Bring the kids and have a blast in the river!

When: Sunday, May 1, 2005 — 1-4 p.m.

Where: Edwin Warner Park — Picnic Site 11, off Vaughn Road near the Old Hickory Blvd intersection.

Presented by the Harpeth

River Watershed Association,

and sponsored by

Lightning 100’s Team Green

and Trillium Ventures

For the kids: Paint river rocks, hunt for water critters, get your facepainted, visit a petting zoo, climb a rock wall, take a slide, ride a train.

For the grown-ups: Take an interpretative hike along the LittleHarpeth River led by Warner Park staff; learn how rain barrels and

rain gardens can help your garden bloom while protecting the environment; and find out how you can help the Harpeth River

Watershed Association preserve and restore the beautiful Harpeth River during the association’s brief annual meeting.

Purchase lunch from Barbeqool BBQ, All Beef Hot Dogs, Turkey Legs

Nachos and CheeseSodas and Water

Dove Bars and Icee Pushups

Tickets available for the petting zoo, slide and train ride; all other activities are free. All donations benefit the

Harpeth River Watershed Association, a non-profit organization.

For more information, contact HRWA, (615) 790-9767 or hrwa@harpethriver.org

“Working together to protectand restore the Harpeth River”

Voices for the

the HarpethIssue No. 4, 2005

May Day of Family Fun & RiverSmart Festival 2005BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DORENE BOLZEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MATT DOBSON, PRESIDENTAegis Group

DAVID LEMKE, VICE-PRESIDENTWaller Lansden Dortch & Davis

PHIL PACE, TREASURERFloreat, Inc.

PAM BOLEN, SECRETARY

LINDA BREGGINEnvironmental Law Institute

MIKE CORNAquAeter

MARK DIETZETrillium Ventures, Inc.

STACEY WATSON MCRIGHTStites & Harbison

MAURY MILLERDickson County

MARY WADEWade & Egbert

HRWA STAFF

JOHN MCFADDEN

Director of Science and Restoration Programs

PAM DAVEE

Director of Foundation Relations and Policy Specialist

GWENDOLYN BLANTON

River Restoration Manager andEnvironmental Specialist

JULIA HALFORD

Special Events and Outreach Coordinator

Event includes the HRWA annual meeting at 1 pm

2

The Harpeth River WatershedAssociation is pleased to announce thatwe’ve received a $200,000, three-yeargrant from the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA). These fundsprovide a unique opportunity to create acoalition of partners from city, county,state and federal government agencies, aswell as representatives from the privatesector, to improve water quality in ourwatershed. One of only three grants of itskind awarded in the Southeastern U.S.,this project will focus on how local landuse planning, stormwater regulations, andother municipal tools are most effective atachieving water quality goals and reducingpollutants going into the Harpeth. A keyoutcome of this project is to providematerials, tools, and guidance that citiesand counties around the state can usebased on our focus in the Harpeth.

Work Is Already UnderwayRecent assessments of the Harpeth

by the EPA and the Tennessee Depart-ment of Environment and Conservation(TDEC) have identified that the mainwater quality issues involve excessive sedi-ment from erosion and nutrients (nitro-gen and phosphorus) which end up in theHarpeth from runoff coming from devel-oped areas, farms, and sewage treatmenteffluent. While sediment clogs importantwildlife habitat in the rivers, nutrientscause algae growth, even blooms, whichin turn cause oxygen levels to sink, oftengoing below state standards or even get-ting low enough to cause fish kills. (Fordetails, visit our website and look at priorissues of our newsletter.)

As required under the Clean WaterAct, EPA and TDEC developed plans toreduce these pollutant loads. The plans,known as Total Maximum Daily Loads(or TMDLs), call for a reduction in sedi-ment ranging from 32% to 90% in differ-ent sections of the Harpeth. Very highreductions are specific to the streams thatwere loaded with mud due to poor erosioncontrol from the construction of StateRoute 840 near Dickson. Reductions innitrogen from 20%-53% need to comefrom areas around Bellevue, Brentwood(Little Harpeth), West Harpeth, Franklin

and upstream in order to protect thehealth of the main Harpeth.

With this EPA grant, HRWA willorganize an integrated approach to meet-ing these pollutant reductions and pro-tecting the Harpeth and drinking watersources. Working closely with area devel-opers and local government, HRWA willassess streamside habitat buffer protec-tion requirements, specific goals for thedesign to handle rain in new develop-ments, and other tools at the local plan-ning level that can meet water qualitygoals. HRWA will provide this as part ofFranklin’s current efforts to revise itszoning ordinance.

