Restoring Clean Water in the Coalfields of Tennessee and Virginia

What's at stake

The Clinch and Powell rivers in the Tennessee River basin flow from the coalfields of southwest Virginia into eastern Tennessee.  The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River is fed by the New River, which begins in the coal mining region of northeast Tennessee, and flows through the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, which is managed by the National Park Service.  These are among the most diverse temperate rivers in North America, globally important for their biological bounty and locally important for their recreation and life-sustaining values.

• The Clinch River is home to at least 126 native fish species and at least 44 species of mussels.  According to The Nature Conservancy, the Clinch has the highest number of globally imperiled and vulnerable freshwater species in the U.S.  The river is home to 18 federally listed fish and mussels.  There are 38 active coal mines in the upper Clinch River watershed in Virginia.

• The Powell River was once home to at least 41 species of mussels and 90 species of fish.  Of those that remain, two fish species and seven mussel species are federally listed.  There are 48 active mine operations in the upper Powell River watershed in Virginia.

• Recent surveys in the Big South Fork of the Cumberland found 68 fish species and 23 mussel species; of these, 22 species are classified as at-risk of extinction, and two fish species and five mussel species are federally listed.  There are 15 active coal mine operations in Tennessee’s New River watershed, which flows into the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

 

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