Successful Spring Creek Cleanup Effort
JOHN DOSS, Montgomery County Stormwater Coordinator
On October 4, 2008, 16 volunteers from the Montgomery County, area met to help
clean up Spring Creek. The Spring Creek Cleanup was sponsored jointly by the
Montgomery County Storm Water Program, the Cumberland River Compact and the Red
River Watershed Association. The event took place at Spring Creek near the
Oakland Road Bridge
Spring Creek is of particular local interest because it appears on the State of
Tennessee's 303 (d) list of impaired streams. A stream is considered impaired if
it cannot support one or more common uses due to pollution (in Spring
Creek, the pollutant is silt). Since Spring Creek is designated impaired, it is
considered a priority for water quality improvement efforts.
The volunteers removed a significant amount of refuse from the creek, including
tires, tarps, trash, and other foreign materials from the creek bed and banks.
The pollutants were disposed of in a dumpster provided by Pete Reed of the
Bi-County Landfill for that purpose. The Papa John's Pizza located at 16580 Fort
Campbell Blvd, Oak Grove, Ky., provided pizza for the project.
In addition to the trash removal, two classes in stream health assessment were
held. One class, taught by Margo Farnsworth of the [Cumberland River Compact],
focused on reviewing biological indicators of stream health. The other class
focused on visual assessment of the stream structure, and was conducted by Vena
Jones of the Cumberland River Compact. Both classes provided accurate,
scientifically valid method for determining general stream health, and will be
used by the volunteers to help in assessing the health of waterways throughout
Montgomery County.
The Cumberland River Compact is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, dedicated to
enhancing water quality in the Cumberland River and its tributaries through
education and by promoting cooperation between citizens, businesses, and
agencies in Kentucky and Tennessee.
The Red River Watershed Association is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with the
stated mission of enhancing and protecting the quality and quantity of water in
the creeks and streams of our area through activities that educate, promote
community cooperation, and encourage responsible stewardship.
The Montgomery County Storm Water Control Program is responsible for maintaining
county-wide compliance with the EPA's Clean Water Act and Tennessee's water
pollution control laws and regulations. The program monitors and regulates
private construction, area development, and governmental operations within
Montgomery County to limit pollution releases to area waters. The program's goal
is to keep Montgomery County's water resources and general environment safe and
healthy for future generations.
Red
River Watershed Association
