Tishomingo County, Mississippi, Joins Tennessee RiverTowns Program

The Tennessee RiverLine is excited to announce Tishomingo County, Mississippi, as the newest participant in its growing RiverTowns Program. With this addition, all four states touched by the Tennessee River—Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee—are now represented in this transformational regional initiative.

The Tennessee RiverLine is a bold vision for a continuous system of outdoor recreation opportunities along the entire 652-mile reach of the Tennessee River. It reimagines the river and its surrounding public lands as a connected 1.2-million-acre river park that enhances quality of life, supports local economies, fosters care for the river’s natural and cultural resources, and expands access by helping remove barriers to river spaces and experiences.

At the heart of this vision is the RiverTowns Program, a community-focused partnership that helps cities and counties develop their own local vision for how they aspire to connect with the river. Participating communities collaborate with the Tennessee RiverLine team to identify new opportunities for recreation, public access and riverside development—ultimately creating vibrant, welcoming spaces that reflect each community’s unique relationship with the river.

“This is an exciting moment for our community as we become part of a visionary regional effort to connect people and communities to the Tennessee River by reframing the river and its adjacent lands as a 1.2 million-acre river park. Tishomingo County is home to some of the most scenic and historically rich areas along the Tennessee River, and we are thrilled to bring our unique natural and cultural assets into this collaborative effort,” said Ferrin Rainy-Calvert, tourism director for Tishomingo County. “Becoming part of the Tennessee RiverLine represents not only an opportunity to enhance outdoor recreation and tourism in our area, but also to contribute to a broader movement that prioritizes sustainability, community engagement and economic vitality across the Tennessee River Valley. We are excited to work alongside our fellow partners in the RiverLine network and look forward to the positive impact this partnership will bring to our residents and visitors alike. Together, we can build a more connected, vibrant and resilient future for the Tennessee River region.”

With the enrollment of Tishomingo County, 23 communities across the region are now working with the Tennessee RiverLine team, Tennessee Valley Authority, and partners across the region to build stronger connections to the river through river recreation and stewardship programming, conceptual designs for improved river recreation infrastructure, and support for destination marketing. These 23 communities represent 58 cities and counties home to more than 1.1 million people in four states.

“The addition of Tishomingo County reflects the continued momentum behind the Tennessee RiverLine as a regional movement powered by partnerships,” said Brad Collett, executive director of the Tennessee RiverLine and professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “With community representation now spanning all four states touched by the river, we are better positioned than ever to deliver lasting benefits to the people and places connected by the Tennessee River. We look forward to working alongside the people of Tishomingo County to develop and implement a community-driven vision that enhances access, quality of life and regional vitality.”