Duck River

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Winding 269 miles through Middle Tennessee, the Duck River is one of the state's most scenic waterways. But there's more here than meets the eye. Underneath the surface, the river teems with an almost unsurpassed variety of animal life. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Duck River is one of three hot spots for fish and mussel diversity in the entire world. It stands out as a key habitat for conserving freshwater aquatic biodiversity.

Just as significant, the Duck River is the sole water source for 200,000 people in Middle Tennessee. It's the water source, for instance, for GM's Spring Hill Manufacturing plant. The water quality of the Duck River is crucial for animals, for people, and

for the local economy alike.

Threats
Like most rivers in areas that are becoming more developed, the Duck faces a variety of threats. The most immediate stresses have to do with water quality. Increases in storm-water runoff, sewage treatment outflows and chemical and nutrient loading from farmland can all have significant and negative impacts on freshwater creatures. In addition, as more and more lands are converted to residential, commercial, and industrial uses – changes in water flows, including more frequent flooding – will diminish the river’s ability to support a wide diversity of aquatic life.

Because the Duck River is a key water source for people in the region, its water quality is an important issue for a number of communities and provides a basis of mutual interest for developing long-term conservation strategies.

Animals
The Duck River is one of North America's richest rivers in variety of animal species, containing more species of fish than are found in all the rivers of Europe combined. Overall the Duck supports a remarkable diversity of life in its waters, including 151 species of fish, 54 freshwater mussel species, and 22 species of aquatic snails. Among the rare species living in the Duck are mussels such as the birdwing pearlymussel and the Tennessee clubshell, and fish such as the barrens topminnow and the pygmy madtom. In addition, the river harbors a number of larger mammals, reptiles, and birds, including otters, beavers, mink, hawks, osprey, and herons.

Freshwater mussels have disappeared across much of the United States. But the Duck is one of a handful of rivers in Tennessee where they have survived and are still thriving. Because mussels are sensitive to pollution, their presence is a reliable indicator of water quality – for humans.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Since 1999, The Nature Conservancy's Duck River office has been based in Columbia, Tennessee, working with local communities, businesses, and government agencies on long-term protection of the river's water quality and ecological integrity.

The explosive urban growth occuring in the upper Duck River watershed – combined with the river's extraordinary biological richness – elevates the importance of protecting this Middle Tennessee resource, and it compels The Nature Conservancy to implement a variety of cutting-edge strategies. For example:

On Big Rock Creek, a major tributary to the Duck River, the Conservancy has been working on a successful long-term restoration project funded with $1.5 million of grant support from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. One highly visible and locally popular component of the project has been the result of partnering with the city of Lewisburg. The Conservancy planted 1,000 native trees and shrubs along the city's creek and greenway, stabilized the severely eroding streambank, and added riffles and pools to the stream channel. Big Rock Creek is now running clearer, and wildlife is returning to the area.
Through a federally supported Landowner Incentive Program, the Conservancy has provided guidance and funding to help farm owners manage their land in ways that protect streams, attract wildlife, and enhance habitat. In 2006-2007, through this program, the Conservancy brought over $300,000 to Tennessee landowners so that they could make environmentally friendly improvements along the Duck River.
In 2006-2007, the Conservancy collaborated with several agencies and local leaders to facilitate a roundtable process for local planners, developers, and decision makers. The result was the creation of a Growth Readiness Report for the four counties and eight municipalities in the upper Duck River watershed. This report is a how-to guide for local communities on adopting "smart growth" zoning and land-use plans that promote river-friendly development by reducing the impacts of growth on water quality.
Because the water quality and health of the Duck River are very good, the Conservancy is embarking on a project to relocate endangered mussel species from the Clinch River for the time being to the Duck, where mussels are thriving and where the Conservancy has an established, on-the-ground and in-the-water presence. Once the Clinch River can again support these mussel species, the Conservancy plans to return them to the Clinch. This strategy is known as "The Ark" – for the Duck River will serve as a refuge for these endangered species.

For more detailed information about the Duck River, consult these resources:
The Duck River Watershed Annotated Bibliography - compiled by Tennessee Technological University
The Watershed Water Quality Management Plan for the Upper Duck River Watershed - compiled by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation

Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's crucial conservation work on rivers and streams across the U.S. and abroad.

Photo credits: Duck River mussels. © Byron Jorjorian