The Tennessee Clean Water Network’s Bill Russell River Hero Award honors those who strive to protect, restore and enhance the watersheds of Tennessee and the communities that depend on them – TCWN’s mission.
These individuals also demonstrate values central to TCWN’s mission, which are: the ability to bring the public together to hold polluters accountable and make government enforce clean water laws that protect our clean water.
The award gives us an opportunity to celebrate our successes and motivates others to follow in the steps of our River Heroes to protect the waters we live with and love.
Number of nominations, achievement in water resource protection, and demonstration of TCWN’s core values were used as selection criteria.
William (Bill) Russell was a world-renowned geneticist and long-time advocate for Tennessee waters. Together with wife Liane, he founded Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP) in 1966, an organization dedicated to the protection of land and water through public ownership. Bill co-authored and facilitated the passage of the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Act in 1968, the first such comprehensive act in the nation, preceding the national act.
Bill worked tirelessly to prevent the construction of a dam on the Obed River, a river he had come to love above all others. He an his comrades embarked on an intensive and lengthy effort to explore all avenues that would prevent an impoundment on the Obed. He eventually succeeded in not only saving the Obed from the dam, but in having it designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1976.
Bill was also instrumental in preventing the construction of a dam on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. His efforts to protect the river resulted in the establishment of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Bill also fought dams on the Little T and the Duck River, and was crushed when the Tellico and Normandy Dams were erected.
Bill Russell died on July 23, 2003, just short of his 93 rd birthday. We are honored to have known him and grateful for the opportunity to add this award to his amazing legacy. Many thanks to Liane Russell and TCWP for her help establishing this award and for her many contributions to the conservation of Tennessee’s valuable natural resources.