Part Three: from Carthage to Ashland City
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Our Cumberland River Basin Part Three: from Carthage to Ashland City Executive Summary This is the third in a series of four communities, economies, and ecolo- introductory profi les of the Cumber- gies, and will continue to be essential land River basin. In partnership, the in the years to come. The conditions Cumberland River Compact and The of many of the rivers and streams Nature Conservancy of Tennessee in this region are healthy. That said, have developed these profi les to over 900 miles of rivers and streams celebrate the Cumberland basin and are currently impaired and represent to encourage stakeholders across the a potential threat to either human basin to join together and develop health, ecosystems, or both. Many a more comprehensive and action- individuals, government agencies, oriented State of the Basin resource. and nonprofi t citizen groups work to Such a resource would explain in promote and protect water quality greater detail critical issues in the in the region. Working together, we Cumberland basin, identify opportu- can better understand our water nities for resource stewardship, and resources and collaboratively focus prioritize shared watershed stew- our eff orts in a way that will have ardship strategies. The State of the the greatest impact for the greatest Basin would also provide a platform good. for annually updated “report cards,” which would establish health indices, benchmarks and goals for these indices, and track progress or decline Join the in these indices over time. Cumberland River Compact and In this third profi le, we provide an The Nature Conservancy’s introduction to the lower middle efforts to become better region of the Cumberland basin. This region is defi ned by four watersheds stewards of our basin’s in middle Tennessee. It is home to precious water resources. 155 miles of the Cumberland River, major tributaries such as the Stones and the Harpeth, and the Percy Priest, (Photo by J.W. Randolph) Old Hickory, and Cheatham reser- voirs. Throughout the region’s history, water has been essential to the area’s Our Cumberland River Basin – Part Three: from Carthage to Ashland City | page 1 Our Cumberland River Basin: from Carthage to Ashland City By the time the Cumberland River rolls into Music City, it knows a thing or two about covering classic country. At this point, the river has collected waters that have fallen on and drained off of 54 counties and 12,000 square miles of Tennessee and Kentucky land. So, next time you’re out honky-tonking on Lower Broadway in Nashville, raise a glass of ice cold H2O to the region’s longest running country star – the Cumberland River! And remember, just as your drinking water is impacted by residents in every one of those 54 counties, the drinking water of all who live downstream of Nashville is impacted by each and every Nashvillian. We’re all in this together! How are you making an impact? This part three of the Our Cumberland River Basin series covers the region that drains to the Cumberland River between Carthage and the Harpeth River’s confl uence with the Cumberland just northwest of Ashland City. Between these small cities, the Cumberland River runs 155 miles, Downtown Nashville (Photo by James Duckworth) receiving water from 3,400 square miles of land resulting from Cheatham and Old Hickory dams. and 4,400 miles of tributary streams and rivers. With 1.4 million people, it’s the most populous Within this gently rolling landscape of middle and fastest growing area of the basin. Already, Sevenmile Creek is a tributary of Mill Creek in the Middle Cumberland Watershed. Tennessee, not a single mile of the Cumberland it has more people than all other regions of the (Photo by Jed Grubbs) River fl ows freely. The entire stretch is reservoir, basin combined. Our Cumberland River Basin – Part Three: from Carthage to Ashland City | page 3 Natural Features of the Region A mosaic of plains and rolling hills characterize the landscape of the region. Placid streams ease their way down to the Cumberland, fl owing over lime- stone bedrock and gravelly substrates. Some steeper gradients and incised escarpments do exist in places, especially west of Nashville, and in these areas, one fi nds some moderately graded streams. Land use is a blend of forested, urban, residential, and agricultural pasture and cropland uses. The region’s forests protect water quality in many ways. They fi lter pollutants from stormwater runoff , prevent erosion, and allow rain to infi ltrate ground- water reserves. They also provide habitat and shade streams – a valuable service for temperature sensitive species. Oak-hickory forests are found throughout, and several cedar glades grow atop shallow soils in south- eastern portions of the region. Four major watersheds are found here: the Old Hickory, Stones River, Middle Cumberland, and Harpeth River watersheds. The