After participating in Outdoor Chattanooga’s Outdoor Expo and going to the EcoExpo put on by Brewer Media, it is heartening to see such a diverse group of people who understand and are working to improve our environment. Look at the diversity of people involved in clean water…from our groups TenneSEA and Caribbean SEA where students and community volunteers work to raise awareness and improve the quality of our water to Tennessee American Water Company and the Hamilton County Stormwater Department. While speaking with Tim McDonald, the manager of the Stormwater Department (www.hamiltontn.gov/waterquality) , I was amazed that they only began work 5 years ago and received enforcement ability in the last year or so. The majority of polluted streams in Tennessee have either too much sewage (measured by E. coli concentrations) or too much sediment in the water. It is easy to understand why sewage is bad for our water….but dirt? Think of it this way….for creatures trying to survive in the lake or streams, too much dirt is like trying to breathe in a dust storm. They can’t do it. We have done an incredible job cleaning up Chattanooga’s air quality. Let’s now work together and clean up our water….we deserve it!