River Management Society Supporting Professionals Who Study, Protect, and Manage RMS SPRING 2017 VOLUME 30, NO. 1 North America’s Rivers Southeast Focus RMS Pro-Purchase News..................... 4 Virginia’s Scenic Rivers ........................ 6 Restoring the Mulberry River ................ 8 Tennessee Wildlife Federation Gift ....... 9 The Obion Basin Fight ........................ 10 Family Fun on the Pascagoula ........... 13 Tennessee River Basin Network......... 14 Conservation Easements - A Tool ....... 15 Bama’s Bone Dry ................................ 16 Wonks, Water, Walls, and... .............. 18 Georgia Water Trails ........................... 21 San Antonio River Authority ................ 24 RMS Chapter Updates ....................... 27 Innovative Tennessee River Project ... 28 Google Earth aerial image of the Franklin sewer plant and Harpeth River. False Dichotomy Between Growth and Clean Water? The Harpeth River Experience with Citizen Suits and Beyond by James M. Redwine The State Scenic Harpeth River, Greater Founded in 1999, the Harpeth River So often, the choice is portrayed to be Nashville, and the Harpeth River Watershed Association is a 501(c)(3) between clean water and growth, with Watershed Association not-for-profit, science-based conservation clean water inevitably the loser. The organization dedicated to protecting the Harpeth River Watershed Association The Harpeth River is among the State Scenic Harpeth River and clean (HRWA) does not believe that this always unique freshwater river systems of the water in Tennessee. To protect the river has to be the case. Rather, HRWA’s recent Southeast. These systems contain some and effect change, HRWA collaborates experience with a citizen suit under the of the greatest variety of aquatic life with landowners, businesses, community, federal Clean Water Act (CWA) (and its in the world. The 125-mile-long State local, state, and federal decision makers aftermath) shows that the story can be Scenic Harpeth River and over 1,000 and others to put solutions in place to far more complex, that there does not miles of tributaries flow through both maintain healthy landscapes, reduce have be a choice between clean water rural landscapes and rapidly developing pollution, and implement restoration in and growth, and that clean water needs to urban and suburban areas of the greater order to achieve water quality standards be a community choice in which all are Nashville region, one of the fastest set to protect public health and wildlife. involved and have a stake in the outcome. growing regions of the country. (continued on page 34) Executive Director’s Eddy RMS President’s Corner As I finally put away the holiday letters Pacific Chapter. We accomplished our RMS Main Office Risa Shimoda, Executive Director A bit about I received from friends and family work in time (if not according to the PO Box 5750, Takoma Park, MD 20913-5750 describing their 2016, I reflect on 2016 schedule) and were able to meet with tel (301) 585-4677 / cell (301) 502-6548 stewardship and [email protected] and 2017 – no, I will not regale you with chapter members and visit a short stretch advocacy... tales of my salmon fishing and upcoming of the South Fork of the American River. Executive Committee boating plans. I will share some of the While having an in-person meeting is Helen Clough, President I am a whitewater paddler with a love amazing highlights of the last year for expensive, Juneau, AK (907) 790-4189 River Management Society and a few of [email protected] for both running rapids and ‘screwing’ a squirt boat down below the water’s surface our plans for 2017. ...no technology Linda Jalbert, Vice President for extended periods to observe a river’s Flagstaff, AZ (928) 638-7909 can duplicate the [email protected] wonders. As a river recreationist, I had We began the year deeply involved in to learn how to wear the mantle of ‘river planning for Rivers and Recreation in a Jennifer Jones, Secretary wonderful interactions Moab, UT (435) 259-2110 management’ when I stepped up to my Changing Climate, the 2016 Symposium [email protected] position six years ago. I learned quickly with our partner the Society of Outdoor that happen when Risa Shimoda, RMS Executive Director Recreation Professionals. RMS committee Randy Welsh, Treasurer that while our members all enjoy working Helen Clough, RMS President Ogden, UT (801) 808-2167 on, around and for rivers, they do so from heads and conference co-chairs were people get together. [email protected] a wide variety of personal and professional the word stewardship, largely because busy raising money, organizing the Jane Polansky, Chapter Representative vantage points. Heck, our most of what sometimes seems like overuse, I