The New River Conservancy (NRC) is celebrating 50 years of protecting the waters, woodlands and wildlife of the New River watershed. Founded in 1975 as the National Committee for the New River to preserve the river’s headwaters in North Carolina (NC) and Virginia (VA), the Conservancy has expanded across the three states of the watershed, enhancing the value of the river as a vibrant Appalachian ecosystem, an economic engine, and a source of community pride.
Early work in opposition to a two-dam impoundment in Ashe & Allegany Counties in NC, and Grayson County, VA, led to President Ford designating 26 miles of the New River in North Carolina as a Wild and Scenic River and the establishment of the New River State Park, one of North Carolina’s most popular destinations. The NRC has continued to expand this park including the addition of the 66 acre “Nana falls” tract this past spring.
In Virginia, the Conservancy has been a spark for riverbank revitalization, planting over 70,000 trees in the past three years as we joined projects like the ‘Big Plant’, a volunteer program that partners with a diverse array of organizations and students to restore Stroubles Creek in Blacksburg.
In West Virginia, the Conservancy has become a galvanizing force among the outfitter and guide community, supporting stewardship of the New River that serves as an economic powerhouse for the region. Together with an immense volunteer presence, the NRC and partner river guides have removed over 10,000 tires from the river.
The Conservancy will be hosting events throughout the watershed in 2025 to celebrate communities that have come together throughout the organization’s history to protect the New River. In North Carolina, the third annual “Saved by a Salamander” festival is planned for May 17 in Grassy Creek, a community that would have been inundated by the proposed dams. In Virginia, the Conservancy’s Annual Meeting and celebration will be held at Claytor Lake on July 27th. Finally, in West Virginia, a 50th Birthday Party will be held near the New River Gorge National Park on October 25th, the day the Committee became a national movement. Additional events throughout the year can be found on the Conservancy’s website.
The NRC is also providing a unique way to thank all the paddlers who love the New River. The Conservancy will be launching a “50 Mile New River Expedition Challenge” and will be rewarding those who paddle 50 miles on the New in 2025 (all at once or in the aggregate) with a commemorative “New River Expedition” paddle medallion.
As part of the challenge, staff from the New River Conservancy will be earning their own medallions with four expeditions highlighting various parts of the Conservancy’s work. A North Carolina expedition will survey Hellbender salamanders, in Virginia, an expedition will celebrate the community-led development of the New River Water Trail and in West Virginia, an expedition will highlight the special contributions of the outfitter and guide community to the river’s health.
Andrew Downs, Executive Director for the New River Conservancy puts the anniversary in perspective: “From establishing and expanding the New River State Park to recovering from Hurricane Helene, the NRC has always been a tool in the hands of the people who love the New. Together with the special communities along the New River, the NRC has a lot to celebrate over the past 50 years and even more to look forward to in the future.”
More information about the New River Conservancy’s work, their anniversary celebrations and the New River Expedition Challenge can be found at https://newriverconservancy.org/new-river-expedition/
