AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE GOOD STEWARDSHIP AND ENJOYMENT OF LOCAL WATERWAYS
JULY 2022
In 2022, the Cumberland River Compact partnered with the City of McMinnville, TN to put on McMinnville Water Week. The City of McMinnville is located within the Collins River Watershed in the broader Cumberland River Basin. The week served as both a celebration of clean and abundant water as well as an opportunity to engage with local residents and businesses around best practices for good stewardship of their waterways.
Twenty businesses across the city shared information about water by displaying our printed poster at their store. Each day of the week featured a different theme: Welcome to Your Watershed, Water & Art, River-Friendly Farming, Litter in Our Water, and Recreation. The themed days offered residents ways to learn about and take action on the different topics. In addition to reaching folks through posters, related posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter had a reach of over 6,000.
One of the highlights of McMinnville Water Week was the Storm Drain Art Contest which took place in downtown McMinnville. Participants submitted a sketch for approval by McMinnville Public Works and then had all week to decorate a sidewalk square above their designated storm drain. The contest was also supported by local businesses who donated prizes for the winning art. The results were truly fantastic!
Finally, the week culminated in the McMinnville Breakfast Rotary‘s 15th Annual River Ride & Clean Up along the Barren Fork River. A staff member from the Compact attended in addition to sharing information about protecting our waterways at the Warren County Farmer’s Market and a local river outfitter the same day.
As part of Water Week we also put together a local tourism field guide that featured recreation opportunities, businesses, and places to check out in McMinnville and the surrounding areas. The guide lives on our Cumberland River Basin website for anyone interested in exploring the area.
Partnering with the City of McMinnville for Water Week was incredibly rewarding. We were able to have many meaningful conversations with residents about why water was important to them. At the Cumberland River Compact, we believe everyone has what it takes to be a good steward of the watershed, so the more people we are able to engage on local water issues the healthier our waterways will be!
Reach:
- 30 posters distributed at local businesses
- 200 event page visits
- Over 6,000 people reached via social media