APRIL 2026 NEWSLETTER
A PRODUCTIVE EARTH MONTH THANKS TO YOU!
We cannot thank you enough for your support and passion for protecting our waterways. Tennessee Riverkeeper cannot do this work without you!
SPRING CLEANING SEASON! 1,419 pounds removed April 12
Approximately 1,419 pounds of trash was removed from Joe Wheeler State Park on April 12 thanks to our volunteers. Here is some press with video footage and more information:
HUGE VICTORY!
Bill granting Duck River and Buffalo River scenic protections passes final hurdle in Tennessee legislature
Legislation protecting the majority of two Middle Tennessee rivers received final approval from the state legislature Thursday, prohibiting the installation of landfills within two miles of the scenic waterways. Protections bar mining, commercial timber harvest and landfills within two miles of designated scenic rivers. The Duck River and Buffalo River provide drinking water to at least 250,000 people in the Middle Tennessee region - MORE INFO.
WE WISH YOU A HAPPY EARTH MONTH!
Highlight video from tabling on Earth Day!
LEGAL DOCKET
Three major updates from the previous newsletter. Tennessee Riverkeeper has 9 active cases on our legal docket:
Springfield, TN: Tennessee Riverkeeper filed a lawsuit under the Clean Water Act against the City of Springfield, TN on March 10, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Springfield has allowed thirty-eight overflows since August 31, 2021.
Decaturville, TN: Tennessee Riverkeeper sent a notice of intent to file a lawsuit under the Clean Water Act against the Town of Decaturville, TN, on March 6, 2026. Decaturville has reported 610 days of violation since October 31, 2023. The Town exceeded their discharge limits for Total Nitrogen, total suspended solids, as well as some other pollutants.
Dirt Mountain (Nashville): Tennessee Riverkeeper has filed an appeal of the Court’s decisions in the Dirt Mountain case. The appeal was filed with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on February 26, 2026.
RECENTLY CONCLUDED:
Maynardville, TN: Tennessee Riverkeeper’s lawsuit under the Clean Water Act against the City of Maynardville for pollution overflows in their sewage collection system has been settled. Maynardville will be required to take certain actions designed to improve operation of the treatment plant and to stop the overflows alleged in the Complaint. When completed, these actions should bring Maynardville into compliance with their Permit and the Clean Water Act. Case number: 3:25-cv-00208 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL HEADLINES
TENNESSEE: “Tennessee's Biodiverse Duck River Wins Protection Against New Landfills”
ALABAMA: “Alabama Power can keep charging steep rooftop solar fee, judge rules.” The standby charge, among the highest in the nation, is “chilling” solar in the sunny state, critics say. Alabama Power says the fee is needed to maintain the grid.
NATIONAL: “EPA Proposes Regulating All PFAS Under the Safe Drinking Water Act”
Ernest Supports Clean Water with His New Album: DEEP BLUE
Ernest, a Nashville-born country musician and environmentalist, drops his aquatically themed album Deep Blue on May 1, 2026. A portion of some of the Deep Blue merch will support Tennessee Riverkeeper's Cleanup Program and our efforts to remove single-use plastics and other trash from waterways before it makes its way into the bottom of deeper waters, and then deteriorating into microplastics, which pollute waterways and negatively impact public health.
Crafting a twist-heavy verse style that’s become his signature, Ernest's songcraft carves out country’s sonic landscape, proving its mettle and earning him 13 #1 hits as a songwriter, including all-genre #1, “I Had Some Help” (Post Malone), as well as a #1 at country radio himself.
51,500 ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Thanks to you, Tennessee Riverkeeper is growing as fast as ever on almost every social media platform. With your help, we will soon pass Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in Atlanta to become the 2nd largest Waterkeeper organization on social media overall out of approximately 300 worldwide. Not surprisingly, Hudson Riverkeeper is the largest. They started in 1966 and have more than 10 million people in their watershed, while we have approximately 6.3 million. You help represent approximately 51,500+ supporters across Tennessee Riverkeeper's social media channels. Social media, the press, and this newsletter are very important methods for the organization to educate the public about water and the pollution that threatens our communities. Please join us on these sites if you are not already, and share and encourage your friends and family to join as well:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tennesseeriverkeeper
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tennesseeriver
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@tennesseeriver
Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/tnriverkeeper.bsky.social
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tennesseeriverkeeper
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TennesseeRiverkeeper/
X: https://x.com/tnriverkeeper
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tennesseeriverkeeper/
NEW VIDEOS + OUR ACTIVE YOUTUBE
Most folks have a YouTube account even though they don't upload videos. We are trying to grow our social media in many places. YouTube is an old, reliable platform that continues to grow in importance. Please subscribe to our channel.
Arbor Day: Trees in the Tennessee Valley
Orion Amphitheater: Educating Concertgoers at Rod Stewart, ZZ Top, Dwight Yoakam and Cake
Cleanup Highlight Video
Toxic Tires
Get Involved
Tennessee Riverkeeper protects the water supply for more than 6.3 Million Southerners. Together we are stronger!
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