Our Goal is Conservation

Tennessee Paddle is proud to focus on the conservation of the Obed and Emory watersheds and the Obed Wild and Scenic River (WSR) national park. Current threats to the Obed area watersheds include degrading water quality, upstream land development and sprawl, lack of necessary operating funds, and a significant number of impoundments. Three of the area's premiere conservation groups, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA),  Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP) and the Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN) are coalition partners in Tennessee Paddle to help identify opportunities to raise money and awareness about these critical issues. NPCA, TCWP and TCWN support this important conservation event because of its potential to bring needed attention and resources to a sometimes ignored unit of the National Park Service.   

In March 2000 there was a celebration of officials and environmentalists of the victory of having the Obed named as an ONRW. Read the proclamation here.

How will Tennessee Paddle Benefit the Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park?

Tennessee Paddle's goal is to support the Obed area in three areas:

1.    Activities and projects that will directly benefit the Obed Wild and Scenic River national park.  These mostly involve allocating money for the purchase of materials and equipment such as equipment to automate water gauges to facilitate data acquisition and to install new gauges.

2.    Projects that involve "warm bodies" to do physical work such as water quality sampling, trash cleanups, installing interpretive signs at trailheads and access points as well as multi-disciplinary restoration activities like  the" Crag Day" climbing area cleanup and restoration  held September 9, 2000.

3.    Projects that will benefit people living in Morgan County and the entire Obed / Emory watershed area. These projects may include recreational and/or environmental education, activities for students, adults and local government officials. 

      Making an online donation to Tennessee Paddle is easy using a  Visa/MasterCard or checking account draft. We're a 501 (c) 3 non-profit group. Its a secure transaction. No information remains on our server and you can be assured that we will never sell, barter, or trade your personal information to anyone.  If you like, you can designate your on-line contribution to one of the three areas. Your tax-deductible donation for conservation is appreciated.

About the Obed Wild and Scenic River

The Obed Wild and Scenic River (WSR) includes 5,057 acres of land in eastern Tennessee and portions of the Obed and Emory rivers and Clear and Daddy’s Creeks (45.2 river miles total). The Obed is managed by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The park was created in 1976 and is currently one of over 150 wild and scenic rivers nationally.  The Obed WSR is one of nine such rivers in the Southeastern U.S and the only wild and scenic river in Tennessee.

The Obed WSR flows into the Tennessee River. The four principal streams of the watershed, the Obed River, Clear Creek, Daddy’s Creek and the Upper Emory River drain 615 square miles in Cumberland, Morgan, and Fentress Counties. 

Stream Gradients

The high gradient streams are similar to other streams on the Cumberland Plateau on average dropping 19 feet to 34 feet per mile.

Stream Flows

Between high flows during storm events and low flows during dry seasons, there is high variability in the flows in the Obed WSR streams. Stream flows on the Emory River at Oakdale, Tennessee have measured nearly nine cubic feet/second (cfs) to more than 190,000 cfs recorded in March 1929.  Approximately 10 percent of  the time, flow in the Obed River at Lancing is greater than 2500 cfs and another 10 percent of the time less than 20 cfs.

What is a Wild and Scenic River?

Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), “certain selected rivers of Nation which, with their immediate environments possess outstanding remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefits and enjoyment of future generations.” 

Impoundments

The reduction of water quantity to a river system reduces the natural physical and biological variability. Within the Obed River Watershed, there are numerous ponds and water supply impoundments that may have cumulatively altered the natural flows in the system. There is currently no comprehensive planning or management within this watershed.  Between the period of 1943-1946, 388 impoundments were added to the watershed (total surface area 522 acres). From 1976-1987, another 748 impoundments were added. Most recently, between 1988-1994, another 1767 impoundments were constructed within the watershed.  Today, the total number of impoundments are 2903 with a total surface area of 2903 acres. 14 of the impoundments are more than 50 acres in size including Lake Tansi, Brown Creek Lake, Fox Creek Lake, Dartmoore Lake, and Lake Holiday.

Recent Controversy Over Damming of Clear Creek

During the early 1990’s, the Catoosa Utility District located in Cumberland County proposed a 100-acre lake and water treatment plan for construction on Clear Creek. The site was located approximately 26 miles upstream of the Obed WSR.  Several conservation  organizations, paddling groups, and other citizen groups joined together to oppose the dam and eventually forced Cumberland County to conduct a study to evaluate other alternatives.  Currently, it appears there is little chance there will be a dam on the Clear Creek. Citizens organizing together made a big difference to this river!

Highest Designation under the Clean Water Act

In 1997, staff of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) recommended that the Obed Wild and Scenic River be designated an Outstanding National Resource Water (ONRW) under the Clean Water Act. Such a designation means that the water quality be preserved at current standards with no degradation. After a great deal of controversy surrounding this proposed designation, NPCA, TCWP, and paddlers came together to fight for this important designation which was granted during the summer of 1999.

Water Quality

The designation of the Obed WSR as Outstanding National Resource Water (ONRW) is important because it will address future proposed pipes and other direct sources of water pollution into the river. Unfortunately, this Clean Water Act designation will not completely address all the water quality problems to the Obed WSR. Nonpoint source pollution, discussed more fully below, is not regulated under the Clean Water Act and therefore can still be a threat to this important national river.

Water quality is the most important and sensitive ecosystem component of the Obed WSR. The quality and quantity of the water is essential to the biological resources and overall condition of the Obed WSR. Currently the major impacts of pollution to this watershed are mostly nonpoint source pollution including organic enrichment, low dissolved oxygen, nutrients, siltation, and flow alterations from municipal point sources, land development, and dam construction in upstream Crossville, Tennessee. The major source of water pollution is from improper agricultural and/or forestry practices with  secondary impacts from acid mine drainage. In other words, those forestry and/or agricultural practices which do not use Best Management Practices are the most frequent contributors to water pollution.  According to the Obed Water Resources Management Plan, “water resources and riparian environments are principle resources of the Obed WSR. The water is considered to be among the highest quality in the state supporting a rich ecological diversity.  However, activities outside the Obed WSR Park System Unit influence the waters within its boundaries. The activities include:  coal mining, oil and gas exploration, quarrying, sewage discharge, agricultural and forestry practices, garbage disposal and construction of numerous water supply ponds and impoundments on tributaries of the Obed and Emory Rivers.”

Obed River:  Currently the primary impacts to the Obed River are from upstream impacts from the City of Crossville, urban development, water plant backwash, and the low flow effect from Lake Holiday.

Clear Creek:  Clear Creek is currently demonstrating little evidence of impact though there are slightly elevated levels of conductivity, fecal coliform, and fecal streptococcus from agricultural practices and human waste disposal.  

If you'd like more information or have suggestions please e-mail our conservation team.

We need your support and financial help.