
		April 15, 2002 - Inside this Issue! CONFERENCE: Tennessee Environmental Primer – May 3-4 NEWS – 17^th Annual Most Endangered Rivers Report from American Rivers FREE RESOURCE! Register to get your free computer now! ANNOUNCMENT – Little River Watershed Association Activities FUNDING RESOURCES – Directory for Grassroots Groups Library: RESOURCE – New Publication from the National Academy of Sciences Library: NEWS – Use of monitoring biological data by citizen monitoring groups! WORKSHOPS – Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Workshop Series PERMITS – Aquatic Resources Alteration Permits applied for PUBLIC MEETINGS - TVA RESERVOIR OPERATIONS STUDY RESOURCE – Report on the effects of urbanization RESOURCE – VIDEO: The Southern Appalachians: A Changing World EVENT - TVA HOSTS NATIONAL CLEAN BOATING CAMPAIGN MEDIA WATCH – The Memphis Flyer about I-6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. CONFERENCE: Tennessee Environmental Primer On May 3-4, 2002, the Sierra Club will present an environmental conference and set of workshops designed to help clarify the current state of the environment in Tennessee and improve community advocacy. This may be the first conference of its kind in Tennessee. The Media, concerned citizens, and groups are invited to attend. Keynote Speaker: Mack Prichard—Tennessee State Naturalist. The following workshops will be offered: Air Quality & Your Health (TN Lung Assoc.); GIS mapping & Community Advocacy (TN State Professor); Clean Water vs. TMDL; Media Smarts Transportation Issues (WWF); Don’t turn your back on the Cherokee (ECL) More workshops will be announced… Registration is free. Meals and lodging are available at cost. When: Friday and Saturday, May 3rd and 4th, Starting a 1:00 pm. Where: Scarritt-Bennett Center - Harambee Auditorium - Nashville, TN Contact: Richard Wall (615-497-5250) 2. NEWS – 17^th Annual Most Endangered Rivers Report American Rivers this week released its 17th annual Most Endangered Rivers report. The Army Corps of Engineers' operations of a huge dam and reservoir system have once again put the Missouri River at the top of the list. In the report, these dams and other Army Corps water projects are cited as leading threats to rivers nationwide. Click here for more on the report: http://www.amrivers.org/mostendangered2002/default.htm *The Most Endangered Rivers of 2002* 1) Missouri River Location: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri Threat: Dam Operations 2) Big Sunflower River Location: Mississippi Threat: Flood Control Projects 3) Klamath River Location: Oregon and California Threat: Water Withdrawal and Pollution 4) Kansas River Location: Kansas Threat: Pollution; Removal of Clean Water Act Protections 5) White River Location: Arkansas Threat: Navigation and Irrigation Projects 6) Powder River Location: Wyoming Threat: Coal Bed Methane Extraction 7) Altamaha River Location: Georgia Threat: Reservoir and Power Plant Construction 8) Allagash Wilderness Waterway Location: Maine Threat: Removal from the Wild and Scenic Rivers System; Loss of Wilderness Values 9) Canning River Location: Alaska Threat: Oil and Gas Exploration and Development background. 10) Guadalupe River Location: Texas Threat: Water Diversion 11) Apalachicola River Location: Florida Threat: Navigation and Water Withdrawals 3. FREE RESOURCE! Register to get your computer now! Gateway Olympic Sponsorship PC Donation Program. In support of our commitment to socially responsible corporate citizenship, following the completion of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Gateway will donate up to 4,500 computers. Grant consideration is limited to eligible organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit entity, with priority given to schools and community centers whose programs help enhance access to technology for traditionally under-served communities. These systems were supplied to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for Use during 2002 Olympic Winter Games to track official event results, statistics and standings for athletes, coaches, spectators, officials and the media. Any organization interested in being considered must complete an online application; faxed or written applications will not be accepted. The application will be posted on this web site from April 2 to July 31, 2002. Please return to complete and submit your application for consideration. http://www.gateway.com/olympics/donations.shtml 4. ANNOUNCMENT – Little River Watershed Association Activities The Native planting day that I told you about in an earlier e-mail has been scheduled for April 25th from 2-6. We will meet on the greenway behind Wynn's where the Maryville/Alcoa sections meet. You may show up at anytime. Your help will ensure that the stream bank is stablized and that native instead of invasive species are used on the greenway. Please join us! Call me if you have any questions 980- 2130. If you plan to come could you please let me know so that I will bring the proper number of refreshments. For more info please call me at 980-2130 or email [email protected] 5. FUNDING RESOURCES – Directory for Grassroots Groups Directory of Funding Sources for Grassroots River and Watershed Conservation Groups, $35. Profiles of private, corporate and federal funding sources for river and Watershed groups. Includes name, address, phone number, contact name, deadlines, and a brief description of each source's particular interests. Contains a section on how to write grant proposals and a bibliography of state and local foundation directories. 