The ecological risk assessment brought together numerous organizations to analyze the impact of stressors on the watershed. Measurements of watershed condition will be plotted on maps and related to land use within the watershed. Relationships between the stressors caused by land use activities and effects on fish and aquatic invertebrates will be examined. This will provide information to estimate risks associated with land-use decisions. A report describing the management goals for the watershed and the analysis plan for the assessment will be available upon completion of the analysis described above.
Agriculture is a critical component of the social and economic fiber of the region.
Some pasture and row crop practices within the floodplain, karst and lowland areas pose serious risks to aquatic resources. The Clinch River Ecological Risk Assessment will help resource managers predict how changes in land use and river flow will affect biological communities in the watershed. This will enable resource managers to make decisions based on more information.