Armchair Travelers Get a Close-Up Look of Southern Appalachian Waters

From USDA:

Posted by Nat Gillespie, Wildlife, Fish, Watershed, U.S. Forest Service, on December 4, 2014 at 12:00 PM

A pioneering snorkeling program on the Cherokee National Forest entices students to suit up in wet suits and snorkels. As they immerse themselves in the clean, clear waters protected by the forest, the young visitors discover the amazing aquatic biodiversity that lies beneath including a male (the long fingernails are diagnostic) Hieroglyphic River Cooter turtle seen in this photo. (Photo courtesy of Dave Herasimtschuk © Freshwaters Illustrated)

Deep into the Cherokee National Forest on the headwaters of the Conasauga River, an innovative river conservation program brings thousands of citizen snorkelers to the vibrant waters of Southern Appalachia.  Now armchair travelers can enjoy this experience via a six-minute online film.

“A Deeper Creek – The Watchable Waters of Southern Appalachia,” produced by Freshwaters Illustrated in partnership with the Forest Service, takes the viewer to a pool in the river’s headwaters in southern Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The flowing waters teem with 70 species of fish and a dozen species of freshwater mussels and enjoys a “virtual” snorkeling experience.

“Well good morning!  Welcome to the Cherokee National Forest.  We’re going to have a great day today,” said fisheries biologist Jim Herrig as the film begins. “The water is going to be good.  You’re going to see some incredible fish out here.  It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Herrig introduces Casper Cox, a guide with the Forest Service and part of all the fun.

“He is an expert on all the fish identification and expert snorkeler,” Herrig told the busload of students. “He will help you with identifying all the fish and tadpoles and everything else that you’re going to be seeing in the water.”

Herrig pioneered the snorkeling program as a way entice local students to don wet suits and put on snorkels and immerse themselves in the clean, clear waters protected by the Cherokee National Forest. Here, in these cool running waters, local and visiting youth witness the incredible and colorful aquatic biodiversity that thrives beneath the water’s surface. Iridescent fish, turtles, salamanders and freshwater mussels amaze the students.

Young river adventurers enjoy a snorkeling experience in the Conasuaga River in southern Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. The river plays host to nearly 70 species of fish and a dozen species of freshwater mussels. (Photo courtesy of Dave Herasimtschuk © Freshwaters Illustrated)

“On a hot summer day, you put your head in that water and you’re surrounded by life,” said Cox.  “All kind of creatures big and small, colorful are darting about.  It’s amazing.  You’re in the water with an incredible amount of life.”

Herrig explained how students experience bountiful aquatic life up close and personal when they visit the river.  He and other Forest Service staff and volunteers also teach the underlying story of how strong and vibrant forested watersheds provide clean water and aquatic biodiversity.

“I think when people see the great diversity of fish in here they also recognize that the reason they are here is because of clean water,” Herrig said.  “We try to maintain the cleanest water we can in the streams coming off the national forest.   Part of the reason the Forest Service was founded was to provide clean water.  By keeping these streams running clean, we’re able to maintain the diversity.

While the Conasauga may be a unique river home to species of freshwater fish found nowhere else on the planet, the experience of freshwater snorkeling can be safely enjoyed wherever clean, clear water remains.  The Forest Service recently unveiled a snorkeling toolkit designed to guide Forest Service scientists, partners and watershed groups who want to start their own youth snorkeling program.  The forest’s program is rapidly growing in popularity: more than 900 people ventured beneath the water surface with a snorkel mask this year.

A Southern Appalachian Brook Trout is part of the colorful aquatic biodiversity found on the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Dave Herasimtschuk © Freshwaters Illustrated).

Two Tennessee Town Celebrate Earth Day, Reliable Water and Sewer Service

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino, on April 22, 2014 at 5:00 PM

“How many of you like to swim in the creek or fish in the river?”, USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino asked White County Middle School students during the school’s Earth Day awards ceremony.

Do you like to go swimming or fishing? Rivers and lakes are cleaner thanks to USDA water/sewer investments in rural communities.