eastern-most of the four is the Old Hickory watershed. Waters that fall upon and fl ow through this watershed make their way to an impounded section of the Cumberland River known as Old Hickory Lake, a reservoir created by an Army Corps of The region includes four watersheds: Old Hickory in green, Stones River in brown, Middle Cumberland in pink, and Harpeth Engineers dam in 1954. The reservoir and watershed are named for our River in purple. nation’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson, whose nickname was Old Hickory. At 983 square miles, the watershed is the largest of the four in Stones River are all found on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory. Both Cedars the region. It is home to Bledsoe Creek State Park, the Taylor Hollow State of Lebanon and Long Hunter state parks are found here, as well as Cedars of Natural Area, and several state wildlife management areas including the Lebanon State Forest and ten state natural areas – more designated natural 6,000 acre Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area. Sections of Goose Creek areas than any other watershed in the entire Cumberland River basin. Its and Bledsoe Creek are listed on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory – a federal many cedar glades represent one of rarest habitat types in the southeastern listing of streams with outstanding scenic, recreational, or cultural attributes. United States and support a rich array of biodiversity. In Cedars of Lebanon A number of endangered species are found in the watershed, including 10 State Park alone there are 350 species of plants and 29 are endemic to species of freshwater mussels and the Spring Creek bladderpod, a fl ower cedar glades. Every spring, endemic wildfl owers, such as yellow sunnybells, that only blooms in the fl oodplains of three Old Hickory watershed creeks. blanket the shallow soils and wet, gravelly limestone of these glades. South of Old Hickory is the Stones River watershed. Water here drains to The Middle Cumberland watershed drains to an impounded section of the the Stones River, named for long hunter Uriah Stone who explored the river Cumberland River known as Cheatham reservoir. This reservoir is a result in 1767. In 1968, the Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Stones, and of another Army Corps of Engineers dam completed in 1952. The water- J. Percy Priest Lake is the resulting reservoir. Within the watershed, sections shed’s area includes an extensive Metro Nashville parks system that includes of Cripple Creek, Overall Creek, and the east, west, and middle forks of the Shelby Bottoms, Bells Bend, Beaman, and Peeler parks, as well as portions Left: Within the region’s cedar glades, freshwater springs emerge from exposed lime- stone only to disappear into underground streams and downstream sinkholes. (Photo by Jed Grubbs) Below: A wide variety of fi sh can be found in the Harpeth River, includ- ing longnose gar. The gar is an ancient species of fi sh that has existed in North America for 100 million years! (Illustration by Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp) and two state wildlife management areas are here, as well as a majority of Nashville’s Warner Park system and Bowie Park in Fairview. Keep an eye out for river otter within the watershed. They’re making a comeback, and families of as many as 17 have been spotted! If it’s birding you’re into, head to Radnor. Many species of waterfowl have made the park their winter desti- nation of choice and species include wood duck, canvasback, gadwall, buffl ehead, American black duck, and more. of the 3,100 acre Warner Parks, and over half of The Harpeth River watershed is south of the the 32,000 acre Cheatham State Wildlife Manage- Middle Cumberland, and includes all lands and Whites Creek’s confl uence ment Area. Sycamore Creek fl ows in a northern waters that drain to the Harpeth River. The with the Cumberland arc over much of watershed and is listed on Harpeth River itself is 125 miles long, originating is home to a great blue heron communal nesting the Nationwide Rivers Inventory. The Middle in headwater streams near the small town of ground or “rookery.” Cumberland is home to nearly 600,000 people, Eagleville. En route to the Cumberland, the (Photo by Mila Zinkova) but humans aren’t the area’s only inhabitants. Harpeth takes on the Little Harpeth, Big Turn- Urban canoers can spot federally endangered bull Creek, and Jones Creek – all streams (along Nashville Crayfi sh scuttling across the Mill Creek’s with the Harpeth itself) listed on the Nation- slabby bedrock. Visitors to Shelby Bottoms are wide Rivers Inventory. The watershed is home serenaded by a chorus of frogs from the Cumber- to the Natchez Trace Parkway, a linear national land’s fl oodplain. Singers include spring peepers, park, and it’s where you’ll fi nd Radnor Lake, southern leopard frogs, green frogs, tree frogs Montgomery Bell, and Harpeth River state parks.