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Most of the Little River Watershed is located in Blount County, one of the most rapidly developing counties in Tennessee. Blount County's population is expected to grow from 105,800 in 2000 to 142,500 by 2020. This rapid growth will bring changes in land use and will increase demands on our water resources. For these reasons, the State of Tennessee has classified parts of the Little River as threatened.
Given the expected land use and population changes within the watershed, what do you think will happen to environmental resources under existing management and regulatory programs? Are these protections adequate, or are more needed?
To answer these questions, the Tennessee Valley Authority developed a database of potential nonpoint pollution sources along with a model to identify nonpoint pollution sources in the Little River Watershed. Funding from Environmental Protection Agency’s Nonpoint Source Program made this project possible.
Forested Areas
Approximately 65% of the Little River watershed is forested. About half of the forested area is located inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, while the remaining forested land is privately owned. Waters that drain undisturbed forested areas are usually of high quality with low pollution concentrations. Practices such as timber harvesting and road building can cause high concentrations of sediment and other pollution if Best Management Practices are not used.
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