On Monday, I joined Earth Day celebrations in the rural communities of Sparta and Monterey, Tenn.  Part of being good stewards of the Earth and our natural resources is making sure that we take proper care of waste and wastewater disposal.  The stories from Sparta and Monterey show how important this is.

At the White County Middle School in Sparta, children recognized Earth Day by planting trees to help the environment.  The celebration also marked the end of a major sewage problem in town.

Principal Craig Lynn told me how, about 10 years ago, students and teachers started noticing the football field was still mushy long after a rain.  Antiquated sewer equipment couldn’t keep up with rainwater runoff anymore, and sewage was overflowing out of drains and manhole covers all over the city.  “It just got real obvious down on the field where so many students practice and play,” Lynn said.

Sparta Mayor Jeff Young added, “It’s not easy to fix something this big, especially when no new customers are being added to increase revenue.  USDA helped us figure out the best solution and how to pay for in a way we could afford.”

“Selling bonds or raising taxes is not usually an option for small towns when something big goes wrong,” he continued  “Private lenders sometimes can’t help with infrastructure, so having USDA as a partner is crucial when it comes to basic public services.”

Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland region has some of the largest stretches of contiguous forestland in the eastern U.S., along with dramatic gorges, lakes and rivers.  The near pristine condition of the natural environment is one of this region’s most valuable economic resources.  The USDA financing has had a positive impact on the local environment and economy.  Dependable water and sewer have had an immediate impact on the quality of life for families and make it possible for local businesses to grow good jobs.

Next, I went to nearby Monterey for Earth Day to celebrate the extension of its water system.  “The smell of fresh water is wonderful,” local resident Shannon Davis said.  She told me about how for 15 years her family had to haul water in jugs from her parents’ house for drinking and cooking.  “To say getting public water is a blessing is an understatement.”

USDA financing made it affordable for the town of 2,800 to extend water service another five miles out into the Walker Hollow area of Putnam County where the Davis family lives.  The Davises and others in Walker Hollow had been using individual water wells that became unsafe due to iron, manganese and coliform bacteria in the water supply.  The water got contaminated because of changes in the water table from recurring droughts and pressures created by growth.  The city made it a priority to get service to households in that area.

“Before public water, we spent over $15,000 to repair and replace appliances,” Davis said.  “The sulfur water ruined refrigerators, a dishwasher and our other appliances with electric coils.  “There are not enough adjectives to express how much getting public water means to my family.”

USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino and White County Middle School students and teachers added three oaks and two pawpaw trees to the school’s tree park to mark Earth Day.

Restoration Efforts May Mean More 'Chestnuts Roasting....'

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Ryan Johnson, North Carolina, U.S. Forest Service, on December 6, 2013 at 10:30 AM

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, a popular line from a holiday song, are a tradition that at one time seemed imperiled by the decreasing population of chestnut trees. (USDA photo)

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” is a line from a song that conjures up fond holiday memories for some Americans. For others, the joy of roasting chestnuts has yet to be experienced. But the lack of American chestnuts could change in the coming years, thanks to some very dedicated people.

The U.S. Forest Service and its partners may be one step closer to restoring the American chestnut tree to parts of the mountains and forests of the southern United States. Since 2009, they planted close to 1,000 potentially-blight resistant American chestnut trees on national forests in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

To date, more than 80 percent of the American chestnut backcross hybrid saplings planted in the national forests have survived. Most of the trees are healthy, growing steadily and showing differing levels of resistance, a sign of encouragement to the hopeful community of people working to return the tree to its native range.

The once-young seedlings have reached an average height of 8 feet and have overcome what Stacy Clark, a Forest Service scientist at the agency’s Southern Research Station, calls “planting shock” by developing a strong root system and adapting to their new environment.

Before the introduction of the chestnut blight in the early 20^th century, American chestnut trees dominated forests of the eastern United States. Known as the Redwood of the East, they often reached towering heights of 150 feet. At one time, one in every four hardwood trees in the East was an American chestnut, according to estimates.

