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PROTECTING TENNESSEE'S WATERWAYS
CHAMPIONS FOR CLEAN WATER AND RIVERS STATEWIDE
By Jess Martin
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HARPETH CONSERVANCY
Harpeth Conservancy, founded in 1999, is a science-based non-profit conservation organization dedicated to restoring and protecting clean water and healthy ecosystems for rivers in Tennessee. Initially focused on the State Scenic Harpeth River, which flows through six counties in the greater Nashville region, the organization has evolved to become Tennessee's statewide leader in clean water protection and river conservation.
Harpeth Conservancy employs scientific expertise and collaborative relationships to develop, promote, and support broad community stewardship and action. The organization works with community leaders, businesses, local, state, and federal decision-makers, as well as its members, to foster solutions that reduce pollution and maintain healthy areas.
The rivers in Tennessee, including the Harpeth River, are part of the unique freshwater river systems of the Southeast that contain some of the greatest variety of aquatic life in the world. With expertise in various disciplines, including water quality science, environmental and conservation law and policy, sustainable land use planning, agricultural best management practices, and volunteer and community engagement, Harpeth Conservancy is committed to protecting Tennessee's globally unique waterways now and for future generations.
Recent Achievements
In recent years, Harpeth Conservancy has stewarded significant growth internally to tackle its critical mission of protecting clean water and rivers in Tennessee. The organization has expanded its fundraising and operational capacity by investing in new staff with expertise in clean water policy, community engagement, events, and communications.
Tennessee’s waterways faced another year of relentless pressure, ranging from increasing water withdrawals to attempts to roll back longstanding engineering standards for smart sewer infrastructure. Harpeth Conservancy continued efforts started at the beginning of the pandemic to advocate for better public notice and more equitable participation so communities are informed—and can then let their voices be heard—when there are proposals to dump, degrade, improve, or save local waters. In addition to the daily work of connecting its members with information and resources, they have also worked in partnerships and coalitions to achieve broader impacts, including settling cases to limit stormwater pollution statewide and to clean up bacterial pollution choking a tributary to the Harpeth River.
Among these achievements, Harpeth Conservancy also managed a fourth successful year of citizen water quality monitoring, which takes weekly samples from 11 sites during the recreation season May-October. In 2024, the organization will launch its Tennessee Water Watch program providing real-time predictions of E. coli levels at highly recreated sites on rivers and streams in Middle Tennessee. The organization will also launch its in-house water quality lab, allowing for more efficient water quality sampling and providing a hands-on classroom for citizen scientists.
Another of its remarkable achievements during this period is the 20th Annual River Swing fundraising event on September 16, 2023, where Harpeth Conservancy raised an impressive $657,000. This amount was almost double that of any previous River Swing event. "The increase was more than $300,000, and that was astounding. It showed Tennesseans’ dedication to supporting clean water and healthy ecosystems for rivers across the state," said Grace Stranch, who became the organization's CEO last April. "These funds will go towards our work to ensure Tennessee's globally unique waterways are protected, and every Tennessean has clean water," she added.
River Swing is Harpeth Conservancy's signature fundraiser, allowing supporters to contribute to the vision of clean water and healthy ecosystems for Tennessee's rivers. Dorie Bolze, the founder and president of Harpeth Conservancy, stated, "Our events are an important way to celebrate our work with old and new supporters alike.” Over 50 companies supported the event as sponsors, with FarmVet and Leslie and Jimmy John Liautaud serving as Presenting Sponsors. Christian Currey, Vice Chair of Harpeth Conservancy's board, chaired and hosted the event at his family farm for the seventh consecutive year. This year’s event marked the debut of a new video emphasizing the urgency of protecting Tennessee’s waters, which can be found on the organization's website.
Upcoming Events: Wild & Scenic Film Festival and Songwriters for Streams
Harpeth Conservancy is looking forward to hosting its 6th Wild & Scenic Film Festival with student leaders from Christ Presbyterian Academy’s (CPA) Media Arts Program, scheduled for February 22, 2024. The event will be held at CPA’s Soli Deo Center in Brentwood and will give the local community a unique opportunity to learn about issues impacting our environment through the power of documentary film while empowering youth leadership and raising funds to support Harpeth Conservancy’s mission.
The organization is also excited to announce its second annual Songwriters for Streams event, scheduled for April 21, 2024, in honor of Earth Month. This memorable event will be held at Libby and Nick Sieveking’s picturesque family farm on Moran Road, situated along the Harpeth River in Franklin, and will feature an afternoon of songs performed by acclaimed songwriters. Songwriters for Streams is an opportunity to enjoy music and nature while supporting the organization's mission to protect and preserve Tennessee's vital waterways.
Tennessee Rivers Fun Facts
The rivers of Tennessee are part of a system of unique freshwater rivers in the Southeastern United States. If you live in Tennessee, at least some if not all your drinking water comes from a river.
The Harpeth River is 125 miles long with over 1000 miles of tributaries. The river meanders through six counties in the greater Nashville region until it joins the Cumberland River.
The Harpeth River is home to over 86 fish species 84 are native species.
The Harpeth River is also home to many mammal species, such as beavers, otters, minks, muskrats, woodchucks, and flying squirrels.
Turtles are a very special part of the ecosystem. You will find many turtles throughout Tennessee, but many turtles are threatened or endangered. It is illegal to keep turtles as pets in Tennessee.
There are more than 300 species of birds that either reside or migrate through Tennessee. Many can be spotted in Middle Tennessee around forests, rivers, and lakes, such as the Great Blue Heron, owls, ducks, hummingbirds, and hawks.
To learn more about Harpeth Conservancy, its mission, and its upcoming events, please visit its website at harpethconservancy.org and follow them on social media at @harpethriver. Harpeth Conservancy is a 501 (c) (3) organization.
JESS MARTIN is the Communications Coordinator for the Harpeth Conservancy. Before joining the Conservancy, she had worked with several international faith-based nonprofits assisting refugees in Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa living across the Middle East and North Africa. It was there Martin discovered her fervent commitment to making a difference in the lives of people and telling their stories to inspire meaningful change.
