The West Tennessee River Basin Authority will lead the redesign to reconnect the river channel with its historical floodplain, allowing excess waters to spread out naturally. This intervention is expected to slow down rushing currents, mitigate flood threats for downstream areas like East Jackson and Bemis, and significantly decrease sediment pollution. Furthermore, the 985-acre conservation effort will restore critical bottomland hardwood forests, cane brakes, and cypress swamps. Once the multi-phase environmental restoration is complete, officials plan to grant public access to the revitalized landscape.
Key points
Reconnecting the channelized river to its floodplain will reduce flash flood hazards and…: Reconnecting the channelized river to its floodplain will reduce flash flood hazards and curb damaging sediment pollution.
The project actively restores regional native ecosystems, including cypress swamps, cane…: The project actively restores regional native ecosystems, including cypress swamps, cane brakes, and bottomland hardwood forests.
The West Tennessee River Basin Authority intends to open the conserved acreage to the gen…: The West Tennessee River Basin Authority intends to open the conserved acreage to the general public after restoration.
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A river in Tennessee, US, that was straightened more than a century ago to drain surrounding land is now being prepared for restoration after years of flooding problems. Authorities have acquired 985 acres along the South Fork of the Forked Deer River near Jackson, where changes made to the river in 1916 have contributed to flash floods, erosion and sand deposits in nearby areas. The project, announced on Thursday, aims to reconnect the river with its natural floodplain, reduce future flooding and eventually open the restored land to the public.
The work will be carried out by the West Tennessee River Basin Authority, which is preparing a plan to restore the river and the land around it. According to the National Wildlife Federation, the project will focus on allowing water to spread across the floodplain rather than remaining confined to the river's modified channel. Officials believe this will help protect communities in East Jackson and Bemis, where flooding has remained a concern.
The problem began in 1916, when engineers decided to straighten the South Fork of the Forked Deer River…
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