BANK STABILIZATION, STORMWATER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES ADDRESS RAPIDLY ERODING BANKS AND OTHER POLLUTION ISSUES
DECEMBER 2021
The Cumberland River Compact will lead a multi-phase project to restore the Oak Grove/West Fork of the Red River watershed.
The primary objectives of the Oak Grove / West Fork Red River Restoration: Phase One project (Phase One) will be to begin restoration of the Oak Grove/West Fork of Red River watershed and to bring the watershed streams into compliance with water quality standards. Phase One will address a 9.2-mile segment of the West Fork of the Red River.
The project has three components: bank stabilization, stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), and educational outreach. Bank stabilization will occur along three stretches of the West Fork that are rapidly eroding and contributing significant amounts of sediment to the river as it flows through Billy Dunlop Park. Stormwater BMPs will be installed across the Phase One project area watershed and will include riparian buffers, stormwater infiltration zones (filter strips and Bioretention), access control measures (exclusionary fencing, signage, etc.), and pet waste stations.
All planted BMPs will include native vegetation and will reduce soil loss and bank erosion, decreasing sediment pollution in the West Fork Red River. Planted BMPs will also filter and infiltrate stormwater – reducing non-point source pollution from nutrients, pathogens, and sediment, while also mitigating flooding and improving in-stream flow regimes and habitat. Incorporating access control measures, such as exclusionary fencing and signage, within the project area will prevent streambank erosion caused by both livestock and outdoor recreationists overusing access points to the river. Pet waste stations will reduce pathogen loads in the river.
Educational outreach will target residents throughout the project area. It will highlight impairments and sources of impairment in the West Fork, as well as things residents can do to improve water quality in their rivers. Urban landowners will be provided education and resources for managing pet waste, for proper application of lawn fertilizers, downspout disconnection, and for planning nave vegetation and rain gardens. Agricultural landowner outreach will provide educational opportunities and resources for planting cover crops, filter strips, maintaining or replanting buffers, excluding livestock from streams, and obtaining funding for BMPs.
PROJECT PARTNERS:
Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department
Tennessee Environmental Council
Trane Inc.
Sierra Club of Clarksville/Montgomery County
Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools
Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association
This project is funded through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Nonpoint Source Grant Program
