Six streams or stream sections 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. 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, and others to find ways to improve the
quality of these streams. This project
has surveyed and made recommendations for six streams so far: 1. One Mile Creek, which runs into Byrds Creek, 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 is running off of land into the stream). 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. 3. An Obed River segment and its primary tributaries, Spiers Branch and Town Branch. The 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. It is joined by Town Branch and Spiers Branch which drain the southern side of Crossville. 4. The Little Obed River which drains the northern and northeastern side of Crossville and has six major branches that feed the main stream. 5. The Upper Obed River, the headwaters and tributaries that feed Holiday Lake. 6. Byrds Creek, and its major tributary, Three Mile Creek, drains the northern half of Lake Tansi Village and the area between Lantana Rd and 127, east of One Mile Creek (a tributary to Byrds Creek). It continues north, draining the Homestead area before joining Daddys Creek at Hwy 70, east of Crossville. 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 have grown rapidly
and are continuing to convert what was 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. While that seems good,
it 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. The third reason
is that Crossville has grown to where it is now 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. When governmental agencies work with local
citizens we can come up with workable and sensible solutions. How
does the project work? The Stream
Assessment phase began in February 2007 and continued through 2009 with
new streams surveyed each year. The
first year One Mile Creek, Long Branch, and the Obed River segment and its
tributaries were surveyed. In 2008, the
survey of the Little Obed was completed and the surveys of the Upper Obed and
Byrds Creek were completed in 2009.
Using volunteers, we take observations of the streams to identify the
places where siltation and erosion is occurring. Once problem area have been identified, we work with landowners to restore and stabilize stream banks as well as other practices to reduce stormwater impacts on streams. Since 2009, over two miles of stream have been restored, a number of wetlands have been enhanced and a number of projects have been completed to slow down stormwater and let it soak in the ground during storm events. How is the public 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
will provide three ways for the public to become involved in addressing the
problems of these streams.
To Get Involved, please contact us or visit our Volunteer Information page. |
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