program, planning field sessions and the Spending time listening to Pacific Chapter • Planning and conducting Wild and Nashville, TN (615) 456-3843 enthusiastic representative, RMS President have checked the definition. According visual resource management training, President Jim Eicher recount some of his Scenic Rivers training – including a [email protected] Helen Clough, reminds us often that she to Miriam-Webster, stewardship is “the and a myriad of other tasks large and past accomplishments was incredible. “train the trainer” class met RMS not because she was a fervent conducting, supervising, or managing of small. At the same time, we hired Jack Getting to know each other and learning • Revitalizing our membership Ex-Officio Advisors Henderson as a part-time employee to how to better function as a team is committee Lori Potter, Denver, CO river fan, but to meet and learn from the something; especially: the careful and (303) 825-7000 / [email protected] experts when she learned she would be responsible management of something work on the National Rivers Project. All critically important for your board to lead • Determining how to continue year he has been working with partner the organization more effectively. expanding our Handy Hydropower John Putnam, Denver, CO responsible for river management. entrusted to one’s care.” Okay. We can (303) 825-7000 / [email protected] As our membership profile has claim this for ourselves comfortably. organizations to obtain data and expand Summaries broadened (happily) our mission has The term ‘Advocate’ requires a bit the database. Check out http://www. In late October, yours truly and Louise • Holding elections for national officers Website Coordinator not changed, but how ‘RMS Members’ of parsing, as we have previously steered nationalriversproject.com. (Weezie) Kling, Pacific Chapter president, for 2018-2020 Cheston Crowser, Missoula, MT support and specifically work to its clear of its use as a component of our began working in earnest as 2018 (406) 273-4747 / [email protected] pursuit, collectively, has. National river outreach activity: “one who defends By the end of March and during April, symposium co-chairs. We, along with I encourage each of you to get involved in conservation and conservation/recreation or maintains a cause or proposal, or symposium arrangements were close to Executive Director Risa Shimoda, began an activity or event – be it leading a trip or Professional Purchase Coordinators a full-time job for many of us. All that to organize our committee structure for educational event for your chapter, serving Judy Culver, Prescott, AZ professionals have become important who supports or promotes the interests (928) 443-8070 / [email protected] and highly appreciated partners; faculty of a cause or group.” Advocacy is an hard work paid off with a very successful the next major RMS event, celebrating on a symposium committee, helping with members at colleges and universities important, and in fact a primary role joint conference attended by 400 outdoor the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and 50th Anniversary events, writing an article Anja Wadman, Price, UT (801) 388-2214 / [email protected] are leaders of our River Studies and for some of our members and their recreation and river management Scenic Rivers Act (October 13-17, 2018) for the RMS Journal, sharing information Leadership Certificate program; and organizations: no news there. What professionals. We enjoyed the many in Vancouver, Washington (not Canada). for the weekly digest or posing a question/ educational sessions, amazing diversity of For those of you not from the northwest, or responding to one on the listserve, Merchandise Coordinator several of our newest staff and volunteer is, or could be a new role for RMS is Linda Jalbert, Flagstaff, AZ leaders are geospatial information system advocacy on behalf of our mission and field trips, and mingled with our sponsors, Vancouver, Washington, is on the north buying great gear from one of our new (928) 638-7909 / [email protected] specialists. Perhaps most importantly, members in the context of supporting river exhibitors, friends, and colleagues. side of the Columbia River adjacent to professional purchase program vendors, or the ‘work’ of managing rivers has shifted management, planning and supervisory Portland, Oregon. ________________ (you fill in the blank). RMS Journal from the responsibility of federal, state jobs. At the end of the symposium, we did Caroline Kurz, Missoula, MT (406) 549-0514 / [email protected] and local agency hands to an amalgam of One example to illustrate this point breathe a small collective sigh of relief In 2017, we’ll continue our regular work And, please consider running for