Beneath the Surface

Award-winning Waters Steward Brings the River to the People

Shannon O’Quinn pointed to the bright orange fish on his cap, a Tangerine Darter – a fish that, to an outsider, looks like a tropical fish you’d find while snorkeling a barrier reef.

O’Quinn is a Program Manager for Environmental Stewardship, but his passion for protecting wildlife goes deeper than his title. In fact, O’Quinn 's exceptional dedication to his work was recently recognized by the Tennessee River Basin Network with the River Champion Award. The award honors outstanding contributions to freshwater conservation in the seven-state basin.

“All of our reservoirs and streams are connected. The reservoirs upstream have an impact on streams down below,” he said. “We all have a role in managing the river system. We all play a role in managing our aquatic life, making sure that we have good water quality and that we have good spaces to recreate in.”

The flashy fish from tournaments are often highlighted the most, but beneath the surface, there is a complex ecosystem of organisms working together. Above the surface, we are tasked with being their keepers. And educating folks about our role in this beautiful ecosystem is how O’Quinn stays immersed in the work.

“A lot of people only think about game fish like bass when they think of the waterways in the area,” O’Quinn said. “The Tennessee River system is one of the most biodiverse river systems in North America. There's over 300 fish species.”

It’s not just TVA that plays a role in protecting our environmental resources. It’s the 10 million people and counting who call this place home. Not everyone can get out to the waterways and explore their depths. So, O’Quinn brings the river to them.

The environmental team has a 750-gallon mobile fish tank that features various inhabitants from the Tennessee River, most of which remain unseen. Even the smallest creatures have an impact on our region, and O’Quinn sees it as his duty to protect them because, ultimately, they make our lives better, too.

“These fish are indicators,” O’Quinn said. “They're indicators of water quality. They let us know whether or not the reservoirs or streams are healthy.”

This symbiotic relationship extends beyond our waterways to partner organizations.

“My focus is to implement stewardship projects and outreach throughout the Tennessee Valley associated with protecting water quality or improving water quality, protecting aquatic biodiversity,” O’Quinn said. “To do that, I work with a lot of different partners. We can't get our work done without partners, from federal to local.”

Even after receiving the River Champion Award, O’Quinn credits teamwork.

“It’s an honor,” O’Quinn said. “You're being recognized by the people that you work with every day. Part of being a TVA employee is working together. We're always working with partners. And so it's not an individual. I play my role. It's like a sports team. I’m playing my role, and I'm doing what it takes to help these projects and partnerships move forward.”

O’Quinn shared a little about one of the most notable projects, the Mussel Recovery Initiative. TVA received funding to focus on the revival of six freshwater mussels that have taken a hit from habitat loss, excess nutrients, and sedimentation that bury the mussel beds and disrupt their homes.

“The goal is to downlist or remove them altogether from the endangered species list. Our partners trusted TVA with these funds to manage and recover these species, and it’s something that I’m proud of.”

Beyond helping recover vulnerable species, this work supports TVA's broader mission. As endangered species populations improve and waterways become healthier, environmental reviews and water-permitting actions become more straightforward, helping support reliable power generation.

O’Quinn’s work proves that even the smallest organism can have an impact on the bigger picture. Sometimes those little creatures, whether mussel or tangerine darter, need a little extra help to bring their story to the surface.