I am reaching out to inform readers about the environmental impacts of Smoky Mtn. River Rat Tubing in Townsend. I am a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville studying wildlife and fisheries management. My family has owned property on the Little River for over a century.

Within the past month, a classmate discovered a hellbender in the Little River. The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) is one of only 3 giant salamanders found in the world. They are rapidly disappearing from their historic range due to human encroachment and pollution, and are now classified as a state endangered species. These giant salamanders are harmless and are biological indicators of river health. They breathe through their skin and require pristine water, free of pollution and sediment. They also require large shelter rocks to carry out their life cycle.

The Little River has historically been an optimal location for these salamanders to live and reproduce. However, due to Smoky Mtn. River Rat Tubing, their habitat is in danger. The company is knowingly destroying the habitat of this imperiled species, as well as many other aquatic species such as minnow, darter, sculpin, and trout that call this portion of the Little River home. Once these species are extirpated from the river, they cannot be brought back.

Employees move large shelter rocks needed by wildlife to create dams, and they allow customers to trespass and harass wildlife. Almost daily, customers trespass into caves and threaten native bat species that live there. Bats are very sensitive, and human disturbance disrupts their life cycle and exposes them to the deadly White-nose Syndrome. Thousands of customers a day throw trash into the river and cause sediment to build up under shelter rocks due to repeated substrate disturbance. The company does not limit the number of people allowed out onto the river every day, and this adds up to thousands of people per week. Sometimes as many as 500 tubes pass per hour. The environmental impact due to this human disturbance is severe.

Local residents have tried to end tubing on the Little River for years but have been unsuccessful due to a federal designation by the US Army Corp of Engineers. The river is classified as navigable despite the fact that there are dams present on the river and the water level drops to only a few feet during the summer months. In practical use, this river is hardly navigable for inner tubes, much less boats that facilitate commerce.

I am calling upon the US Army Corp of Engineers to change the navigable status of the Little Tennessee River, as well as Blount County and the city of Townsend to consider regulating or banning commercial tubing on their portion of the river. The river has allowed Townsend to become what it is today. We cannot stand by and allow companies to make millions in profit from our natural resources without so much as investing money back into the river they profit from. We must protect our natural areas for future generations while we still have them. Townsend is the peaceful side of the Smokies and has so far resisted the environmental degradation and commercialization that is happening in nearby cities such as Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. I urge you to act in order to keep it that way.

If you would like to further educate yourself on hellbenders, I encourage you to watch "The Last Dragons," a short film by Freshwaters Illustrated about conservation efforts in the Appalachians.

https://vimeo.com/108512185