Statements
Mission
The mission of the Cumberland River Compact is to enhance the health and enjoyment of the Cumberland River and its tributaries through education, restoration, and collaboration.
Background
The Compact works with educators in schools, landowners on their farms, contractors on their building sites, marinas at the docks and other interested groups. We coordinate information and education programs that encourage all of us to be better stewards of our water resources. The Cumberland River is 694 miles long. The Cumberland River watershed covers 18,000 square miles and is home to almost 2.5 million people. Since its founding in 1997 by a small group of caring persons, the Compact's course of collaboration and non-confrontation has been recognized as effective in the monumental challenge of water protection in the 17,914 square miles of the Cumberland River basin. Our accomplishments have included receiving the Whirlpool/Siemen award for Excellence in Conservation in 1998, being among one of only 20 organizations to be awarded a Water Initiative Grant by the EPA in 2003, recognition in the American Museum of Natural History, being named a Center for Watershed Solutions by the EPA - the first in the Southeast, and most recently received the Governor's Conservation Stewardship Award for building new Nature Centers with EarthCraft green infrastructure certification.
Impact
The Cumberland River watershed is a beautiful place to live and work. Many businesses recognize this and are relocating here. As our population grows, so does our challenge to continue to enhance the water quality in our rivers and streams. We believe that if we work in an atmosphere of open dialogue that is supported by easily understood data about our water quality, we can create imaginative solutions to new and old challenges - solutions that will allow the Compact to fulfill its mission of enhancing the Cumberland River water quality for generations to come through teaching, restoring and connecting people to the water. Last year, thanks to the support of our donors, accomplished the following:18,000 square miles of watershed covered by our online iCreek application, allowing residents to uncover the health of their nearest creek and how to help improve it8,304 Davidson County residents educated about stormwater issues1,700 kids learned about macro-invertebrates and stream health through our Creek Critters program2,994 new trees planted in Davidson County10 groups participated in our Adopt-A-Stream program to improve watershed health8 miles of Mansker Creek in Goodlettsville became the focus of a new restoration project funded by the EPA3 redundant dams removed from watershed creeks and streams1,000 paddlers participated in the 11th Annual Dragon Boat Festival
Needs
First and foremost, we need people. Only by involving everyone can we achieve our goals of a clean and healthy Cumberland River Basin for generations to come. Members of the Compact work with local communities to develop watershed forums where citizens can come together to learn more about their watershed and participate in developing a shared vision for the future. Organizationally, our greatest need is maintaining operational funding to support our staff, as well as to increase the reach and impact of our existing programs.
CEO Statement
Water has always been and will always be our lifeline. It nourishes and feeds us and transports our commodities. It denotes our cultural heritage. It allows us to teach our children the joy of fishing, swimming, and exploration. The Cumberland River Compact is a unique non-profit group that believes we can have both a strong economy and a healthy environment. Our membership reflects this belief. The Compact is made up of businesses, individuals, community organizations and agencies working in the Cumberland River watershed ('the boot'). Over 2.5 million people share this watershed. Compact members work with all interested organizations and individuals to help ensure that our rivers and streams continue to provide us with clean water, bountiful crops, healthy fisheries and abundant recreational opportunities. We accomplish our work through teaching, restoring, and connecting people to the water. From teachers and students learning about life in their local streams, landowners learning about new methods to help them take better care of streamside land, contractors learning new building techniques to protect our water quality, working to restore creeks and remove redundant dams, and connecting people through our free family events like Dragon Boat Festival, Waterfest, and Splash Bash - together - we are improving the health of the Cumberland River Basin today, for tomorrow.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Environment - Natural Resources Conservation & Protection |
| Secondary Category: | Environment - Environmental Education |
| Tertiary Category: | Environment - Management & Technical Assistance |
Areas Served
14 watersheds that comprise the Cumberland River Basin.
| KY |
| TN |
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
