Volunteers needed at flood-damaged Radnor Lake

By Nicole Ferguson
Used with permission of WTVF Channel 5

NASHVILLE, TENN.--Every Saturday morning through the month of June, you'll find 40 to 50 volunteers like Chuck Robinson at Radnor Lake.

It's not the first time he's rolled up his sleeves to repair the park, and it won't be his last. MORE

Dear friends and patrons of Radnor Lake:

Like so many Nashville landmarks, our park was severely damaged by the floods. It is a landscape changed — but one that we can restore and rebuild together.

The paved road suffered the worst erosion, cracking into 4-foot chasms in some areas. It has been closed indefinitely. Nearly one mile of pavement will have to be repaired or replaced. All the power lines to ranger stations and homes were knocked out. Roughly 75 large trees fell along the trails. Ground-nesting birds such as wild turkeys and geese have lost their nests. Sediment in the lake has disturbed the plant life and habitat for fish, ducks, turtles and otters. Well-engineered beaver dams survived the storms intact.

Nature is resilient — the trees and wildlife will recover. But the man-made infrastructure — road, trails and buildings — is in urgent need of repair. Further rainfall could cause even more severe damage if we don't get to work quickly.

Most of the trails have been reopened to the public thanks to tree-clearing efforts by park rangers. But the trails are not fully restored. Floodwaters wiped out certain sections that need digging, rock-laying and mulching. The more volunteer help we can get, the faster we can fully restore the trails. Repairing the road is more difficult — it could take six months or more.

You can help expedite the process in any of the following ways:

Please join us for volunteer efforts to repair the trails. Volunteers will help dig out clogged culverts and lay gravel, rock and mulch. This help will allow the rangers more time to work on the road.
Please comply with our barriers and warnings where posted. The ground is loose and trespassing on fragile roads and trails is dangerous.
Donate to the Friends of Radnor Lake, whose mission is protecting, preserving and promoting the natural integrity of Radnor Lake through land acquisition, environmental education and park support.

Radnor Lake is one of the most popular parks in Tennessee. On average more than one million people visit annually. Thousands of people will not be able to enjoy the peace and beauty of Radnor Lake in the coming months due to the flood damage. This is a time when our city is struggling to recover and needs this sanctuary most.

With your help, we look forward to restoring this sacred place.