U.S. Southeast Rivers and Streams

Reversing the impacts from centuries of human activity takes time, partnerships and resources. WWF has worked with a variety of partners— including local, state and federal governments, conservation groups, landowners, scientists and policy experts—toward achieving lasting conservation results in these river basins.

Notable Accomplishments

2000s

• Halted the construction of a major interstate road project that would have severely impacted aquatic habitats throughout northcentral Tennessee
  
• Created the Southeast Rivers and Streams Support Fund—a grant program that supports advocacy groups in protecting watersheds, funding species research and reintroduction programs, and restoring riparian zones
  
• Successfully advocated that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency fund projects that target at risk aquatic species on private lands in vital watersheds
  
• Helped enact legislation that contributes to the protection of aquatic fauna—including the Tennessee Water Information Act of 2002, the Interbasin Transfer Act, and a bill that guarantees citizens’ right to appeal water pollution permits
  
• Facilitated the removal of the Marvel Slab Dam, reconnecting 190 miles of the Cahaba River and increasing freshwater habitat for mussels, fish and snails