Contact Information
 

The Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that formed in 1999 and strives to improve and maintain water quality in the Upper Tennessee River watershed in Southwest Virginia. The Upper Tennessee River watershed includes Lee, Scott, Washington, Smyth, Russell counties and parts of Tazewell, Wise, Bland, Wythe, Grayson and Dickenson counties, as well as the cities of Bristol and Norton.

The Clinch River contains 29 rare mussel species and 19 rare freshwater fish species. This river is the nation's leading hot spot of aquatic diversity, according to The Nature Conservancy's "Rivers of Life." The Clinch is also a source of recreational and drinking water supply for the surrounding region. Virginia's Scenic Roads parallel the river highlighting the area’s natural beauty.

The Roundtable has installed rain gardens and has conducted workshops on rain barrels, green building, networking, fundraising, outdoor classrooms, and low impact development.

The OSM/VISTA assists the Roundtable by helping get the community involved in projects. Working with community members to clean up the watershed helps to educate the people in the community about the environmental issues in their own backyard.

 

Goals and Accomplishments:

The OSM/VISTA has been focusing her efforts in two specific areas. The first of her two major goals is to secure funding for the Roundtable through grants and fundraising. Funded by a grant from equitable foundation, she has been working do environmental education presentations in elementary school classrooms, at festivals, and environment days. 

Partners and Contributors:

Partners of the UTRR include:

•         Town of Tazewell

•         Town of Gate City

•         Town of Coeburn

•         Town of Pennington Gap

•         Town of Abingdon

•         Town of Saltville

•         Town of Cedar Bluff

•         Washington County

•         Smyth County

•         Wise County

•         Lee County

•         Scott County

•         City of Norton

•         Russell County

•         Tazewell County

•         Dickenson County

•         Buchanan County

•         Keep Bristol Beautiful

•         Smyth County Chamber of Commerce

•         Russell County Public Schools

•         Master Gardeners

•         Master Naturalists

•         Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

•         The Nature Conservancy

•         Virginia Department of Minerals, Mining, and Energy

•         Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

•         Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

•         Virginia Department of Transportation

•         Virginia Department of Forestry

•         Virginia Outdoors Foundation

•         U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

•         U.S. Office of Surface Mining

•         U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

•         Canaan Valley Institute

•         St. Paul High School and Team Estonoa

•         Coeburn High School and Ecology Club

•         Virginia Tech/Community Design Assistance Center

•         Emory and Henry College

•         East Tennessee State University

•         Big Sandy Community and Technical College East Kentucky Science Center

•         Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable

•         American Electric Power/Appalachian Electric Power

•         EQT

•         Holston River SWCD

•         Tazewell SWCD

•         Lonesome Pine SWCD

•         Daniel Boone SWCD

•         Clinch Valley SWCD

•         Evergreen SWCD

•         Tennessee Valley Authority

•         Keep America Beautiful

•         Keep Virginia Beautiful

•         Clean Virginia Waterways

•         Virginia Save Our Streams Program

•         Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere

•         LENOWISCO PDC

•         Cumberland Plateau PDC

•         Mount Rogers PDC

•         Powell River Partnership

•         Clinch River Headwaters Association

•         Friends of the South Fork

•         Friends of the Russel Fork

•         McClure River Restoration Project

•         Indian Creek Watershed Action Group

•         Guest River Group

•         Hands Across the Mountain

•         Mountain Heritage

•         Cleveland Virginia Rural Development

•         Appalachian Sustainable Development/Learning Landscapes

•         Black Diamond RC&D

•         New River Highlands RC&D

•         Clinch Powell RC&D

•         Appalachian RC&D

•         Blue Ridge RC&D

•         Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team