Trace Creek’s origins lie within the Natchez Trace – a historic trail and protected area that extends roughly 440 miles from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi. From there, it flows north for roughly four miles before joining the Harpeth River near where Old Harding Pike meets Highway 100.
Over the past century, the land surrounding Trace Creek was cleared and the waterway was rerouted to make room for agriculture. This work improved farming conditions, but it also degraded the quality of the stream and made life unsustainable for many aquatic species.
Over countless millenia, streams settle into their courses, responding to surrounding topography, geology, weather, and landcover. Within our region’s most pristine streams, you find profoundly well-calibrated shapes and patterns that effectively transport water and sediment, mitigate flooding, prevent soil loss, and provide habitat for a rich diversity of plants and animals.
When Trace Creek’s path was altered, that balance was disrupted. For the past twenty years, the Tennessee Division of Water has reported that Trace Creek “insufficiently supports aquatic life” due to loss of natural habitat and pollution from silt.
When Cumberland River Compact staff first visited the creek in May 2018, we found steeply eroded banks overtaken by invasive plants, many floodplains lacking vegetation entirely, and stream channels that lacked the healthy mix of riffles, runs, and pools needed to support diverse aquatic life.
Restoration
Construction began in November 2023. Over the course of eight months, Trace Creek’s banks were regraded and its channel was rerouted back to the original location. This reconnected the stream with its floodplain (the low-lying land on either side of a stream that harbors water-loving plants and absorbs the impacts of flash flooding events).
As of May 2026, well over 30,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted for the project, representing 16 different species. Over 2,300 lbs of native herbaceous seed has been sown, representing an additional 13 species.
Prior to construction, all streams and streamside areas were carefully surveyed and assessed for ecological health. Years of planning occurred to ensure that construction impacts would be far outweighed by future ecological gains. Following construction, in-instream and streamside conditions are being monitored for seven years, and funding is in place to address any ecological issues that may arise during this time.
In addition, the Compact has set up a non-wasting endowment for the site that enables us to hold and steward a conservation easement that protects all 44 acres of the project area in perpetuity. The Compact is a Land Trust Accreditation Commission accredited land trust.
The Value of Connectivity
The Trace Creek project connects in multiple places to federally protected land in the Natchez Trace, greatly increasing the project’s ecological value. Rather than functioning as a standalone restoration project, it expands existing wildlife habitat and helps create a continuous green corridor stretching almost to the Harpeth River. This corridor will provide shelter and travel routes for birds, butterflies, turtles, fish, and other wildlife navigating an increasingly developed landscape.
The Compact prioritizes projects that strengthen these natural connections. By linking habitats together, we aim to build a network of green refuges that supports wildlife and improves ecological resilience throughout the greater Nashville area.
Funding and Partnerships
Funding for this project comes from the Cumberland River Compact’s In-Lieu Fee (ILF) Stream Mitigation Program. When development impacts streams, state and federal regulations require those impacts to be offset through stream restoration– a process known as mitigation.
While individual permittees can complete mitigation projects on their own, small, isolated restoration efforts provide fewer ecological benefits than larger, connected projects. Through the Compact’s ILF Program, permittees can meet their mitigation requirements by purchasing credits. The Compact then pools those funds to implement large-scale restoration projects in priority conservation areas.
This approach allows restoration work to occur where it can have the greatest impact—improving stream health, connecting wildlife habitat, and strengthening natural systems across the landscape. By directing mitigation funding toward high-value projects, the program helps ensure the greatest possible ecological return on investment for Tennessee’s streams and waterways.
This work was done in partnership with Ecosystem Planning and Restoration, the Rochford Company, and Land Innovations.
