“Rivers shaped us. They’re part of our culture, our history.”
Kevin Guenther, PLA, LEED AP, RaganSmith Vice President, Planning & Urban Design, speaks on behalf of all Tennesseans when he says that.
RaganSmith, a Pape-Dawson company, has begun Tennessee Blueways, a strategic 5-year plan that will reimagine the recreational river corridors and river trails that characterize his state.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has charged RaganSmith with the initial 9-month process, focusing on 15 rivers, five in each of the state’s three TDEC divisions. The effort will engage local stakeholders, resulting in ideas for using the $15 million Governor Bill Lee has committed to river projects.
A kickoff session scoped the project, with statewide entities (including TDEC, the Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, state parks, and nonprofits) informing the list of rivers RaganSmith would lead the planning for. The work will continue in four phases:
1. Inventory – RaganSmith conducted an initial survey of the potential scenic blueway rivers; their physical, environmental, and political support systems; and current and historical uses. The ongoing research pulls from the statewide geospatial database, as well as other authoritative sources.
2. Analysis – RaganSmith is now generating opportunities and constraints for each river segment, largely based on stakeholder and community engagement sessions for each of the 15 selected rivers. In addition to these discussions, the examination also considers aspects like river access, surrounding demographics, natural and scenic qualities, types of river experiences, current use, whitewater classification, and management and operations support. A summary of community and stakeholder engagement will be documented as it relates to opportunities and constraints for the identified Tennessee Blueways rivers.
3. Recommendations – RaganSmith expects to complete its recommendations by December 2024, with three documents that help point the way for Tennessee’s Blueways strategy. The first deliverable, a series of maps, will graphically depict the 15 rivers, highlighting access points, nearby population centers, natural resources, parks, and other important features. The second will be a planning process to strategically review the features of a Tennessee blueway that communities and agencies can use for future master planning and project implementations. The third deliverable, called a “big ideas board,” will serve as the project’s executive summary.
4. Implementation – With an expected March 2025 publication, RaganSmith will create an application toolkit to help communities implement the next stages of Blueways development. Instead of a detailed design, the toolkit will serve as a framework with considerations and potential steps local authorities can take to get their projects funded and built.
There is a wide range of improvements for locals to consider, and breaking the project into 15 separate river projects allows them to retain their distinctiveness. Some will invite more boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking, and other recreational activities. Others may consider potential educational or scientific directions, perhaps in concert with local schools or research institutions. Other locations will balance environmental considerations, economic impacts, and natural beauty in their choices.
The main goal is to improve the ways people interact with Tennessee’s blueways. “Anytime you engage the rivers, you create an opportunity for people to experience our natural resources. Having access to these resources improves quality of life,” says RaganSmith Chief Marketing Officer Alan Thompson, PLA, LEED AP. “That will often lead to economic opportunity, as well.”
Although each river segment will be eligible for improvements, they won’t all see the same kind. The decisions are left to the people who live there and will be based on each waterway’s unique features, says Kevin. “The Hiwassee River is well-known for its whitewater and perfect for recreational use. On the other hand, people near the Hatchie River in West Tennessee will probably have different ideas, since it goes through several large wildlife management areas and has some significant environmental considerations.”
Even small improvements could make a big difference in how visitors and locals alike experience Tennessee’s blueways, says Kevin. “The Duck River, which flows right through the center of our state, is one of the most biodiverse in all North America. A lot of people wouldn’t know that, so some simple interpretive signage could tell them about that amazing resource.” Other areas might highlight the important historical roles they have played, such as the Clinch River’s contribution to western expansion before the development of reliable roads.
For Kevin, a landscape architect, this project represents the opportunity to promote greater public interaction with Tennessee rivers, even while preserving and enhancing the natural characteristics that make them wondrous. “We’re really helping collect the local ideas for what communities want to do and allowing those to lay the foundation for what comes next,” says Alan. Each set of stakeholders will decide for themselves how to balance priorities. “We really believe in a solid planning process,” says Kevin. “If you present ideas to the stakeholders, let them feed it and prioritize, and then get a really tight feedback loop to them so they can approve the goals and recommendations, then the plan can be really successful.”
It’s a proven process that will help shape the way a new generation of Tennesseans will engage their rivers—and be shaped by them, too.