Our Streams

Habitat in Our Streams

The Stones River hosts a diverse wildlife and provides habitat to a wide variety of species including rare plant, fish, and salamander species.

Aquatic Invasive Plants
This map shows locations of aquatic invasive plants in the Murfreesboro area.

Herronsculpin  river otter 

Major Streams & Tributaries

The City of Murfreesboro is located in the Stones River Watershed which is part of the larger Cumberland River Watershed. The city drains to either the East or West Forks of the Stones River.

  • Armstrong Branch
  • Bear Branch
  • Black Fox
  • Bushman Creek 
  • Overall Creek
  • Puckett Creek
  • Sinking Creek 
  • Spence Creek 
  • Spring Town Creek
  • Stones River

Exceptional Streams

“In general, these are waterbodies with good water quality, important ecological values, valuable recreational uses, and outstanding scenery.” - TDEC

  • Bear Branch
  • Dry Branch
  • Hoover Swamp Area of Black Fox Wetlands
  • Lytle Creek (Middle Tennessee Blvd to Origin)
  • Overall Creek
  • Puckett Creek
  • Sinking Creek
  • West Fork Stones River
Middle Fork Stones River
Sinking Creek

Streamflow

Streamflow can be variable in the city. During dry times, groundwater provides much of the base flow to local streams through springs and seeps. Streams can rise rapidly in response to storm events.

As watersheds develop, less water makes it into the ground because of an increase in imperviousness. Water flows across impervious surfaces into a stream instead of flowing or sinking into streams over longer periods of time. Stormwater Control Measures (SCM) like bioretention and rain gardens promote infiltration of this water. Infiltration captures pollutants and allows the land to manage water as it did prior to development.

Dry Segment of West Fork Stones RiverStreams with the most baseflow:

  • East Fork Stones
  • West Fork Stones
  • Middle Fork Stones
  • Sinking Creek
  • Bushman Creek
  • Town Creek

USGS Gaging Station - Tennessee map of real-time streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year