How the Project Will WorkThe main part of this project is to

focus on one stream system in which awatershed plan will be developed and toexamine various “what-if” scenarios to seewhich options are most effective in meet-ing water quality goals. The plan will iden-tify areas that need restoration and areasthat should be designed as conservationareas, as well as assessing whether thereare specific site design needs for develop-ments in this watershed. Water quality

data will be gathered so that over time wecan learn if the implementation actually isachieving improvements in the streams.

As part of the grant, there will be amajor focus on new development sitedesign options and workshops will be heldon these techniques. There will be demon-strations of best management practices forrestoration as well as outreach and train-ing for the public. This work will focus onFive Mile Creek, which is in the I-65 corri-dor and is identified as a new “growtharea” in the Franklin land use plan. Thisarea, which is currently agricultural, iswell suited for environmental assessmentbefore, during and after development.With Five Mile Creek listed as “impaired”by the state, this is a good opportunity todevelop a plan to guide growth in orderto improve the creek’s water quality, sinceit provides source waters for Franklin’sdrinking water supply.

The grant will also include an analy-sis of the vulnerable areas of the overallHarpeth and will identify priority areasfor water quality. This work will be doneto complement and provide valuable nat-ural resource data to Williamson County’sland use plan update that has just begun.With this watershed analysis and the workspecific to one subwatershed, this is agreat opportunity for Franklin, William-son County and other jurisdictions in theHarpeth to leverage their resources inpursuit of common goals relating to thehealth of the river.

HRWA Leads the WayHRWA will oversee the project,

including development of project advisoryteams, a watershed vulnerability analysisteam, a conceptual monitoring plan team,a subwatershed planning team, and thewater quality analysis team. Each groupwill include representatives from the cityand county. Some teams will also includerepresentatives from the EPA and TDEC.

Orienting development and growth sothat we can meet water quality standardsand ecological goals will require the com-mitment of a broad range of participantsand leaders. Partnerships such as these canleverage everyone’s efforts to rebuild andmaintain the health of the Harpeth River.

HARPETH RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION, THE CITY OF FRANKLIN, WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND THE EPA

A Winning Combination For Our Community

Project Goals:

� Protect the Harpeth’s biodiversity(the number of species of plants, fish,animals, etc., in the area).

� Identify priority high quality areas ofthe watershed, like the South Harpeth.

� Restore impaired streams to greaterhealth and quality.

� Use watershed planning tools andprovide training for development andland conservation planning (for localgovernments to use in order to meetwater quality goals and reduce pollu-tion, and do it cost-effectively).

� Facilitate efforts for an integratedwater quality plan effort involvinglocal, state and federal entities withprivate sector representatives toimprove the health of the Harpeth.

by Gwendolyn Blanton

Sometimes HRWA gets questions about why we spend somuch time working in and along streams trying to fix thebanks and improve streamside vegetation. Well, according tothe National Research Council, a branch of the NationalAcademies of Science, improving streamside vegetation bringsa 150% ecological return on a 100% ecological restorationeffort. Streamside or “riparian” zones are transitions betweentwo habitat types, water and land. Biodiversity, hydrology andwildlife habitat represent the big three ecological functions inthese areas. Per acre of land, there are more of these func-tions in habitat transition zones than in the non-transitionzone such as uplands. HRWA still works every day to improvelocal water quality policies and planning around the water-shed, but we also believe it is essential to get in the river toplant trees that provide shade and bank stability for streamsand fallen leaves for aquatic insects.

HRWA’s Volunteer River Restoration Corps (VRRC) hasbeen working hard this past year to improve water quality andbank stability in the Harpeth and Duck River watersheds. InDecember, Kenny Snyder needed an Eagle Scout project andthe VRRC helped him organize a group of 19 Boy Scouts andother volunteers do a stream bank stabilization project viacedar revetments at River Park in Brentwood (along the LittleHarpeth River). The Scouts astounded us with their hardwork and efficiency! By lunch we had used up our revetmentmaterials and so moved over to Tower Park to do some main-tenance work on the tree planting project completed last year.The project also garnered a great story in the Tennessean’sWilliamson A.M. section.

In January, four volunteers worked to selectively harvest(cut) and dig (live) cedar and cherry trees for future projects.It rained most of the day, but thanks to their hard work, ourFebruary 12th project had plenty of trees ready to be installed.

The February 12th project was in the Duck River water-shed at Jerry Erwin Park in Spring Hill and combined ourimproved cedar revetment techniques with tree planting andbank terracing. The goal was to help the stream rebuild itsbank the way nature intended, establishing a stable, vegetatedbank with small terraces that allows the river to expand insteps with the rising water. Here’s how it works:

� Cedar trees bundled in jute (a fabric similar to burlap) areanchored to the bottom of the stream bank to bring the toe or baseof the bank back in toward the center of the stream (see Picture 2).

