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Cumberland River Corridor Protected The Cumberland River winds its way through Davidson County, providing recreation and commerce to a growing city. Most Nashvillians can easily recognize this natural landmark meandering past Davidson County’s homes, businesses and industry. On the Western side of the county however, the picture is quite different. Here, the Cumberland retains its natural beauty, marked by rugged banks interspersed with rolling farmland. These attributes are precious in an urban county, and well worth conserving for the next generations.
In 1966, the Cumberland Heights Foundation bought a farm just west of Nashville to establish what soon became the Cumberland Heights facility. Although the city is just minutes away, the thickly wooded hills, the broad river and the great natural beauty of the site create an atmosphere of deep calm. As serenity of spirit is the basis of all healing, so the serene beauty of Cumberland Heights is perhaps one of its greatest assets. According to Executive Director Jeanie Nelson, “This part of the Cumberland River is a very special landscape in Davidson County. We are so pleased to work with The Cumberland Heights Foundation to ensure that the peace found in this place and that is so important to all of us, will be permanently protected. We look forward to working with other landowners to protect more of this magnificent river corridor.” There are parts of this section of the Cumberland River that sustain an agricultural heritage with working farms. Wildlife is plentiful, with migratory birds and great blue herons a common sight. To Don Crichton, Board Member of Cumberland Heights, protecting the landscape for this place of healing made a lot of sense. “Through the years, so many people have had a chance to experience the beauty of this place. We wanted to be sure that we could be good stewards of the land, too. The Land Trust for Tennessee proved to be the best way we found to protect a portion of this landscape while keeping it in the Foundation’s hands. It remains private land for us to use and enjoy, but we know it will not be at risk in the future for inappropriate uses.” |
Cumberland Heights, a nationally recognized alcohol and drug treatment center west of Nashville, sits on a quiet road on the banks of the Cumberland River. In July, the organization agreed to donate a conservation easement on fifty-five acres along these banks to the Land Trust for Tennessee, demonstrating their desire to help protect the Cumberland River Corridor.
