Boone Watershed Partnership
Seventh Annual Recognition Event
July 9, 2002
Steele Creek Park
Bristol, TN
Awards presented by Ken Chase, Chairman
Boone Watershed Partnership
Chris Craig, First Tennessee Development District.
The First Tennessee Development District Environmental Management
Program is responsible for coordinating environmental programming in 8
counties in northeast Tennessee. Most of the work focuses on solid waste
and recycling initiatives. However in the last 5 years, watershed protection
and water quality improvement issues have emerged as important issues
in our Region. The Development District secured nearly $125,000 from the
State of Tennessee in 1998 for water quality monitoring and modeling in
the Boone Watershed. As project administrator for this project, the District
served as the link between the many partners involved. Recently, the District
has worked with the Sinking Creek Watershed Group to apply for $140,000
in grant funds from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Environmental
Protection Agency. This project focuses on Sinking Creek as a model watershed
for TMDL implementation.
Nancy Norton of Virginia Department of Enviormental Quality.
The Southwest Regional Office, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), administers the federal Clean Water Act and enforces state laws to improve the quality of Virginia's streams, rivers, bays and groundwater for aquatic life, human health and recreational uses. Permits take into account physical, chemical and biological standards for water quality. DEQ also operates a number of specialized programs including the State Revolving Loan Fund (which makes loans to localities to improve their wastewater treatment facilities), the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Water Quality Improvement Fund Point Source Grant program, the Pollution Prevention Program, and the Toxics Release Inventory program. They also help build partnerships on environmental matters among business and industry, local governments, and interested citizens and groups.
Jeff Horton, Andrew Tolley, Jan Bowers and Robin Cooper
Under the Water Quality Control Act, municipal, industrial and other discharges of wastewater must obtain a permit from the Water Pollution Control Division. These permits establish pollution control and monitoring requirements based on protection of designated uses through implementation of water quality standards and other applicable state and federal rules. The Division conducts inspections of facilities, samples discharges for compliance and pursues enforcement as necessary. Activities such as stream channel modifications, wetland alterations or gravel dredging are regulated by this Division. Industrial wastes that are discharged to municipal sewer systems are subject to regulations. At several sampling stations the Division monitors, analyzes, and reports on the quality of Tennessee's water.
