Phase II of the Waterway Flood Recovery Program Underway
Help HRWA identify critical waterway areas devasted by the flood
Since the 2010 flood, HRWA has conducted more than 30 cleanups removing in excess of 125 tons of hazardous or dangerous debris from the waterways of middle Tennessee. The work done so far was the easy stuff. What remains is in more remote locations making this debris more difficult to find and remove. But it poses the same hazard as the debris that has already been removed.
HRWA is excited to be able to launch Phase II of the Waterway Flood Recovery Program. Generous support of over $54,000 from the 2011 Harpeth Protection Campaign has been matched by two new grants. Thanks to the Dan and Margaret Maddox Charitable Fund which has generously supported the Fish Habitat Restoration Initiative (a joint project between the Tennessee Environmental Council and HRWA), and the Tennessee Emergency Response Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle TN.
Phase II will allow HRWA to identify and begin to handle the long-term effects of the flood. After the Historic May flood of 2010, tens of thousands of trees were uprooted all along the river banks and streams. This left many streambanks without any, or very little, vegetative cover to help hold the banks in place and to prevent or reduce erosion. The excessive erosion we are now seeing contributes to the sedimentation of the streams, making them shallower and less able to transport stormwater. This means increased risk of localized flooding even during moderate rain events. The sediment also smothers important aquatic habitat in rivers and streams which leads to reduced fish populations.
We need your help to identify problem areas that we might be able to address:
- Do you know or have you seen areas of flood debris that need to be cleaned up in or around the river that appears hazardous?
- Do you know of areas with lots of trees gone or new areas of erosion caused by the flood waters?
- Do you know of any areas with severe erosion around a bridge, debris dams causing diversions in stream, or newly exposed water or sewer lines?
If you or anyone you know has information on these types of issues, we need you to report them to us so that either we can address them or refer the problems to those agencies that are responsible.
With your information we can begin targeting areas for Phase II. While our focus is primarily on the Harpeth River, we are also working in Nashville and in other flood affected areas in middle Tennessee with other organizations. We have great partners in the many middle Tennessee watershed organizations and local governmental agencies that we share information with, so please report to us what you know related to the flood, even if it is outside the Harpeth River watershed. We will pass the information along to those who need to know.
THANK YOU - without our volunteers we would not be able to make such an impact. Your time, donations, and most importantly your ears and eyes watching out for the Harpeth River and all rivers in Tennessee are invaluable!
