| Stream Recovery Project |
| Obed Watershed Community Association |
Four streams in Cumberland County have been identified by the US Environmental
Projection Agency as impaired, meaning that the streams have problems which are
affecting the life of the stream. There are other streams which are under review for
listing because of similar problems that are affecting the water quality in those streams.
The goal of the Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project is to identify the sources of
the problems and to work with landowners, the City of Crossville, Cumberland County
and others to find ways to improve the quality of these streams.
The project focused in 2007 on these three impaired streams:
1. One Mile Creek runs into Byrds Creek and is located south of Lantana Road
and Rockwood Highway, totally within Crossville’s urban growth boundary. 8.5 miles
of the stream are impaired due to siltation (mud that runs off of land into the stream.).
The stream consists of three major branches with numerous small tributaries feeding
them. The watershed covers 3,115 acres. The State of Tennessee has set a goal of
reducing siltation into the stream by 84%.
2. Long Branch flows into Lick Creek, which in turn flows into Daddys Creek.
It is located south of Tansi, between Winningham Rd and 127 S. 2.2 miles of the
stream is impaired due to siltation. Its watershed is about 1.5 square miles. The State
has set a goal of cutting siltation in half.
3. An Obed River segment and its primary named (Spiers Branch and Town
Branch) and unnamed tributaries. The 4.3 mile impaired section of the river runs from
the Holiday Lake dam (a drinking water source for Crossville) to where the Little Obed
River joins it. Its impairment is due to reduced stream flow alterations and siltation. It
is also affected by the storm water drainage from the City of Crossville, primarily
feeding street drains into Town Branch. Town Branch is 1.7 miles long and drains
about .67 square miles. The much larger Spiers Branch has a main branch 3 miles long
and has 18 significant tributaries, draining about 2.4 square miles. An additional 8.5
square miles are in the direct headwater streams that feed Holiday Lake and 2.5 square
miles of land feed the Obed’s impaired section directly. The State’s goal is to reduce
siltation to about one-fourth of its current levels.
Information was gathered about these three streams by walking the streams and taking
notes of what was seen and by taking water samples throughout the year to see which
parts of the streams were carrying the most silt. After all this information was
collected, watershed plans were drawn up with resident involvement, indicating both
problem areas and places of particular biological value that should be protected.
During 2008, this work is being extended. The part of the Obed watershed above
Holiday Lakes will be examined, along with the Little Obed Watershed which drains the
north-eastern side of the City of Crossville and where a lot of development has occurred
and is occurring, and the Byrds Creek Watershed above and including the Cumberland
Mountain State Park. The Byrds Creek watershed has been identified as impaired, but
no corrective goals have been set.
Also, beginning in the fall of 2008, the Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project will
begin its work in cooperation with landowners to restore stream sections that are
damaged. Using a grant from the State of Tennessee, cost-share funds will be available
to help pay for needed repairs. This grant targets the three watersheds examined the
first year - One Mile Creek, Long Branch, and the impaired section of the Obed
(including its tributaries).
Why is This Important?
There are three important reasons for this project. The first is that Crossville and
Cumberland County are blessed with some of the greatest natural beauty in the world
and we have the responsibility to not only enjoy it, but to protect it for our children and
future generations. The second is that Crossville and Cumberland County are growing
rapidly and are converting farmland and woodlands into residential and commercial
areas. Since developed areas don’t absorb rainfall well, the water runs off and heads
into the streams and off the Plateau. That means that the water doesn’t have the chance
to soak into the ground and make its way into our wells and streams at a more even
pace. At the very time we are wondering how to provide for our growing water needs,
we let water that comes in the form of rain rush away. The third reason is that
Crossville has now grown to where it is now comes under state and federal regulations
regarding protecting the streams. If we can identify the problems and help landowners
voluntarily address them, we can solve a problem without having mandatory
requirements.
What Does the Stream Recovery Project Do?
The Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project’s work is primarily educational, but
before we can help people learn about the streams in their backyards, we need to gather
information. We use information that has already be gathered by university and
government researchers and then we go out with volunteers and collect current
information by walking the streams. Once the information is collected, we organize it
so we can see where the problem areas are, how severe the problems are, and which
are the most important areas to either correct or protect. This gets summarized into a
short document called a Watershed Management Plan. This information can then be
used to work voluntarily with landowners to make improvements on their property to
reduce the amount of dirt entering the stream, or to protect areas that are healthy.
How is the Community Involved?
The Obed Watershed Community Association is a membership organization made up of
people from Cumberland County. Its purpose is to protect and enhance the natural and
cultural heritage of the community. As a voluntary organization, we conduct
educational programs to inform people of challenges we face and provide information
that people can use to meet these challenges. We believe in the importance of citizen
involvement in making decisions for our community. The Stream Monitoring and
Restoration Project provides three ways for the community become involved in
addressing the problems of these streams.
The first way is through public input meetings for each stream area. Here, we ask the
people living near the streams to identify concerns and strategies for addressing the
problems. If you are interested in participating, please let us know.
The second way to be involved is through participation in a Watershed Council. The
Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project develops Watershed Councils for each of the
streams, made up of residents who live within the watersheds. The Watershed Councils
guide not only the work of the Obed Watershed Community Association (OWCA), but
also provide input to governmental agencies that may be developing plans for the
watersheds. If you are interested in participating in a Council, please let us know.
Community members can also get involved as members of the Stream Team. Stream
Team members can participate in walking the streams with a trained team leader, and
making standardized observations. These stream walks are generally in the morning and
last three hours. Water Quality Monitors take water samples on a regular basis from a
stream on or neat their property to measure the amount of dirt being carried in the
stream. Being a member of the Stream Team does not require a science background.
Monitors are trained to make the observations in a standardized way and to use simple
monitoring methods. If you want to join the Stream Team of citizen water quality
monitors, please let us know. Stream Team members also can participate a few times a
year in stream clean-ups, removing trash from within and along the banks of a section
of a stream.
To Get Involved
Contact: Dennis Gregg, Project Leader, Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project,
Obed Watershed Community Assn., 185 Hood Dr. Crossville, TN 38555. Phone: 484-
9033.
Projection Agency as impaired, meaning that the streams have problems which are
affecting the life of the stream. There are other streams which are under review for
listing because of similar problems that are affecting the water quality in those streams.
The goal of the Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project is to identify the sources of
the problems and to work with landowners, the City of Crossville, Cumberland County
and others to find ways to improve the quality of these streams.
The project focused in 2007 on these three impaired streams:
1. One Mile Creek runs into Byrds Creek and is located south of Lantana Road
and Rockwood Highway, totally within Crossville’s urban growth boundary. 8.5 miles
of the stream are impaired due to siltation (mud that runs off of land into the stream.).
The stream consists of three major branches with numerous small tributaries feeding
them. The watershed covers 3,115 acres. The State of Tennessee has set a goal of
reducing siltation into the stream by 84%.
2. Long Branch flows into Lick Creek, which in turn flows into Daddys Creek.
It is located south of Tansi, between Winningham Rd and 127 S. 2.2 miles of the
stream is impaired due to siltation. Its watershed is about 1.5 square miles. The State
has set a goal of cutting siltation in half.
3. An Obed River segment and its primary named (Spiers Branch and Town
Branch) and unnamed tributaries. The 4.3 mile impaired section of the river runs from
the Holiday Lake dam (a drinking water source for Crossville) to where the Little Obed
River joins it. Its impairment is due to reduced stream flow alterations and siltation. It
is also affected by the storm water drainage from the City of Crossville, primarily
feeding street drains into Town Branch. Town Branch is 1.7 miles long and drains
about .67 square miles. The much larger Spiers Branch has a main branch 3 miles long
and has 18 significant tributaries, draining about 2.4 square miles. An additional 8.5
square miles are in the direct headwater streams that feed Holiday Lake and 2.5 square
miles of land feed the Obed’s impaired section directly. The State’s goal is to reduce
siltation to about one-fourth of its current levels.
