Obed Wild and Scenic River - Explore Nature - National Park Service

through the regulation of pollution sources,
the monitoring of streams and lakes, and
through public education. The State Water
Quality Control Board is identified in the
act, as having the duty to investigate all
problems associated with the pollution of
Waters of the State. The Board has the
authority to grant permission or abate any
activities that may result in pollution of the
Waters of the State. It has the authority to
establish such standards of quality for any
Waters of the State in relation to their
reasonable and necessary use as the
Board deems to be in the public interest.
The Board can also establish general
policies relating to pollution as it deems
necessary to accomplish the purposes of
the act.
State Protected Water Uses. The State of
Tennessee Water Quality Standards, part
of the Water Quality Control Act, describe
the reasonable and necessary uses of
water within the State that are deemed to
be in the public interest. Such uses
include: sources of water supply for
domestic and industrial purposes,
propagation and maintenance of fish and
other aquatic life; recreation in and on the
waters including the safe consumption of
fish and shell fish; livestock watering and
irrigation; navigation; generation of power;
propagation and maintenance of wildlife;
and the enjoyment of scenic and aesthetic
qualities of waters. State Protected Water
Uses designated for the Obed/Emory River
watershed are found in Table I (TDEC
1995).
Some of the criteria described within State
Protected Water Uses include, but are not
limited to, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH,
hardness or mineral compounds, total
dissolved solids, solids, floating materials
and deposits, turbidity or color,
temperature, coliform, taste or odor, toxic
substances, and one criteria that deals with
other pollutants.
State Water Quality Standards insure that
the Waters of the State shall not contain
other pollutants in quantities that may be
detrimental to public health or impair the
usefulness of the water as a source of
domestic water supply.
State Water Quality Standards also define
what is considered to be unacceptable
discharges into Waters of the State. To
quote this section of the Standards,
15
“Sewage, industrial wastes, or other
wastes, as defined in the Water Quality
Control Act. Sec. 69-3-101, et. seq.,
shall not be discharged into or adjacent
to streams or other surface waters in
such quantity and of such character or
under such conditions of discharge in
relation to the receiving waters as will
result in visual or olfactory nuisances,
undue interference to other reasonable
and necessary uses of the water or
appreciable damage to the natural
processes of self-purification. In relation
to the various qualities and the specific
uses of the receiving water, no sewage,
industrial wastes, or other wastes
discharged shall be responsible for
conditions that fail to meet the water
quality standards. Bypassing is
prohibited except where necessary to
prevent loss of life or severe property
damage, or where excessive storm
drainage or runoff would damage
treatment facilities.”
As outlined in the Water Quality Control
Act:
“All discharges of municipal sewage,
industrial waste, or other wastes shall
receive the greatest degree of effluent
reduction which the Commissioner of
the Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation
determines to be achievable through
application of stringent
Table 1. State Protected Water Uses for the Obed/Emory Watershed.
Stream Description Domestic
Water
Supply
Industrial
Water
Supply
Fish &
Aquatic
Life
Recreation Irrigation Livestock
Watering &
Wildlife
Emory River Mile 0 to Origin X X X X X X
Obed River Mile 0 to Origin X X X X
Daddys
Creek
Mile 0 to Origin X X x x
Basses
Creek
Mile 0 to Origin X X X X