� The top of the bank is tilled to allow the loosened soil to be moveddown to the top of the cedar revetment. This helps developterraces in what was previously an eroding vertical bank. Therevetment is the new toe and the top of the bank is now a stepfarther back, much like a line of steps up from the stream (see Picture 3).

Streambank RestorationBrings $1.50 Returnfor Every $1.00 Invested

Picture 1: Installing anchors to hold the revetment in place.

Picture 2: Cedar trees are anchored to the toe of the bank.

Picture 3: Tilling the top of the bank.

3

NEWSLETTER TEAM: GWENDOLYN BLANTON, JULIA HALFORDNEWSLETTER LAYOUT: MARY CAPRIO, CAPRIO DESIGNWORKS, 838-3702, MFCAPRIO@COMCAST.NET

CONTENTS © 2005 BY HARPETH RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO COPY THESE ARTICLES PROVIDED THAT ORIGINAL SOURCE IS CREDITED.

VISIT HRWA ONLINE AT WWW.HARPETHRIVER.ORG WEB MASTER: DON GREEN Web Site Hosting by ISDN-NET

The Harpeth — it flows through our lives. We all live downstream.

The Harpeth and its tributaries drain 872 square miles. While much of it is still forested or agricultural, another third is oneof the fastest growing regions in the United States. We need your help to preserve and restore the ecological health of thiswatershed. Please join the Harpeth River Watershed Association and get involved!

� Yes, I want to support and join the efforts of others with the Harpeth River Watershed Association. Please send me theHarpeth River color map and free TN river poster of my choice: � small stream, � stream, or � river ecosystem.

Name: ______________________________________________________Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Phone: Day ___________________ Evening ______________________Email: _____________________________________________________

Sponsorship Levels: � $25 � $100*� $35* � $250� $45* � $500� $50 � $1000� Other* Donations of $35 or more receive a free HRWA t-shirt. The $45 family membership includes 2 T-shirts and a set

of TN river posters. Join at the $100 level and receive 2 T-shirts and a set of 10 Harpeth River notecards.

Please make checks payable to the Harpeth River Watershed Association and return this form and your contribution to: Harpeth River Watershed Association, P.O. Box 1127, Franklin, TN 37065

For more information, call (615) 790-9767 or visit WWW.HARPETHRIVER.ORG.

The HRWA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all contributions are tax-deductible.

Volunteer Interests: � River studies and restoration projects� Education projects� Special events/Recreation� Helping in the office� Other _____________________________

Pay by credit card online at www.harpethriver.org

Consider including the HRWA in your estate planning.� Please send me more information about including HRWA in my will.

Voices for the

Harpeth

� The top of the cedar revetment, with all thisnew soil, is planted with water-loving treesthat grow quickly. As the cedar revetmenttraps sediment inside the jute and betweenthe branches, the new trees send roots downto stabilize the new soil (see Picture 4).

� The exposed soil is seeded and covered withan erosion control mat to keep the soil inplace until everything starts growing in thespring (see Picture 5).

This project was featured on the frontpage of the Columbia Daily Herald.

The Volunteer River Restoration Corpsworks regularly throughout the year soplease come out and join us on one of ourprojects! E-mail hrwa@harpethriver.org fordetails about the schedule of things to come.

Picture 4: Planting in the soil on top ofthe revetment

Picture 5: The Final Product — there arenow small steps in the bank rather thana continuous slope.

4

by Julia Halford

There’s no sweeter music to a non-profit organization’s ears than a volun-teer who walks through the door andsays “I want to help!” Pam Davee’senthusiasm for the HRWA was imme-diately evident when she volunteeredto take on the silent auction for theHarpeth River Hootenanny last sum-mer. Her expertise and passion for theriver were obvious and it wasn’t longbefore she joined the staff of HRWA,becoming the Director of FoundationRelations and Policy Specialist onSeptember 1, 2004.

Pam relocated to Franklin fromAtlanta with her family in the fall of2003. Having earned her Masters ofScience in Public Policy from theGeorgia Institute of Technology inAtlanta, Pam had been working as theDevelopment Director for the UpperChattahoochee Riverkeeper in Atlanta.While in that role for three years, Pamhad been responsible for raising 75% ofthe organization’s $1.2 million budget;had researched, planned, and executedtheir first Annual Fund Campaign; and had written grant proposals whichresulted in 15 new corporate and foun-dation gifts from national and localphilanthropic entities. Pam transferredher abilities and experience here andhas already applied for several grantson behalf of the Harpeth RiverWatershed Association.

