KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A University of Tennessee professor is trying to make sure public leaders have the information they need when making decisions that could impact the health of the state's waterways.
Professor John Schwartz is the director of the Tennessee Water Resources Research Center is working with many municipal storm sewer systems across the state to collect information. That information will be used to create the Urban Waters Report Card.
It will reflect the health of waterways in Tennessee's metropolitan areas including Chattanooga, Memphis, Nashville Metro as well as Hamilton, Knox and Shelby counties.
It will analyze different waterways and evaluate their health. An 'F' stream will be considered very degraded, while an 'A' stream would be one with unimpaired natural features, like ones found in the Great Smoky Mountains.
The information will also help leaders budget funding for stormwater management programs that improve the quality of waterways. It will also help municipal sewer systems prioritize projects.