Tennessee Aquarium, partners to use $10M in USDA funds for Southeast Tennessee water, farm improvements

The Tennessee Aquarium is leading a partnership that has secured $10 million in federal funds to improve water quality and farming in Southeast Tennessee. The USDA funds are part of a regional conservation partnership program targeting a six-county area of the state spanning the Sequatchie River and Walden Ridge. The federal funds will match $11.8 million already being invested by more than a dozen local partner organizations. Officials with the aquarium and partner organizations will meet with farmers and property owners to determine the best way to use the funds to promote better water quality by reducing sediment, fertilizer and bacteria flowing into the region’s streams and rivers.