Environment and Conservation Announces Partnership Among Federal, State Agencies to Protect Clinch and Powell Rivers

Nashville, Tenn. – Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke and Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the preservation and restoration of the Clinch and Powell rivers by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regions III and IV; the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy; and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

“I am pleased that these five agencies have formed a partnership that will improve our ability to protect and improve the Clinch and Powell rivers,” Fyke said. “We can better address a wide range of environmental issues that affect this important watershed by coordinating our efforts.”

The Clinch and Powell rivers originate in the mountains of southwestern Virginia and flow into Tennessee before connecting to the Tennessee River.

“This watershed is one of the most diverse freshwater habitats for fish and mussels in North America,” Sloan said.  “Both the Clinch and Powell rivers support populations of federally threatened and endangered fish and mussels, and we appreciate EPA Region IV working with us to get the right people to the table to protect and improve these rivers.”

Through this agreement, the federal and state agencies will create a working group to coordinate actions and to facilitate communication regarding the Clinch and Powell rivers. This working group will address a variety of scientific and regulatory concerns, including:

• Coordination of scientific research into the causes for mussel population decline;
• Designation of the watershed as worthy for attention and resources through the EPA Region III and IV’s “healthy waters” and “priority watershed” classifications;
• Utilization of the Abandoned Mine Land Funds for reclamation and restoration projects to enhance water quality in both rivers;
• Development of new best management practices and other regulatory measures to control sources of pollution;
• Development of assessment protocols that incorporate the latest research on mussels.

For more information about the Clinch and Powell rivers, please visit the Department of Environment and Conservation’s Web site at http://www.tdec.net/wpc/watershed/wsmplans and look under Group Four Watershed Plans.