Troubled Waters - Protecting Tennessee's Wetlands

Thanks to the Memphis Sands Aquifer, Memphis has some of the best drinking water in the world. But the quality of that water may be at risk due to the recent Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA, which stripped federal protections from a massive amount of wetlands across the country, including the wetlands that help "recharge" and filter the water flowing into our very own aquifer.

Recent state legislation introduced last year, and still under review, sought to further roll back wetland protections in Tennessee in favor of development. And with the wetlands in West TN sitting right under Ford's under construction "Blue Oval City," the need to protect these "superheroes" of nature is more vital than ever.

Sarah Houston, Executive Director of Protect Our Aquifer, joins the podcast to help explain the importance of the aquifer, not only to Memphis and Tennessee, but also the greater Mid-South region. She dives into the details pertaining to this proposed legislation and explains why protecting these wetlands is one of the truly most bi-partisan issues imaginable. Houston also discusses how the changes proposed by these bills could drastically affect waterways, water quality, and ways of life throughout the entire state of Tennessee, from recreational fishing and hunting, to agriculture, to whole economies in regions throughout the state.