spent for on-the-ground projects and programs to facilitate water quality improvements in areas where it has declined! Less than seven percent went to the Coalition for operating support.