RCWA summary report regarding recent Richland Creek pollution

From the Richland Creek Watershed Alliance:

Here is a final follow-up to the recent fish kill and dirty plume into Richland Creek and the response received from the regulatory authorities investigating these illicit discharges.

Fish Kill: Reported August 31

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said they could not determine the source or specific toxin that entered the creek and consequently killed fish and other aquatic life. Because they did not know what toxin to analyze for they also stated they would not process the water sample collected. They did follow up with construction sites in the area and reminded them of the best management practices that should be followed.

Dirty Plume: Reported September 8

Metro Water Services preformed a dye test in storm drain in hopes to find the storm drain where the cement sludge was being dumped. The dye test did not confirm the storm drain suspected of being the source and no further investigation will be possible.

RCWA would like to thank the stakeholders that reported these incidents to RCWA. As a result of these incidents, the watershed community has learned more about our water resources and how our human activities can impact them and the life dependent upon them. Most of all, we have learned that anything that flows into the storm drains flows to our streams and then continues downstream into our river, the Cumberland.