Obed Watershed Alliance Gets Money For Stream Cleanup

Cumberland’s Obed Watershed Alliance will get to work on cleaning up streams inside the watershed with a new TWRA grant.

Obed was one of 19 projects that received the grant across the state. Volunteer Activity Coordinator Brad Fox said the grant helps Obed as a non-profit volunteer organization in a variety of different ways.

“You may have had experience where you go to some of these sites and you see if they’re a popular site, typically there’s a collection of trash that accumulates,” Fox said. “And so what we’re trying to do is kind of manage the volume of trash and get it cleaned up on a regular basis.”

Fox said that by acquiring the resources to go regularly to several aquatic sights, Obed is able to prevent large trash build up. Fox said Obed will also be using the money to purchase T-shirts to hand out to volunteers on site, hopefully helping recruitment.

“We try to recruit young people,” Fox said. “Especially young people, so they get involved and kind of carry this torch forward.”

Fox said that Obed is also partnering up with other organizations in order to take on more cleanups around the area. The Crossville Rotary Club and Friends of Cumberland Mountain State Park have assisted in the efforts.

“We’re appreciative to TWRA for making this money available,” Fox said. “It’s a big help and we hope that this grant opportunity continues in the future.”