Walking the Word of Wilma Dykeman

TITLE: Walking the Word of Wilma Dykeman

AUTHOR: Eliana Liantonio

PERMISSION to publish: Work Made for Hire

In the River Arts District of Asheville, North Carolina, the Wilma Dykeman Greenway is nestled between Riverside Drive and the beautiful French Broad River, providing a two-mile walking path, allowing locals and tourists a glimpse into natural wonder. Its namesake is Asheville’s own Wilma Dykeman, and it commemorates the environmental conservation Wilma's writing accomplished.

Ina recent discussion with my University of North Carolina at Asheville peers, we spoke about Wilma Dykeman’s lasting impact on Asheville’s environmental consciousness–specifically in her book, The French Broad. This book is essential to living in Asheville, something that anyone moving here should check out. The French Broad encapsulates the river’s history, vitality, and natural beauty, preserving Asheville’s ecological identity.

The French Broad River flows roughly 219 miles, beginning in Transylvania County and heading northeast into Henderson County before turning northwest towards Asheville. There, it merges with the Swannanoa River, then becomes the Tennessee River near Knoxville, and finally reaches the Mississippi River. The river’s origins date back to 260-325 million years ago – predating the formation of the Appalachian mountains. It is one of the few rivers in the United States that flows North instead of South, and has long held cultural significance for the Cherokee people.

Known in the Cherokee language as ᏙᎩᏯᏍᏗ – pronounced “tah-kee-os-tee” – the river has historically served as a vital water source for the Cherokee people. The name tah-kee-os-tee, meaning “racing waters”, refers to the history of the Cherokee using the river to race canoes. Near the end of the18th century, English colonizers from the Atlantic coast dubbed the river “Broad." The word “French” was later added for the French colonizers, who settled in the Mississippi Valley where the river drained.

The French Broad by Wilma Dykeman was first published in 1955, in a series of books called Rivers of America created by Constance Lindsay Skinner. The book covered topics including the history of the river and inhabitants of the area. Most potently, Dykeman wrote a chapter detailing the pollution of the French Broad, advocating for its cleanup.

Due to 19th century industrialization, businesses cropped up alongside the French Broad, producing dangerous amounts of pollution. The river became a dumping ground for trash, sewage, discarded automobiles, and chemical runoff. In her chapter “Who Killed The French Broad?” , Dykeman powerfully describes how “villages and factories dumped their trash and turned their backs," ultimately leading to the ruin of the river.

Dykeman emphasized the effects of pollution beyond the water, writing that “the life in theriver suffers; there is all the life along it, all the networks of creatures that live by water including man himself.” The severity of this pollution destroyed the river’s ecosystem, causing several native fish species to become endangered and presumed to be extinct. Fish species such as the Black Buffalo, the Smallmouth Buffalo, and the Smallmouth Redhorse were greatly impacted from the pollution. However, due to the attention Dykeman brought to the issue, dedicated restoration projects and conservation efforts have been made to work on bringing these species back to the French Broad.

In 1976, the Tennessee Valley Authority gave the Land of Sky Regional Council a grant in order to plan forthe river’s future revitalization. This kickstarted a decade of cleanup initiatives for the French Broad, both reducing pollution from previous years and improving the environment's health. Organizations like Asheville Greenworks and RiverLink, established in 1973 and the mid-1980s, respectively, continue to research and improve Asheville’s natural areas. RiverLink, in particular, focuses on protecting the French Broad River watershed, a mission influenced by Wilma Dykeman’s candid depiction of the river.

In 2004, RiverLink created the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Master Plan, a fifty-page proposal developed by consultants, community leaders, and board members to extend the River Front plan, which had created the Carrier and French Broad River parks. Through this project, RiverLink and many partners are purchasing and stewarding a 17-mile piece of land along the Swannanoa and French Broad rivers. Part of this land became the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.

The significance of naming this greenway after Dykeman is a testament to her work as a local Buncombe County author and advocate for its environment. Her outspoken opposition to pollution in The French Broad sparked decades of conscious efforts in preservation and conservancy. At a time when the issues of pollution were widely ignored, Wilma Dykeman refused to be silent.

The work to conserve the French Broad and its pathways is far from over. Numerous organizations continue to lead restoration efforts inspired by the words of Wilma Dykeman. Conserving Carolina, for example, is reshaping parts of the river to lower sediment pollution rates and reviving floodplains to restore habitats for native species.

Today, the French Broad River remains an essential Appalachian waterway. Preserving its ecology requires not only protecting the river itself, but also honoring its most ardent advocate – Wilma Dykeman. If you find yourself in the River Arts District, take a detour and explore the Wilma Dykeman Greenway. As Wilma Dykeman wrote in the closing of The French Broad , “I’m going out to smell fresh rain on summer dust and the prehistoric water odors of the old French Broad in flood. Won’t you come too?”