The Harpeth River Watershed Association (HRWA) launched phase I of the Waterway Flood Recovery Project in response to the May 2010 flood, working with hundreds of volunteers to remove over 125 tons of household flood debris from in and around the river in 3 counties. We have completed phase I and are proud to announce that we are launching phase II, which addresses the major problem of eroding river banks and landslides caused by the uprooting of over 10,000 mature trees that pose a risk to safety on the water and riverside property, as well as causing water quality degradation. Planting trees along these bare banks will not only stabilize the streambank but will reduce the amount of soil that washes into the river with each rain event.
HRWA’s goal is to replant 10,000 tree saplings in 2012 with over 5000 during February and March before the end of the spring tree-planting season. We need YOUR help to get all of the trees into the ground during the remaining spring tree-planting season. The trees must be planted while the weather is still cool. Committed individuals and groups are needed to volunteer from 8 AM-Noon starting Saturday February 11th and every Saturday thereafter till the end of March. Volunteers should be prepared to get muddy, wear long pants/sleeves, boots or closed-toed shoes, and bring work gloves and water/snacks. (Minimum age: 12 years accompanied by an adult.) Available dates: Feb 18 & 25; March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
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HRWA is also looking for business volunteer sponsors. Donations from local businesses will go directly towards supplies for volunteers such as bottled water, lunches, and T-shirts. For $125 your business logo will be added to our volunteer t-shirts, the deadline is February 15th. Contact Jessica Graham at HRWA@harpethriver.org for more details.
Phase II of the Waterway Flood Recovery Program is generously funded by our donors and two new grants: the Dan and Margaret Maddox Charitable Fund in 2012 which is supporting the Fish Habitat Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort with the Tennessee Environmental Council around middle TN, and the Tennessee Emergency Response Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
2010-2011 HRWA flood clean-up by county:
Nashville Waterways Recovery Project
The Nashville Waterways Recovery Project, a part of Impact Nashville, is a collaboration launched by the Cumberland River Compact, Harpeth River Watershed Association, Richland Creek Watershed Alliance and Hands on Nashville. The project is identifying waterway areas in Davidson County that are most at risk and in need of debris removal after the historic May flood and will conduct clean-ups of those priority areas that can best be done by hand with volunteers before the arrival of the 2011 spring rains. Mayor Karl Dean launched Impact Nashville in 2010, as a founding member of Cities of Service, a national coalition of city mayors committed to increasing volunteerism to address their cities' most pressing needs.