Garrison Creek Stream Restoration and Tree Planting Event in Murfreesboro,TN

On October 8, 2022 Green Interchange volunteers planted 50 trees along upper section of Garrison Creek in Murfreesboro - a tributary of Bushman Creek. This work is helping restore the stream and bring improvements for people, land, water, and wildlife.     

Trees help stabilize stream banks and prevent erosion, they help mitigate stormwater damage by helping water infiltrate into the soil, trees shade a stream and keep it cooler which helps fish and aquatic habitat, trees also provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, they also absorb nutrients and pollutants to help clean the water.      

The goal is to restore the upper section of this heavily impacted stream by planting along approx. 1,781 feet of the creek bank with about 300 native trees and 1,000 live stakes (willow or other cuttings that will take root). We’ll also maintain about 100 trees in the lower section of Garrison Creek with mulch, pruning, and replacement as needed.  

Work on Garrison Creek was originally started on the lower section of Garrison Creek in 2012: Because of a lack of stream-like characteristics, Garrison Creek was managed as a ditch for years. The stream is listed on TN's polluted streams list (i.e. 303 d list). Partners include  1 Mississippi/The Mississippi River Network, Tennessee Environmental Council,  Water Walkers, McFadden Community Center, Middle Tennessee Electric, Rutherford County and the Murfreesboro Stormwater and Street Departments.

Over the years, the partnership has targeted issues facing the lower section of the creek through: tree plantings, education and outreach, algae pulls, and clean-ups. Garrison Creek is slowly transitioning to a healthy stream with diverse habitat. The videos below show the impressive progress since 2012. You can also see how much fun this work can be. Kids from McFadden Community Center filled out surveys and some of their answers can be found below. 

We're excited about the opportunity to achieve similar results on the UPPER portion of the stream. If you would like to join us at a future tree planting event, please contact us.     

Did you know that water from Garrison Creek flows into the Mississippi River?  Nearly all the streams and rivers in Tennessee ultimately flow into the Mississippi River - it truly connects us. River Citizens are people who want to clean up and protect our country's greatest River and the surrounding watershed. The program is free to join at 1 Mississippi.