The recipient will provide analyses of water quality samples within streams of great smoky mountains national park (grsm), the appalachian highlands network (aphn), and cumberland piedmont network…

The University of Tennessee received a cooperative agreement award of $114,799 from the National Park Service under the Cooperative Research and Training Programs – Resources of the National Park System (CFDA 15.945) program, with an award date of May 20, 2025 and completion date of June 30, 2026. The recipient will provide chemical analyses of bi-monthly water quality samples collected from streams across three national park networks: Great Smoky Mountains National Park (377 samples), the Appalachian Highlands Network (210 samples), and the Cumberland Piedmont Network (234 samples). These analyses are designed to protect human health and assess the status and trends of select vital signs of ecosystem health within these park systems.

In addition to the water sample analyses, the University of Tennessee will conduct monthly maintenance, calibration, and water sample collection activities at the Noland Divide High Elevation Air, Water and Soil Water Quality Monitoring Site. The cooperative agreement funding in Fiscal Years 2025-2026 will support the laboratory operations and field monitoring work necessary to deliver these water quality monitoring services across the three park networks.

The recipient will provide analyses of water quality samples within streams of great smoky mountains national park (grsm), the appalachian highlands network (aphn), and cumberland piedmont network (cupn) parks to protect human health and assess status and trends of select vital signs of ecosystem health. Funds will support activities in FY25-26 to provide chemical analyses of BI-monthly water samples from 377 samples across grsm, 210 samples across aphn and 234 samples across cupn. Funding will allow the recipient to run the water quality analyses outlined above, and provide monthly maintenance, calibration and water sample collections at the noland divide high elevation air, water and soil water quality monitoring site.