By the 1950s, the blight had killed billions of trees and left the species virtually non-existent. Today, any chestnuts found in the Eastern forests never grow beyond a few feet tall and rarely flower. Chestnut trees have reached a “genetic dead-end” in the United States because of their inability to reproduce.

“One level of success is to develop a tree that will survive long enough to naturally pollinate and reproduce,” said Bryan Burhans, president of The American Chestnut Foundation. “The Forest Service and its scientists work with the foundation on a number of different levels, in the field and with planning and monitoring. There are all kinds of ways that we have worked together.”

Burhans says he is optimistic about the future of the American chestnut hybrid, but admits that the trees planted in national forests face challenges in the coming years. As the trees continue to mature, their blight-resistance will be put to the test.

Meanwhile, Clark, foundation scientists and others will continue to look for conditions and other useful information that will help to return chestnuts to the East.

“There is still a lot to learn about these trees,” said Clark. “And there is a lot more work to be done in restoring the American chestnut.”

With ongoing refinement of the hybrid trees, collaboration with partners and with hope, widespread restoration of the American chestnut may become a reality in the next 100 years.

It may also offer opportunity for a favorite holiday pastime to re-emerge as part of celebrating the season with song and sustenance.

A University of Tennessee research technician measures a chestnut tree planted in 2011. (U.S. Forest Service)

Mimic Nature to Harvest Benefits of Healthy Soil, Expert Says

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Michelle Banks, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on December 3, 2013 at 2:00 PM

NRCS joins others to celebrate World Soil Day on Dec. 5.

In the minds of many, a freshly tilled field is picturesque – clean and ready for the next planting. But according to a soil health expert, what looks good to the eye, isn’t always good for the soil – or a farmer’s bottom line.

Thursday, on World Soil Day, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is celebrating the importance of healthy soils and sharing how farmers and ranchers can help care for it through conservation practices like no-till.

When soil is heavily tilled, the stalks from the previous crop are chopped, and the top several inches of soil structure are disturbed. Conventional thought suggests this fluffing action allows for better seed placement, but Ray Archuleta, NRCS conservation agronomist, said that no-till systems, especially when combined with cover crops, are better – and lead to healthier, more drought-resistant soil.

Archuleta, who works at the agency’s East National Technology Center in Greensboro, N.C., said no-till has significant financial benefits for producers, too.

“No-tillage can save thousands of dollars every year in fuel, labor and equipment maintenance,” Archuleta said.  “The key is to let the soil organisms do the work.”

Tennessee grain farmer Bartt McCormack has refrained from tilling — instead using no-till planting — for more than 35 years.  He knows first-hand why no-till with cover crops has created a favorable soil ecosystem. They’ve had a positive impact on his bottom line, he said.

“We’re a 90-95 percent no-till operation,” he said. “When you start pulling iron over 6,000 acres, it takes a lot of labor and a lot of fuel.”

McCormack grew up using tillage on the family farm, but after enrolling in NRCS programs, the farm began implementing no-till on more and more acres.

But McCormack cautions there is a process in transitioning to a no-till operation. He advises that farmers have to re-tool and change management practices on herbicides and rotations, but most importantly, they need to have an open mind at the possibilities that no-till with cover crops can bring.

“It’s not like changing a pair of pants,” he said.

McCormack has seen a boost in yields since he made the transition to no-till. “I’ve seen a 60 bushel difference in yield,” he said. “That’s a tremendous amount.”

On fields where he also planted cover crops, McCormack said his yields were event better. “Looking back, plowing up my fields was reducing my yields.”

Like a growing number of farmers across the nation, McCormack is sold on the benefits of improving soil health. He plans to continue experimenting with different varieties and combinations of cover crops, including planting multiple species on nearly all of his 6,000 no-till acres this fall.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has designated Thursday, Dec. 5 as World Soil Day.  To find out more about soil health click here.

Bartt McCormack uses cover crops and no-till to improve yields on his Tennessee farm.