Help us protect America’s most biodiverse river

Duck River, photo by Byron Jorjorian — Duck River, TN | Byron Jorjorian

The Duck River is a beautiful Tennessee waterway and the most biodiverse river in North America. Unfortunately, the river is threatened by extreme development pressures from some of the fastest growing communities in the country. Overconsumption of the Duck River’s water threatens its invaluable biodiversity and its long-term use by local communities for recreation, drinking water, industry, and agriculture. We must protect this incredible waterway by bringing stakeholders to the table, developing a comprehensive watershed plan, and funding much-needed scientific studies to understand the flow needs of the river and ensure its long-term health.

Act today to tell Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to:

Convene a technical working group this spring, which regularly meets to provide expertise and recommendations regarding water management and conservation in the Duck River watershed.
Direct the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to develop a comprehensive watershed plan for the Duck River to manage its long-term and sustainable use, proactively.
Fund much-needed scientific studies to understand the flow needs of the river.

The Duck River is at a critical juncture in its history. TDEC is in the process of issuing water withdrawal permits to numerous utilities along the Duck River which will allow them to pull 16 million more gallons of water each day from the river. If water levels in the Duck River get too low due to short-sighted management decisions and unsustainable water withdrawals, it will hurt local economies, impede recreational use, and harm or even kill downstream species–including threatened and endangered species. The time is now for Tennessee to proactively plan for the long-term, sustainable management of the Duck River. Governor Lee, please act to ensure that these initiatives are fully funded and performed so that the Duck River continues to be a place of world-class biodiversity and can be used and enjoyed by current and future generations of Tennesseans.

**This is for Tennessee residents only

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Dear Governor Lee,

I write today to urge you to take needed action to protect the Duck River, the crown jewel of Tennessee’s river system, a cornerstone of Tennessee’s growing outdoor recreation economy, and the most aquatically biodiverse river in our nation. As you know, Middle Tennessee is experiencing incredible growth, and that growth is putting extreme pressure on the Duck. In order to protect this one-of-a-kind waterway, please take the following three actions:

1. 	Convene a technical working group this spring, which regularly meets to provide expertise and recommendations regarding water management and conservation in the Duck River watershed.

2. 	Direct the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)  to develop a comprehensive watershed plan for the Duck River to manage its long-term and sustainable use, proactively.

3. 	Fund much-needed scientific studies to understand the flow needs of the river.

The Duck River is at a critical juncture in its history. TDEC is in the process of issuing water withdrawal permits to numerous utilities along the Duck River which will allow them to pull 16 million more gallons of water each day from the river. If water levels in the Duck River get too low due to short-sighted management decisions and unsustainable water withdrawals, it will hurt local economies, impede recreational use, and harm or even kill downstream species -- including threatened and endangered species.

The time is now for Tennessee to proactively plan for the long-term, sustainable management of the Duck River. Governor Lee, please act to ensure that these initiatives are fully funded and performed so that the Duck River continues to be a place of world-class biodiversity and can be used and enjoyed by current and future generations of Tennesseans.

Sincerely,

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