Primary Goal: Provide Tennessee Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4s) with an assessment tool to incrementally grade the quality of their streams.
Report Card Project Objectives:
- Develop a collective set of indicator parameters as established by the working group, and a grading scheme per parameter.
- Grading scheme will be scaled from A, B, C, D, and F so that grades can be easily conveyed to the municipal government officials and the public – and visually appealing.
- Assist in prioritizing stormwater control measures (SCM) and stream restoration projects, optimizing programs costs for the most environmental benefits.
- Provide an effective, consistent long-term monitoring program where
the data can be used in spatial and trend analyses.
Anticipated Benefits:
- A MS4 tool for effective public communication.
- Monitoring long-term stream quality incrementally over time.
- Note: Not a substitute for the 303(d) designations.
- Note: A common tool to compare among streams across the state.
- Target SCM and stream restoration projects with limited MS4 resources.
- Optimize stormwater program efforts.
- Support MS4 permittees with documenting evidence of improving stream conditions.
Working Group Members
- City of Chattanooga: Joshua Rogers, Rebecca Robinson, Mo Minkara,
- City of Memphis: Maylynne Wilbert, Evan Boulanger, Heather Holtz,
- Hugh Teaford
- Nashville Metro: Mary Bruce, Veronica Logue, Michael Hunt
- Hamilton County: Adam Reynolds
- Knox County: Cathy Olsen, Quinn Cypher, Kaitlyn Klema
- Shelby County: Chris Masin
- Tennessee Stormwater Association: Chris Granju (representative)
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation: Jennifer Dodd, Karina Bynum, Ann Morbitt, Kendra Abkowitz, Matthew Taylor, Bryan Davidson
- University of Tennessee Knoxville: John Schwartz, Tim Gangaware, Jason Brown, Andrea Ludwig, Jon Hathaway
Progress of the Working Group in 2021. Working through potential parameters (metrics).
- Report Card Categories:
- Water Quality
- Watershed Hydrology
- Stream Corridor
- Channel Alternation
- Channel Stability
- Stream Habitat Quality
- Riparian Corridor Quality
- Community Values