Watershed Management
The Watershed Group within the NPDES-Stormwater Division, established in 2006, assists in Metro Water Service’s goal of improving Davidson County’s impaired streams and rivers. The Watershed Group consists of four members, each with diverse scientific backgrounds and expertise which brings a synergistic approach to watershed management. The basic concept of the group’s watershed management goal is to identify and eliminate pollutant sources which will improve water quality throughout Davidson County.
Elimination of non-permitted point source and non-point source pollutants are both addressed under this goal. The Group assesses non-permitted point source pollutants, such as water and sewer line breaks and illicit connections that empty into storm drains. The EPA considers non-point source (NPS) pollution as the primary cause of water quality problems in the U.S. NPS pollutants are defined as non-stormwater discharges which include sediment, animal feces, detergents, pesticides, fertilizers, paints, litter, used motor oil and other hazardous products which may be accumulated and transported by stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff, either from rain, snowmelt, or irrigation, carries NPS pollutants into surface or ground waters typically untreated. Learn what you can do to reduce pollutants.
Watershed Group Overview:
The Watershed Group monitors, analyzes, and reports on all impaired waters of Davidson County to achieve the goal of improving the quality of our streams and rivers. The eventual outcome of these efforts will lead to the protection and preservation of aquatic resources of Davidson County. The Group is involved in several projects which will provide critical long-term water quality data to augment watershed management. Programs that the Group maintains are as follows:
- TMDL and 303(d) Pathogen Monitoring
- Macroinverterbrate Sampling
- Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Nutrients Sampling
- Ambient and Wet Weather Monitoring
- Visual Stream Assessments
- Thermography
- Public Education
- PCR Analysis
- Watershed Management
Accomplishments
In 2008, the Watershed Group was successful in removing the following 303(d) streams for E.coli impairment:
- Earthman Fork 11.0 miles
- Cummings Branch 2.6 miles
- Ewing Creek 17.6 miles
- Unnamed tributary to Richland Creek 1.1 miles
- Mill Creek @ Antioch Pike 5.9 miles
- Mill Creek @ Concord Road 8.1 miles
- Dry Fork 9.9 miles
- Richland Creek @ West End 4.0 miles
Contact Watershed Program
If you have any Watershed or Water Quality questions, please contact our office at (615)880-2420.
Steve Winesett, Ph.D.
Watershed Water Quality Manager
Megan Sitzlar
Compliance Officer, TMDL and PCR Technique Coordinator
Michelle Barbero
Environmental Compliance Officer, 303(d) monitoring
Mary Garmon
Environmental Compliance Officer, Thermographs and Visual Assessment Coordinator
To contact our office:
Metro Water Services—StormWater Division
NPDES Section
1607 County Hospital Rd
Nashville, TN 37218
Office: 615-880-2420
Fax: 615-880-2425