Nutrient pollution, one of the biggest problems with Upper Cumberland waterways, identified during a Tennessee Tech University summit focused on water quality issues.
Tennessee Tech Water Center Director Justin Murdock said nitrogen and phosphorus are infiltrating our lakes, rivers, and streams. Murdock said nutrient pollution is increasing the growth of algae in our water sources.
“Specifically, with algal blooms from these nutrients is the production of potential toxins, both neurotoxins and liver toxins that we can ingest in our drinking water or that may affect fish and other organisms,” Murdock said.
Murdock said nutrient pollution has been a growing issue not only across the state, but worldwide. Murdock said the best way to prevent nutrient pollution is to mitigate the sources of nutrients that are going into our water.
“Whether that be through optimizing nutrient release from municipal wastewater treatment plants or urban storm runoff, or from finding the best management practices in agricultural watersheds to trap those nutrients that are flowing off fields before they get into the waterways,” Murdock said. “Another big thing is through things like nature-based solutions. Like through wetlands, which are really good at improving water quality.”
Murdock said Tennessee Tech’s Water Center is helping address nutrient pollution by conducting research.
“We work with state agencies like the Department of Health, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and T-DOT in order to gain information about problems they are facing,” Murdock said. “Whether that be water quality issues, flooding, or drought issues. We are working a lot with, for example, the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation on the Duck River partnership, to try to understand how to conserve biodiversity within that river and the face of increasing water demands within Middle Tennessee. And so we just pretty much try to address the most pressing needs of the state.”
Murdock said it is important for state agencies to meet together at a summit like this to keep talking about ways to address water quality issues. Murdock said the state realizes that the water quality issues can be addressed more effectively if agencies work together.
Tech hosted the Tennessee Nutrient Summit, which brought together different state agencies and interested parties to discuss the issues.
