📋 Tender Overview
Thursday, January 22, 2026 | 01:46pm Officials overseeing 42 million for restoration of natural resources impacted by the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) today announced seven projects for funding and released a first restoration plan describing them. Trustees in the program solicited, evaluated, and selected projects that best restore natural resources lost due to contamination at the site, which was part of the Manhattan Project that produced materials for the atomic bomb in the early 1940s The Seven Projects Project Proposer Grant Request / Match Lost Bottom Park Anderson County 327,450 / 227,550 Restoring and enhancing ridge and valley barrens in the Clinch River Watershed TDEC Division of Natural Areas 250,000 / 62,500 Riley Creek campground Roane County 2,300,000 / 1,705,275 Poplar Creek boat launch Roane County 25,000 / 25,000 Creating recreation access along the Emory River Blueway TDEC Office of Outdoor Recreation 412,548 / 103,137 Solway Park and boat ramp restoration and improvements City of Oak Ridge 2,600,000 / 650,000 Alvin K. Bissell Park improvements City of Oak Ridge 2,880,000 / 720,000 Total 8,794,998 / 3,493,462 Trustees include the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the United States Department of Energy (DOE), and the United States Department of the Interior, through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). DOE paid the 42 million into an account administered by the state of Tennessee. The Trustees established procedures for applications in the process, known as Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR). Also available is the First Restoration Plan. Contamination released from the ORR negatively impacted natural resources and services from them. The goal is to restore natural resources in ways that match what was lost. The process awards grants to organizations and public entities for a wide range of local projects that either enhance the areas natural resources or provide nature and recreational opportunities. Examples of applicable projects include clearing away abandoned parking lots to plant native vegetation, removing invasive species, land conservation, installing streets and parking lots with permeable pavements to improve rainwater infiltration, and septic conversions. Other projects include those that improve public use of natural resources such as building or improving boat launches and fishing piers, purchasing and restoring land with public access to water, creating public hiking and biking trails or wildlife viewing areas, and constructing, improving, or maintaining public recreation area amenities. The Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) consists of approximately 37,000 acres of federally owned land in Anderson and Roane counties. The ORR is bounded on the north and east by the City of Oak Ridge, and on the south and west by the Clinch River. The western part of the ORR boundary lies just outside the City of Oak Ridge corporate limits. The ORR was designated a Superfund Site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1989. About 15 percent of the ORR is contaminated by hazardous and radioactive materials, including waste sites or remediation areas. This legacy contamination is being cleaned up. The Tennessee Division of Remediations Oak Ridge office oversees all environmental protection and remedial action activities on the ORR. View the TDEC Division of Remediation website for more information about the Oak Ridge Reservation. Details of the Seven Projects Lost Bottom Park - The Lost Bottom Park project is a recreation construction project with additional ecological investments located on approximately 5 acres and 1,100 feet of shoreline on the Clinch River in Anderson County. It is located at River Mile 51.5 on the proposed Pellissippi Blueway, which will provide over 50 miles of flatwater paddling, wildlife viewing, and fishing opportunity. The project will restore and enhance habitat, reduce erosion and runoff, and support groundwater recharge protection. The project will improve the existing boat launch ramp, construct an ADA compliant boardwalk and fishing pier, construct a kayak launch, provide additional parking and improve access opportunities, remove invasive plant species, and restore native vegetation. Restoring and enhancing ridge and valley barrens in the Clinch River Watershed - Restoring and enhancing ridge and valley barrens in the Clinch River Watershed is a habitat enhancement and restoration project located at three State Natural Areas in Roane and Anderson Counties: Crowder Cemetery Barrens (15 acres), Campbell Bend Barrens (35 acres), and Oak Ridge Barrens (5.76 acres). The project focuses on preserving and enhancing natural resources to improve their ecological function resilience, benefitting terrestrial species that thrive in open habitats. The project will provide broad-scale active management to expand the small pockets of existing habitat currently harboring rare plants as well as several uncommon plants. A small trail system will be installed at the Crowder Cemetery and Campbell Bend Barrens, and the current trail and information kiosk at Oak Ridge Barrens will be updated and enhanced to connect the community to the resources and raise awareness of species and habitats unique to the region. Riley Creek Campground - Riley Creek Campground consists of 81.2 acres and approximately 1,000 feet of shoreline located on Watts Bar Lake in Roane County. The Riley Creek Campground project will enhance and create habitat and improve groundwater and surface water protection. The project will include planting native vegetation to restore previously disturbed areas to benefit bee, butterfly and bat populations. Additional planting will occur in areas along the shoreline to assist with stormwater runoff and bank stabilization. The project will utilize septic conversion, decommissioning the existing septic tank, installing sewer hook-ups and on-site tr
