Welcome to our Watershed
The Upper Tennessee River Roundtable is a non-profit organization with
an overall interest in improving water quality in the Upper Tennessee
River Watershed. Don't let the name confuse you: the Upper Tennessee
River Roundtable is based in Southwest Virginia and covers from the
very tip of Virginia, Lee County, toward Wythe County. The Roundtable represents a total of nine counties and two cities. Our major rivers include the Clinch, Holston (pictured at left), and Powell. (Image credit: USDA.)
The Upper Tennessee River watershed covers three rivers in Virginia:
the Clinch, Holston, and Powell rivers. The Roundtable is active in
water quality improvement efforts in all three of these rivers. The
greater watershed is host to numerous species of fish, mussel, and
other aquatic life species. In fact, according to the Nature
Conservancy, the Upper Tennessee River watershed greatly exceeds all
other watersheds in the lower 48 states in terms of species richness
and diversity!
Species in Peril
At last count, our watershed had a whopping 48 imperiled and vulnerable
fish and mussel species. This includes 21 federally endangered or
threatened species! The Roundtable has been active in efforts to
improve the numbers of individuals of threatened and endangered species
in our region. Most recently, following a localized project undertaken
by the Roundtable, the Lee County Isopod (pictured at left), at the time in danger of
extinction, rebounded in greater numbers. (Image credit: Shane Hanlon, US Fish and Wildlife.)
Within the past few years, the Roundtable has grown tremendously in terms of on-site staff and projects, largely as a result of a targeted watershed grant awarded to the Roundtable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Upcoming Events
Float Trips: What better way to spend a summer day than floating along the river? Join us for upcoming canoe float trips on the Clinch, Holston and Powell rivers. Scheduled floats are Saturday, June 26, on the Holston River, Saturday, July 17, on the Clinch River, and Saturday, Aug. 14, on the Holston River. We'll provide canoes, paddles, and life vests. Cost per person is $10. First 25 people on each float will receive a T-shirt and lunch for the $10 fee. Float trips fill up quickly, so call soon to reserve your spot. Click here for the official flier.
Save Our Streams Monitoring Event: Monday, Aug. 2, at White's Mill in Abingdon as part of the Virginia Highlands Festival. Pre-register by calling the Roundtable office. Event is from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Limit of 20 participants. Find out which stream bugs tell you if your stream is healthy!
Contact Us
Physical Address:
330 Cummings Street
Abingdon, VA 24210
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2359
Abingdon, VA 24212
Phone/Fax:
T (276)628-1600
F (276)623-1185
E-mail