At the height of a prolonged drought last summer, the Tennessee Aquarium and its partners leaped into action to prevent the extinction of the Laurel Dace, a critically endangered minnow found only on Walden Ridge.
Next month, the residents of nearby Spring City, Tennessee, are throwing a festival to support their imperiled neighbor.
Presented in partnership with the Town of Spring City and Visit Spring City, Laurel Dace Day will take place May 17 at the Spring City Nature Park at 549 Front St. The event is designed to raise awareness of a minnow scientists consider one of the ten most-imperiled fish species in North America and will include a 5K race, half-mile fun run, live music, a local farmer's market, craft vendors and activities featuring Aquarium educators. Laurel Dace Day is free to attend, other than registration fees for participation in the races.
"We're thrilled that Spring City has wholeheartedly embraced this beautiful little fish that lives right in their backyard," says Aquarium Vice President and Chief Conservation and Education Officer Dr. Anna George. "It gives us hope for the future of the Laurel Dace to see such tremendous community support for a fish that, until now, was largely unnoticed. We’re excited for even more people to join us for the 5k race and a fun, family-friendly day of learning about water and wildlife with plenty of activities for children and adults."
As recently as 2012, the Laurel Dace was found in eight streams atop Walden Ridge on the Cumberland Plateau north of Chattanooga. Today, the only known populations are in two of those waterways.
In July 2024, an extreme drought in Southeast Tennessee reduced these normally free-flowing mountain streams to a series of stagnant and disconnected puddles. Recognizing that inaction likely would lead to the Laurel Dace going extinct, the Aquarium and its partners at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Georgia rescued as many Laurel Dace as they could from the wild. Approximately 300 fish were safely relocated into human care at the Tennessee Aquarium’s freshwater field station and off-site Animal Care Facility as well as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife fish hatchery in Jamestown, Kentucky.
Recently, almost all of the rescued Laurel Dace were returned to their native streams ahead of the spring spawning season. About 30 adults remain in human care at the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute to serve as an assurance or "ark" population so that the Laurel Dace will survive even if events lead to the species' extinction in the wild.
Conservation scientists recently collected more than 1,200 eggs from this assurance population, which indicates the reintroduced fish made it home just in time to spawn. Laurel Dace Day will help support the Aquarium’s continuing efforts to safeguard the Laurel Dace and bolster its numbers in the wild.
Dayton, Tennessee-based tiremaker Nokian Tyres, whose headquarters lie just 20 miles from the Laurel Dace’s streams, is the presenting sponsor of Laurel Dace Day. This collaboration is part of Nokian Tyres’ Road to Sustainable Success initiative through which the global tiremaker serves as an advocate for sustainability efforts in Southeast Tennessee.
“We are honored to support conservation efforts in our backyard, because it’s part of our mission to be a leader in safety and sustainability,” said Nokian Tyres Dayton Factory Operations Director David Korda. “We applaud the Tennessee Aquarium and the Spring City and Rhea County communities for their efforts to protect this fish that is unique to our area.”
Event Schedule
- 8 a.m. — 5K run
- 9 a.m. — Half-mile fun run
- 10 a.m. — Live music
Additional Activities
- 9 a.m.-noon — Local farmer's market
- 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — Vendors and activities
- 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — Aquarium educational activities
Food City, La-Z-Boy, Monkey Town Brewing Co., and RheaECD, are providing additional support for Laurel Dace Day. For more information about the festival or to sign up for the race or fun run, visit tnaqua.org/donate/race-for-the-laurel-dace/laurel-dace-day