A RiverLink rain barrel construction workshop will be held at Ace Hardware, 1023 West Main Street, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.

The $60 cost of the workshop will provide particpants with a rain barrel and the "know how" to build others, according to a press release from organizers.

"We all know that when it rains, it pours; and with the right rain barrel, all that rainwater can be saved," the news release said. "With the drought and significant stormwater pollution in our streams, rain-water harvesting is the ideal solution."

Residential irrigation can account for up to 40 percent of water consumption and rain that falls on parking lots and roads picks up the pollution that we leave behind. This pollution is swept to the nearest stream, greatly impacting water quality, the news release said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, stormwater pollution is the nation's biggest water quality threat.

"Rain barrels can help solve these problems by collecting rain water and storing it a rain barrel. You'll have water for future use, whether it's for watering the garden or just keeping it handy for emergency situations," the RiverLink press release said.

Placement of a rain barrel under your gutter's down-spout will fill the barrel in the slightest rain, according to the release. "This water can then be used for all your irrigation needs," the release noted

The workshop will be part of RiverLink's "Paddlin' the Nolichucky" trip. "This ground breaking trip is a two-week monitoring, education, and outreach trip, starting on the North Toe River in Spruce Pine and finishing at the mouth of French Broad River, 140 miles down stream," the release said.

The paddling trip is designed to monitor the water quality of the river, to also educate the public about the challenges facing the river and highlight the Nolichucky as a world class recreation destination, according to the release.

Visit RiverLink's Web site at www.riverlink.org/PaddlintheNolichucky.asp or contact the French Broad Riverkeeper at Riverkeeper@riverlink.org or call 828-252-8474 ext. 114 to learn more about the trip.