The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has lifted a water contact advisory for Beech Branch in Gatlinburg.

Water contact advisories are issued when recreational use (swimming, wading, or fishing) has been impaired by significantly elevated pathogen levels. The duration, magnitude, and frequency of the pathogen levels are considered when issuing an advisory.

Pathogen data collected during 2020 and 2021 in Beech Branch show pathogen levels have decreased to a level where TDEC can lift the advisory on water contact.

“We provide these advisories so the community can make informed decisions about water contact hazards,” said Ronné Adkins, deputy commissioner for Environment at TDEC. “Data studied from the collection at Beech Branch have allowed TDEC to lift the previous water contact advisory, and we are pleased to make this change.”

TDEC will remove warning signs at primary public access points.

The Tennessee Water Quality Control Act identifies the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as having the authority and responsibility to issue advisories for either water contact hazards like pathogens or excessive health risks due to the accumulation of contaminants in fish or shellfish. Tennessee’s General Water Quality Criteria provide additional guidance regarding the conditions under which advisories may be warranted.