River Science

State officials are asked to better regulate sewer treatment plants after “sewage fungus” appears in Middle Tennessee waterway

OVERVIEW | In 2022, Harpeth Conservancy became very concerned upon learning about a potential bacterial algal bloom growing directly below the outfall of the White Bluff wastewater treatment plant. Upon inspection of the bloom, HC partnered with the Southern Environmental Law Center to file a 118(a) complaint requesting the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation…

Discharge Permit for Franklin Sewer Treatment Plant

Email Petition Instructions: Use our email petition form to the left in order to send a message to Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and inform them of your opinion. Step 1 – Click the YELLOW button that says “Read or Edit the Petition” at the top of the petition form to the left….

Action Alert: Franklin Sewer Permit

YOUR ATTENDANCE AT THE AUGUST 30, 2022 PUBLIC HEARING AND WRITTEN COMMENTS TO TDEC ARE CRITICAL! THE HARPETH RIVER IS STILL IMPAIRED, BUT THE DRAFT PERMIT DOES NOT REQUIRE REDUCTION OF POLLUTANT DISCHARGES POLLUTION REDUCTION PLAN IS NOWHERE NEAR FINISHED AFTER SEVEN (7) YEARS!! Use our Petition Tool to submit comments about the draft permit by September…

Over 50% of Tennessee Waterways are Considered Impaired

Excessive nutrient and microbial contamination of surface waters contribute to poor water quality that threatens environmental and human health. Nutrients drive increased occurrence and severity of harmful algal blooms whereas microbial contamination(indicated by the presence of Escherichia coli)can lead to swim advisories at local beaches or rivers frequented by swimmers. These pollutants are some of…

July Conservation Conversations: Emerging Water Quality Issues in TN

We wanted to know what the experts were saying in regards to emerging water quality issues here in Tennessee. And so, for our July Conservation Conversations, we invited Dr. Tom Byl and Dr. Sam Dennis to share their perspectives, given their areas of research and expertise.  Dr. Dennis, Professor of Soil and Water Quality in…

June Conservation Conversations: Understanding Dams and their Impacts

I grew up with a skewed perspective on dams. In my mind, all dams were massive and monolithic. And that makes sense given that I grew up in Las Vegas, where Hoover Dam was a staple of the Vegas tourist agenda and landscape. A distinct memory from my childhood is a fourth grade field trip…

May Conservation Conversations: Flooding in Tennessee

After the crazy year we’ve had already, we couldn’t wait to dive into this month’s Conservation Conversations topic: Flooding in Tennessee. Nashville in particular has had a rocky past when it comes to flooding, and many residents are probably wondering what to do to keep their homes safe. From flood insurance, to 100-year rain events,…

Harpeth Conservancy is now taking over Richland Creek Watershed Alliance!!

We have some GREAT news to share with you! Harpeth Conservancy has merged the Richland Creek Watershed Alliance (RCWA) into its programs. After over 10 years of hard work, Monette Rebecca retired as the Executive Director of RCWA. She will continue as an expert consultant with HC so that her hard work and legacy live…

HC Hosts Successful Conservation Conversation on Water Quality and Harmful Algal Blooms

Harpeth Conservancy hosted its fourth Conservation Conversation, a monthly online educational series with experts answering your questions, on Wednesday, July, 22 2020. This month’s topic was Water Quality and Harmful Algal Blooms. A panel of experts including Ken Gibbons, Master of Ecology from the University of Toledo with a specialty on Harmful Algal Blooms in the…