2001-2002, 150 pgs, First copy free to Partners, others (or additional copies) $35. To order, go to the River Network website: www.rivernetwork.org 6. RESOURCE – New Publication from the National Academy of Sciences There is a publication soon to be released by the National Academy of Science. It is called Riparian Areas: Functions and Strategies for Management by the NAS Committee on Riparian Zone Functioning and Strategies for Management, Water Science and Technology Board, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, National Research Council 400 pages (approximate), 8 1/2 x 11, 2002. A prepublication verion is available to read on line. You can preorder a copy from their website. NAS publcations tend to be excellent on technical content and detail. The usual missing piece is for advocacy groups to take the information and put it to use toward improving policy. Rarely does that get done. You can find other NAS pubs at http://www.nap.edu/index.html 7. NEWS – Use of monitoring biological data by citizen monitoring groups! On March 26, 2002, the U.S. EPA issued a one-page memo -- "Clarification of the Use of Biological Data and Information in the 2002 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report Guidance." Find the PDF version at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/guidance/biochange20302.pdf This memorandum modifies the 2002 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report Guidance to provide clarity and promote consistency in the manner in which states use biological data and information in developing their 2002 submissions. Specifically, EPA has removed the following paragraph from the Guidance... "If a state or territory determines that an AU does not meet a use based on biological information and the cause of the impairment is unknown, the AU may be listed in Category 3. If a state or territory lists the AU in Category 3, EPA strongly recommends that the state or territory schedule additional monitoring to expeditiously determine the cause of the impairment." EPA believed that this paragraph could have been interpreted to be inconsistent with the intent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) because it could have led to the placement of a formally defined impaired water into Category 3. When existing and readily available data and information (biological,chemical or physical) are sufficient to determine that a pollutant has caused, is suspected of causing, or is projected to cause the impairment, the AU should be listed in Category 5. (When biological data and information indicates that the impairment is not caused by a pollutant, the AU may be placed in Category 4C.) Only when the state determines that the existing data and information (biological, chemical or physical) are insufficient to support an attainment determination, can an AU be listed in Category 3. 8. WORKSHOPS – Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Workshop Series TDEC is holding several sessions of training for erosion prevention and sediment control across the state. This is a foundation-building course intended for individuals involved in land-disturbing activities and will provide a working knowledge of erosion and sedimentation processes and practices. A certificate of completion will be provided to everyone who completes the course and 6 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) are available. May 21 - Jackson May 22 - Cookeville May 24 - Johnson City If you have questions regarding registration, contact Gail Farris at (865) 974-4774 or email [email protected] For course content questions, contact Tim Gangaware at (865) 974-2151 or email [email protected] 9. PERMITS – Aquatic Resources Alteration Permits applied for The applications described herein have been submitted for Aquatic Resource Alteration Permits pursuant to The Tennessee Water Quality Control Act of 1977, T.C.A. §69-3-108. Persons wishing to comment on or object to the issuance of a proposed permit are invited to submit comments in writing to the Division. Written statements must be received within thirty days of the date that the notice is posted. Written comments will become part of the record and will be considered in the determination. The public notice number, applicants name, permit number and coordinator should be referenced. Interested persons may also request in writing that the director of the Division hold a public hearing on any application. The request must be filed within the comment period and must indicate the interest of the person requesting it. NRS01-365 Hartsville/Trousdale Water and Sewer Department; Darwin Branch; proposed replacement of an existing gravity sewer; tributary to Little Goose Creek within the city limits of Hartsville NRS01-373 Inland Paperboard and Packaging; Tennessee River mile 94.4, Kentucky Lake, Humphreys County; perform maintenance dredging at intake structure NRS01.418 Fullen Dock & Warehouse; Old Loosahatchie River chute, Mississippi River mile 741, Memphis, Shelby County; proposed hydraulic dredging of approximately 60,000 cubic yards for barge navigation and turn around area NRS02-001 Tennessee Department of Transportation; State Route 190 Bridge & Approaches over Middle Fork Obion River @LM15.27 and Thompson Creek @ LM 20.81 Weakley County NRS02-053 Ray Franks; proposed 600 ft. of riprap bank stabilization along Horse Creek, Hardin County NRS02-069 Charles Yancy; proposed impoundment; unnamed tributary of the Collins River for the reclamation and reuse of irrigation water NRS02-077 Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District; proposed