Beginning the week of August 10, 2026, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), alongside partnering agencies and volunteers, will conduct a comprehensive “benthic blitz” across several regional river and tributary basins.

The initiative focuses on surveying bottom-dwelling organisms—such as mussels, crayfish, and non-game fish—to assess aquatic biodiversity and the overall health of Tennessee’s waterways.

Targeted River and Tributary Basins:

• Cane Creek

• Upper Caney Fork

• Calfkiller River

• Rocky River

• Middle Caney Fork

• Hickory Creek

• Barren Fork

• Hills Creek-Collins River

• Charles Creek-Collins River

• Bee Creek

Tennessee ranks among the most biologically diverse states in the nation, home to hundreds of unique fish, mussel, crayfish, and snail species. Data gathered from the survey will assist biologists in protecting and managing the state’s aquatic wildlife resources.