Emory River
In 2022, TennGreen Land Conservancy and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation acquired 370 acres of high-priority land along the Emory River in Morgan County, Tennessee, as an expansion of Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park (the “Cumberland Trail”). Forested bluffs, natural scenery, and sparkling waters make this river a destination for whitewater rafters and paddlers of all abilities.
In 2020, TennGreen’s Strategic Land Conservation Plan Committee determined the Emory River a priority for conservation efforts, largely due to its adjacency to the Cumberland Trail, its threatened water quality, and its popularity among paddlers. Over the years, nearby strip mining has deeply disturbed the lands surrounding the Emory. In 2008, the Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spilled into the river, heavily polluting its waters and neighboring areas.
TennGreen acquired the Emory River property in 2021 after the State approached the organization for conservation assistance. TennGreen officially transferred the land to the State in July 2022, protecting its vulnerable waters from further pollution and completing the first piece of a collaborative effort to expand the Cumberland Trail along the Emory River.
Established as a State Scenic Trail in 1971, the Cumberland Trail will extend 300 miles from Cumberland Gap to the Tennessee River Gorge once complete. As of 2022, this acquisition of the Emory River tract represents TennGreen’s ninth land acquisition project along the Cumberland Trail and adds to more than 10,000 acres preserved along the Cumberland Trail by TennGreen.
The Emory River section that flows along the property is a United States Fish and Wildlife Service Designated Critical Habitat due to the presence of numerous federal- and state-listed species, including the spotfin chub, purple bean, Cumberland rosemary, Virginia Spiraea, Cumberland sandgrass, ashy darter, longhead darter, fetter bush, and Tennessee pondweed.