stream crossings associated with installation of natural gas pipeline service to residents along County Route 50 from Meigs County to the community of Sanford NRS02-089 East Tennessee Natural Gas; proposed stream and wetland crossings associated with installation of approximately 26.5 miles of a natural gas pipeline in Lewis, Lawrence, Giles, Maury, Moore and Franklin Counties 10. PUBLIC MEETINGS - TVA RESERVOIR OPERATIONS STUDY TVA has begun a comprehensive two-year study of its reservoir operations to examine the policies that guide flood control, navigation, water quality, and other aspects of river management. The purpose of the study is to determine if changes in TVAâ€™s reservoir system operating policies would produce greater overall public value. Public input is a key component of this effort. TVA will hold public meetings in spring 2002 to help identify issues to address and alternatives to consider in the study. Additional meetings will be held later in the process to gather public comments on the draft environmental impact statement. Tuesday, April 16 Blairsville, GA: North Georgia Technical College Blairsville Conference Center 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST Bowling Green, KY University Plaza Hotel 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST Thursday, April 18 Bryson City, NC: Swain County Center for the Arts 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST Tullahoma, TN Motlow State Community College: J. C. Eoff Jr. Hall 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST For more information about the study, log onto www.tva.com. 11. RESOURCE – Report on the effects of urbanization The U.S. Geological Survey has been studying the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems since 1999. At the end of this year they will be publishing their findings based on studies conducted in Boston, Salt Lake City, Birmingham, Los Angeles, Anchorage, Dayton, Philadelphia, Chicago. Preliminary findings show that: - Rapid degradation occurs early in the process of watershed urbanization. For example, in Anchorage biological degradation is evident when watersheds reach about 5 percent imperviousness. - Early, rapid degradation is associated with processes like deforestation. In some areas biological communities are severly degraded by physical factors before contaminants from nonpoint sources of pollution begin to degrade communities. - Historic land uses signficantly affect magnitue and patterns in stream ecosystems response to urbanization. Impact of urbanization on streams draining forested or range lands is much greater than on streams draining areas dominated by row agriculture. Seven additional studies just began in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Denver, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Dallas-Fort Worth, Portland-Eugene, Milwaukee and Carson City-Truckee. For more information, or if you have specific questions about one of these urban areas, please contact Dr. Carol Couch with USGS at [email protected] or 703-648-5074. 12. RESOURCE – VIDEO: The Southern Appalachians: A Changing World The Southern Appalachians: A Changing World, and the companion teacher’s guide and information booklet. Recipients are 1800 schools, environmental educational centers, and state parks in the Southern Appalachians. Agencies with resource management/educational programs also have received videos. The video has been extremely well-received, and is up for a number of awards. Limited copies through SAMAB are still available free to schools and learning centers, and at a wholesale cost to non-profit sales outlets. http://samab.org They also may be purchased through the USGS. http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/so_app/ 13. EVENT - TVA HOSTS NATIONAL CLEAN BOATING CAMPAIGN The National Clean Boating Campaign is being held in downtown Chattanooga on June 22, 2002 from 10:00 a.m. . – 4:00 p.m. at the Public Dock at Ross’s Landing. The annual program has been held in the Cheasapeake Bary, Greak Lakes and Puget Sounds areas with the June event being the first in the southeast. The Tennessee Valley Clean Marina Initiative is a voluntary education and outreach program developed by TVA’s Resource Stewardship Division to encourage environmentally responsible marina and boating practices throughout the Tennessee Valley. The program encourages marina-sponsored boater education, increased coordination amont state and federal gencies and better communication of existing laws, and offers incentives for creative and pro-active marina operators. Certified marinas are awareded a Clean Marina flag to display, signaling their commimtnet ot clean water, recognition in TVA’s publications and website, and the opportunity to use the Clean Marina logo in promotions. TVCMI Guidebooks are currently being distributed to all Valley marinas on “Sewage Tank Systems for Recreational Boats.” 14. MEDIA WATCH – The Memphis Flyer about I-69 A Road Not Yet Traveled: I-69 is coming, but when and where remain to be decided http://www.memphisflyer.com/content/content.asp?articletype=2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tennessee Clean Water Network E-News This newsletter is intended to provide a quick look at current clean water issues in Tennessee, in addition to resources available to the concerned citizen. Visit our website (www.tcwn.org) to find more detailed information. Comments and submissions for the newsletter are welcome. Send to [email protected] or to [email protected] or call us at 865/522-7007. Thanks for your participation!