There will be a presentation on the sources of the water of the Sequatchie River, the Little Sequatchie River and Pryor Cove Water Basin Water – now you see it, now you don’t September 29 (Friday) – 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (central) at Sequatchie Cove Farm Ben Miller, US Geological Service will present his work and findings of the water sources and flow for the Little Sequatchie Cove and Pryor Cove.
Ben is one of the Nation’s leading water source sleuths and has worked all over the nation tracing where water starts and where it flows.
What you will learn:
. Water Basins – what they are, how they work – worldwide, continental, the State and the region. Tennessee to Ohio to Mississippi, to Gulf and beyond the larger picture of water basins
. Mapping the recharge areas (the water basin) for the head of the Sequatchie River, the Little Sequatchie and Pryor Cove water shed and other basins in the region.
. How to think about and understand the flow of water in our area,
. Wells, how do our wells work, where does the water come
In 2021, a two year study by the U.S. Geological Survey was initiated to define the water recharge areas for this region of the Cumberland Plateau through the use of dye tracing. Understanding the water recharge areas to our springs, caves, rivers and wells is a crucial step towards protecting the drinking waters of the region and the biota that use these waters as habitat and will help individual landowners, federal, state and county agencies in the management of water for the region.
The southern Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia is a region that has some of the most vulnerable groundwater environments in the nation due to the inherent connectivity between surface streams and underground karst aquifers. Activities that occur upstream within recharge areas have a direct and often rapid impact on the water quality and quantity downstream. Our rivers and streams are home to the largest diversity of native fish and other water species in the United States and is a noted as a hotspot for subterranean biodiversity, with the highest densities of cave development in the United States, over 15,000 right here on the Cumberland Plateau.
These caves and springs are critical habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species, and the source of our water which we value so much.
This is an opportunity to learn about the region’s water and what part we all play in ensuring we have clean crystal clear waters now and for the next generation. The aim of this project is to first bring awareness of our water and second foster a sense of conservatism of the waters of the region so we leave it better than we have found it.
See you on Friday the 29th. Free and open to all with an interest in our waters. Please RSVP email bill.keener@sequatchiecovefarm.com or call 423-710-0140
Hosted by: Sequatchie Cove Farm https://www.sequatchiecovefarm.com/
Cumberland Folk School https://www.cumberlandfolkschool.com/
Partners: Thrive Natural Treasures and the Tennessee Aquarium.
The Marion Tribune – September 28, 2023
