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Franklin Water Week 2022
May 2, 2022 - May 7, 2022
Join us in celebrating Water Week in the City of Franklin! Businesses across the city are sharing about the importance of clean and abundant water for the city. Learn more about how you can participate during each day of water week!
Share how you are participating in Water Week by sharing on social media with #FranklinWaterWeek.
In-Person Water Week Celebrations:
At the end of Franklin Water Week, join us in celebrating your watershed at our stream cleanup and open house at Curio Brewing Company!
About the Harpeth River Watershed:
The Harpeth River watershed includes all lands and waters that drain to the Harpeth River–about 863 square miles! The Harpeth River itself is 125 miles long, originating in headwater streams near the small town of Eagleville. The City of Franklin withdraws water from both the Harpeth River and the Cumberland River, where the Harpeth drains. En route to the Cumberland River, the Harpeth takes on the Little Harpeth, Big Turnbull Creek, and Jones Creek. Keep an eye out for river otters within the watershed. They’re making a comeback, and families of as many as 17 have been spotted! If it’s birding you’re into, head to Radnor. Many species of waterfowl have made the park their winter destination of choice and species include wood duck, canvasback, gadwall, bufflehead, American black duck, and more.
The Harpeth River is not immune to the impacts of pollution. The most common water issues within the Harpeth River Watershed are sediment pollution, altered streamside vegetation, and pathogen pollution. The sources of impairment include agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and land development.
Thankfully, there are many people dedicated to keeping the Harpeth River clean. The Cumberland River Compact is just one organization that works on water health in Franklin. The Harpeth Conservancy has also done excellent work supporting water quality in the region–you can check out their projects at https://harpethconservancy.org/.
Discover your watershed
Day 1: Conserve Water
Less than 1% of earth’s water is fit for human consumption and the average American uses 140-170 gallons of water per day. Conserving water helps support clean and abundant water.
Here’s what you can do:
- Reduce water waste by turning off the water while brushing your teeth, put a bucket under the shower while you wait for it to warm up and use it to water your plants, take shorter showers, or use a dishwasher if you have one instead of hand washing dishes.
- Disconnect your downspout. During heavy rains, downspouts send water directly to the stormwater system and eventually our streams and rivers, carrying any pollution with it.
- Save the water that comes off your roof with a rain barrel.
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Day 2: Dig-in for Water
Runoff from heavy rain events into streams can cause erosion, flooding, habitat loss, and polluted waterways. A rain garden is a shallow, depressed garden designed to collect rainwater and allow it time to filter into the ground. The result is cleaner water and less dirty runoff overwhelming our storm systems and waterways.
Trees help to filter and regulate the flow of stormwater, cleaning our water and reducing flood risk. In addition to these benefits to our water system, they also reduce extreme heat in cities, provide habitat, and help to filter out air pollution, leading to lower rates of respiratory conditions like asthma.
Here’s what you can do:
- Create a rain garden in your yard. We’ve got a full how-to and resource guide for you!
- Plant a tree in your yard or community.
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Day 3: Go-Green
A riparian buffer is the greenspace next to a stream, river, or wetland that has trees, shrubs, and other vegetation. Riparian buffers filter out pollutants such as pesticides, fertilizers, animal waste, and sediment before it is able to enter the water. They also stabilize river banks, which reduced erosion and sediment pollution. And of course, they provide ample habitat for local biodiversity.
Here’s what you can do:
- If you live by a stream, be sure to maintain the riparian buffer.
- Practice stream-friendly gardening at your home by planting native plants and reducing your fertilizer use. You can get your soil tested to determine how much fertilizer you need.
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Day 4: Protect Clean Water
Heard about the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans? Much of the pollution that ends up in the ocean comes from polluted rivers. There are five massive patches of plastic in the ocean, one of which is the size of the state of Texas. If we continue down the path of business as usual, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish (by weight).
Here’s what you can do:
- Discover the health of your local streams and rivers with the EPA’s How’s My Waterway tool.
- Organize a litter clean-up in your community! Join our Adopt-a-Stream program to commit to care for a local stream in Franklin.
- Reduce the plastic you use by bringing reusable bags to the grocery store. Encourage local businesses to implement an opt-in system for plastic silverware
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Day 5: Enjoy Water
We protect what we know and love! So spending time out in nature and on our waterways is a great way to bring attention to them!
Here’s what you can do:
- Read our latest explorer guide: “Paddling Franklin, Tennessee”, written by Franklin resident and enthusiast Stacy Vereen in celebration of Water Week! In the guide, you’ll find a variety of local Franklin businesses to support, including:
- Visit our Cumberland River Basin Field Guide to find more recreational opportunities within the Harpeth watershed and around the entire Cumberland River basin!
- Get on on the water with one of the 6 river access points on the Harpeth River in Franklin.
- Float along the beautiful Harpeth River in Franklin, TN with Cumberland Kayak! Several bridges, as well as blue herons, turtles, and kingfishers, highlight the route
- The Harpeth River is a great spot for catching smallmouth and largemouth bass- check out Franklin Fly Fishing Co for guided fly-fishing.
- Paddle Dog Adventures offers canoe and kayak rentals for a float down the river!
- Share how you Enjoy Water and Tag #FranklinWaterWeek
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Day 6: Celebrate Water
At the end of Franklin Water Week, join us as we celebrate clean and abundant water!
Join us for the following Water Week celebrations on Saturday, May 7th:
1pm-3pm: Stream Cleanup
Practice good water stewardship and show up for the health of your community’s waters at our stream cleanup!
3:30pm-5:30pm: Celebration at Curio Brewing Company
After our stream cleanup, join us at Curio Brewing Company to celebrate efforts toward clean and abundant water and learn more about the Cumberland River Compact! Volunteers who participate in our stream cleanup beforehand will receive their first round of drinks on us!