Karns Community Club
The Watershed and Action Plan
The Beaver Creek Watershed is a tributary to the Clinch River. The watershed includes 86 square miles lying entirely within northern Knox County. The main stem is fed by seven main tributaries and spans 44 miles, winding through five different communities before emptying into the Melton Hill Lake. The Beaver Creek watershed is a typical rapidly urbanizing watershed. Communities on the main stem include Solway, Hardin Valley, Karns, Powell, and Halls. Over the years, the creek’s water has been impacted by sediment; nutrients and pathogens from agricultural and urban runoff; nutrients and pathogens from municipal point sources; and habitat alteration due primarily to land development.
The beautiful creek is a wide, slow-moving stream that winds through lush tree coverings making it a desirable paddling destination for first time paddlers, experienced paddlers and kids too. There are spurts of small rapids and an abundance of placid water for paddlers to enjoy. You can stand up and walk out of most places in the creek and the gentle current will carry you along.
In 2005 Knox County and a group of stakeholders, including developers, farmers, residents, and public officials, formed the Beaver Creek Task Force and developed “The Beaver Creek Watershed Restoration Plan” to address impacts to the creek. The plan was published in 2007. Over the next 10 years, the plan led to the completion of many projects to improve water quality and mitigate the impacts from flooding.