Knox County Stormwater Management

10/15/2026

💧 Imagine a Day Without Water 🌦️
From exploring our creeks and enjoying time outdoors to stream cleanups and community events, water connects so much of what makes Knox County special. 🌿

Healthy waterways support recreation, wildlife, and our communities, but protecting them takes all of us. Through stormwater education, creek monitoring, restoration projects, and cleanup events, we can help keep our local streams and rivers healthy for generations to come.

As we recognize , take a moment to appreciate the water that makes our everyday lives and favorite memories possible. What would you miss most without water?

💙 Every drop matters. Every action counts. Let’s protect the waterways that connect us!

10/14/2026

10/13/2026

10/01/2026

Getting your pool ready for winter? 🏊‍♀️❄️Before draining your pool, make sure you know how to properly discharge the water. Pool water can contain chlorine, sediment, and other materials that may impact local waterways if discharged incorrectly.
Click here for additional stormwater FAQs: https://knoxcounty.org/stormwater/faq.php

09/30/2026

We missed World Rivers Day this past Sunday, but check out the useful tips and resources from Tennessee Smart Yards below!

World Rivers Day is recognized on the fourth Sunday of September with a goal of increasing public awareness, highlighting the ecological and economic importance of rivers, and promoting better stewardship. The Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries are celebrated every day in a Tennessee Smart Yard by stewardship actions:

• Planting more native plants to nurture and grow a deeper sponge in our landscapes that soaks in rainfall
• Protecting against erosion with groundcovers (aka green mulches) and other organic-based mulch
• Minimizing fertilizer use to reduce risk of excess nutrients reaching waterways and resulting in algal blooms
• Using integrated pest management practices to reduce the prevalence of chemicals and subsequent impacts to aquatic ecosystems
• Building rain gardens to soak up runoff from rooftops and other impervious surfaces
• Maintaining lush native vegetation around creeks, rivers, and wetlands to protect habitat and water quality

More on World Rivers Day here: https://worldriversday.com/

More on water resource stewardship in Tennessee Smart Yards here: https://tiny.utk.edu/tnsydashboard

The word cloud pictured was created by aggregating the creek and rivers names where certified yards lie in their watersheds.

09/29/2026

🌧️ Stormwater Control Measures: A Homeowner’s Quick Tips! 🏡

Did you know that stormwater control measures (SCMs) help manage stormwater runoff, flooding, and pollutants before they reach our local waterways?

If you have an SCM on your property, maintenance is your responsibility!

Regular maintenance helps protect your property, reduce flooding, and improve the health of our streams.

09/28/2026

🔎🦐🦎 What can the tiny creatures living in a stream tell us about water quality?🪳🪱
Knox County Stormwater recently visited South Doyle Middle School for a hands-on lesson about benthic macroinvertebrates! Students learned how these small organisms can help us understand the health of a stream—and even got to dip net and see what they could find.

Among the critters we found were crayfish, caddisfly larvae, gilled snails, riffle beetles, dragonfly and damselfly larvae, and a longnose dace! 🦞🐌🪲

Hands-on experiences like these help students connect what they learn in the classroom to the streams and waterways in their own communities—and build the next generation of stream stewards. 🌿💧

A big thank you to AmeriCorps member Archie with the Water Quality Forum for helping us support these hands-on learning experiences!

Are you an educator interested in having Knox County Stormwater visit your classroom? Email [email protected] to learn more!

09/25/2026

🍂 Happy Fall from Knox County Stormwater! 🍁

When leaves pile up in the street or around storm drains, they can clog drainage systems and contribute to localized flooding.

🚫 Please don’t rake or blow leaves into the street, storm drains, ditches, or streams.
Instead, keep leaves on your property and use them for mulch or compost, or dispose of them properly.

09/24/2026

Check Out Knox County Stormwater Resources!
Looking to learn more about our local waterways and what you can do to help protect them? Knox County Stormwater educational materials are now available at libraries throughout Knox County! 🌿💧
Stop by your local library and grab some resources to explore, including:
📖 Bookmarks
🎨 Coloring sheets
🌊 Adopt-a-Stream information
💧 Drainage guidance
🌱 Vegetated buffer information
🗺️ Watershed-specific resources
…and more!

09/17/2026

Taking care of your septic system can increase its longevity and help keep our waters clean!

If you happen to live in the Turkey Creek Watershed (in and around Farragut), we still have grant funds to repair failing septic systems. Please reach out to us at 865-215-5800 for more information!

Hey Tennessee! It's SepticSmart Week. This week, we will share some tips to help you properly maintain your septic systems and protect water quality along the way. Be Septic Smart!