WE MAKE EAST TENNESSEE’S RIVERS HEALTHIER – JOIN US!
Since 1995, the Hiwassee Chapter has been working to care for and recover rivers and fisheries in Tennessee. Most of our work focuses on the cold trout streams in our area, including Hiwassee River and Tellico River along with their tributaries.
Beyond our home waters, we work together with TU staff and partners in our Priority Waters, we advocate for our rivers, restore our stream habitat, plant native trees, help connect kids to the outdoors and so much more.
Our conservation and restoration work relies on volunteers and supporters to be successful and thanks to all of you, we are able to:
- Clean up trash along local rivers and streams
- Plant native trees and shrubs to keep rivers cool and prevent erosion
- Restore degraded habitat through in-stream projects
- Support TU’s national network of Priority Waters through advocacy, volunteerism and contributions
Last year, we completed more than 10 conservation projects, collected over 2000 pounds of trash and recorded more than 10,000 volunteer hours from our members, supporters and partners in the community.
Support our river restoration work today! As an all-volunteer organization, we need your time, expertise and donations to continue our great work!
Protect, Reconnect, Restore & Sustain
Our river restoration work uses Trout Unlimited’s “landscape approach” to conservation in order to address the many issues impacting the health of our rivers, streams and the watersheds in which they flow. It is not enough to simply plant trees along a river to reduce erosion and shade and cool the water. Nor is it adequate to just focus on removing dams and culverts that block fish migration. And just reducing the volume of polluted stormwater runoff flowing into streams – while positive – on its own is not enough to turn the tide.
To truly restore our local rivers, we must do all of the above – and more – so that the entire ecosystem is brought back into balance.
Not only are we working to repair the damage caused by historic activities such as logging, agriculture, industry and development, but now we are also driving to build resilience into our rivers and streams so they can withstand the coming pressures of man-made climate change and the expected increase in droughts, floods, temperature and volatility in the coming years and decades.