Pam has also been heavily involvedwith important water policy issuesfacing the Harpeth River watershed.These issues include alternative sewersystems, the impact of impoundmentsin the headwaters of a river system, andproper clean-up of a battery plant site inthe headwaters of the Harpeth River.

Pam’s enthusiasm carries her farand wide. Not only has she traveledextensively in Central America explor-ing the terrain as well as the waters asa scuba diver, she also serves on mis-sions trips. Pam has just returned fromGuatemala where she traveled withFirst United Methodist Church ofFranklin on a two week mission trip in

March. Fluent in Spanish, Pam servedas an interpreter for the group as theybuilt a church and a school.

Pam’s love for the river is also evi-dent in the fact that she and her hus-band Bob chose a home here inFranklin that backs up to the HarpethRiver. The entire family, Buzz theblue-heeler included, take advantage ofwalking out the back door to walkalong the river.

The Davees’ daughter Rachelshares her mother’s sense of adventureand has spent this year between highschool and college traveling and study-ing in Central and South America.Their twin sons, Charlie and Max, aresophomores in high school and areactive members of Franklin High’sbaseball and lacrosse teams.

HRWA is thrilled to have a staffmember with Pam’s experience andprofessionalism working on foundationrelations and policy, areas which are

critical to achieving our mission. Pleasehelp us welcome Pam Davee to theHRWA team. Her energy and expertisehave already added significantly to theHarpeth River Watershed Association.

Pam Davee Joins HRWA Staff as Director ofFoundation Relations and Policy Specialist

Youngest Member of the HarpethRiver Watershed Association

The Harpeth RiverWatershed Associationwas proud to present anhonorary membership toits newest and youngestmember. Seen here, heldby a very proud papa, isOwen Harpeth Smith,born December 17, 2004to Jimmy and EllenSmith. Jimmy Smithworks in the WaterPollution Controldivision of the Tennessee Department of Environment andConservation (TDEC)and has been workingwith HRWA on a projectin the Eagleville area.

5

HARPETH RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION

P.O. BOX 1127FRANKLIN, TN 37065WWW.HARPETHRIVER.ORG

May Day of Family Fun

& RiverSmart Festival 2005Including HRWA’s Annual Meeting

May 1 from 1-4 pm

at Edwin Warner Park

TheViewfromtheRiver

by Dorene Bolze, HRWA Executive Director

It is always better to be proactive than reactive! With a newEPA grant for $200,000, HRWA has been given a great oppor-tunity to work with Franklin and Williamson County to be

proactive in developing efforts that will reduce the pollutantsgoing into the Harpeth and over time improve water quality. Muchof the work will focus on local planning, development site design,and zoning ordinances that help meet water quality targets such asnatural streamside buffers. We will also provide priorities acrossthe entire Harpeth that will be valuable to Williamson County’sland use plan update effort and throughout the watershed.

However, we have also had to react to the changing dynamicsof growth with the increased use of alternative sewage treatmentsystems that enable dense development almost anywhere. Like theCity of Franklin, these various systems apply the effluent ontoland, an approach which has the advantages of reducing pollutantsinto rivers and providing irrigation, as long as the systems aredesigned and managed properly. With the recent proposal of amillion gallon-a-day sewage treatment system for the town ofThompson’s Station, HRWA has been working with town leaders,developers, EPA, TDEC, and national experts on how such systemsneed to be designed if they occur in a river system with pollutantload reduction requirements—like the Harpeth. Even if these sys-tems are designed to not be sources of surface water pollutants,they enable growth that will generate increased stormwater runoffand pollution unless there are standards for stormwater and openspace to minimize this.

HRWA has been focusing on this significant change to the“rules of the game” and providing scientific and technicalexpertise—with your member dollars making it possible. Yoursupport enables us to “react” to unpredicted issues and takeadvantage of new opportunities. I hope you will consider support-ing our annual “May Day for the River” Annual Fund Campaignso we can expand our ability to be both reactive and proactive inpursuing our mission to protect the Harpeth and to shape statepolicies based on what we learn.

SAVE THE DATE:

Harpeth River Hootenanny 2 Saturday, September 17

at Orrin Ingram’s River View Farm ~ with a surprise musical guest ~

Will

Jord

an

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDNASHVILLE, TN

PERMIT 777

Word to the Wise...What’s a “watershed” anyway?

Well, it’s not the big water tower at The Factory at Franklin! A “watershed” refers to the area

of land that drains into a river. The Harpeth Riverwatershed stretches from Rutherford County to

the Harpeth River’s union with the Cumberland Riveralong the border of Dickson and Cheatham Counties.