HARPETH RIVER WATERSHED INITIATIVE

In August 2007, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Williamson County, and the City of Franklin signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work cooperatively for the common purpose of developing an inventory of projects that have the potential to improve, remediate, or protect the Harpeth River Watershed. This program, called the Harpeth River Watershed Initiative, is the first of its kind in Tennessee.

 

It is the goal of the Harpeth River Watershed Initiative (HRWI) to identify streams in Williamson County that can benefit from water improvement projects and to work with willing landowners toward that goal.

 

The development of an inventory of candidate streams is guided by a set of criteria developed by the three cooperative parties. All candidate streams are assigned to Category C and promoted in a step-wise process to Category B or Category A as outlined below. All watershed projects will be selected from Category A streams.

 

CATEGORY C. All proposed sites. Sites should have one or more of these characteristics:

• Cost/Benefit considerations favor the project
• Project has a reasonable expectation of success
• Restoration activities can leverage other sources of funds
• Project is in response to, or in anticipation of, development projects
• Upstream of drinking water intake
• Adjacent to protected area or restored stream
• Documented aquatic endangered species

 

CATEGORY B. Category C streams that meet both criteria are promoted to Category B:

• Clear potential to improve water quality
• Landowner willing to participate in project

 

CATEGORY A. Category B streams that meet these criteria are promoted to Category A:

• Signed agreement with landowner
• Conceptual restoration plan in place
• All state, county, and city permitting issues resolved

*Photos Courtesy of Harpeth River Watershed Association.

 

 

For more information about the Harpeth River Watershed, please see TDEC's Watershed Water Quality Management Plans at http://state.tn.us/environment/wpc/watershed/wsmplans/harpeth/.