Knox County Stormwater Management has been awarded a $144,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for water quality initiatives and improvements in the Roseberry Creek watershed.

 

Roseberry Creek is on the Tennessee 303(d) list of impaired streams for high levels of bacteria, specifically E coli. According to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Roseberry Creek E. coli impairment is due to failing septic systems and runoff from agricultural properties.

 

The grant funds will help address both of these concerns with $75,000 set aside to help homeowners fix failing septic systems and $48,000 set aside for agricultural improvements such as work on access roads and stream crossings, the addition of riparian buffers, and installation of fencing and watering systems for rotational grazing. The grant will pay 75% of the costs associated with these improvements.

 

Those interested in the grant are encouraged to call Knox County Stormwater Management at 865-215-5540 for info on the septic repair program or the Knox County Soil Conservation District at 865-523-3338 ext. 3 for details on the agriculture improvement program.

 

More information on Knox County’s watershed initiatives, including a link to identifying what watershed a particular address is in, is available at http://bit.ly/KnoxWatersheds.

 

For more details on the Roseberry Creek watershed, including a map, visit: http://bit.ly/RoseberryCreek.