Information was gathered about these three streams by walking the streams and taking
notes of what was seen and by taking water samples throughout the year to see which
parts of the streams were carrying the most silt. After all this information was
collected, watershed plans were drawn up with resident involvement, indicating both
problem areas and places of particular biological value that should be protected.
During 2008, this work is being extended. The part of the Obed watershed above
Holiday Lakes will be examined, along with the Little Obed Watershed which drains the
north-eastern side of the City of Crossville and where a lot of development has occurred
and is occurring, and the Byrds Creek Watershed above and including the Cumberland
Mountain State Park. The Byrds Creek watershed has been identified as impaired, but
no corrective goals have been set.
Also, beginning in the fall of 2008, the Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project will
begin its work in cooperation with landowners to restore stream sections that are
damaged. Using a grant from the State of Tennessee, cost-share funds will be available
to help pay for needed repairs. This grant targets the three watersheds examined the
first year - One Mile Creek, Long Branch, and the impaired section of the Obed
(including its tributaries).
Why is This Important?
There are three important reasons for this project. The first is that Crossville and
Cumberland County are blessed with some of the greatest natural beauty in the world
and we have the responsibility to not only enjoy it, but to protect it for our children and
future generations. The second is that Crossville and Cumberland County are growing
rapidly and are converting farmland and woodlands into residential and commercial
areas. Since developed areas don’t absorb rainfall well, the water runs off and heads
into the streams and off the Plateau. That means that the water doesn’t have the chance
to soak into the ground and make its way into our wells and streams at a more even
pace. At the very time we are wondering how to provide for our growing water needs,
we let water that comes in the form of rain rush away. The third reason is that
Crossville has now grown to where it is now comes under state and federal regulations
regarding protecting the streams. If we can identify the problems and help landowners
voluntarily address them, we can solve a problem without having mandatory
requirements.
What Does the Stream Recovery Project Do?
The Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project’s work is primarily educational, but
before we can help people learn about the streams in their backyards, we need to gather
information. We use information that has already be gathered by university and
government researchers and then we go out with volunteers and collect current
information by walking the streams. Once the information is collected, we organize it
so we can see where the problem areas are, how severe the problems are, and which
are the most important areas to either correct or protect. This gets summarized into a
short document called a Watershed Management Plan. This information can then be
used to work voluntarily with landowners to make improvements on their property to
reduce the amount of dirt entering the stream, or to protect areas that are healthy.
How is the Community Involved?
The Obed Watershed Community Association is a membership organization made up of
people from Cumberland County. Its purpose is to protect and enhance the natural and
cultural heritage of the community. As a voluntary organization, we conduct
educational programs to inform people of challenges we face and provide information
that people can use to meet these challenges. We believe in the importance of citizen
involvement in making decisions for our community. The Stream Monitoring and
Restoration Project provides three ways for the community become involved in
addressing the problems of these streams.
The first way is through public input meetings for each stream area. Here, we ask the
people living near the streams to identify concerns and strategies for addressing the
problems. If you are interested in participating, please let us know.
The second way to be involved is through participation in a Watershed Council. The
Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project develops Watershed Councils for each of the
streams, made up of residents who live within the watersheds. The Watershed Councils
guide not only the work of the Obed Watershed Community Association (OWCA), but
also provide input to governmental agencies that may be developing plans for the
watersheds. If you are interested in participating in a Council, please let us know.
Community members can also get involved as members of the Stream Team. Stream
Team members can participate in walking the streams with a trained team leader, and
making standardized observations. These stream walks are generally in the morning and
last three hours. Water Quality Monitors take water samples on a regular basis from a
stream on or neat their property to measure the amount of dirt being carried in the
stream. Being a member of the Stream Team does not require a science background.
Monitors are trained to make the observations in a standardized way and to use simple
monitoring methods. If you want to join the Stream Team of citizen water quality
monitors, please let us know. Stream Team members also can participate a few times a
year in stream clean-ups, removing trash from within and along the banks of a section
of a stream.
To Get Involved
Contact: Dennis Gregg, Project Leader, Stream Monitoring and Restoration Project,
Obed Watershed Community Assn., 185 Hood Dr. Crossville, TN 38555. Phone: 484-
9033.
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