Written by Addison Middleton
50 miles North of Chattanooga, a thumb-sized anomaly swims between the rocks and moss of the small streams on Walden Ridge. To the unknown eye, these fish, known as the Laurel Dace, could easily be overlooked or mistaken for any other small freshwater fish that is found in East Tennessee. The rarity of the fish doesn’t come only from their size and characteristics, but the extremely specific area they are found. Since their discovery in the 1950s, the Laurel Dace have only been found in one location in the world, Walden Ridge.
The limited environment the Laurel Dace inhabit causes an extremely small population to begin with. In 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially listed the Laurel Dace as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). From first discovery, this species was found in only nine streams at Walden Ridge, but over the past 25 years, that number has shrunk drastically. Over several decades, because of continued agriculture, dry seasons, and increased sedimentation, the Laurel Dace are now only seen having a healthy population in Bumbee Creek on Walden Ridge.
Once the fish were recognized as critically endangered, the Tennessee Aquarium and the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) stepped in and began their preservation efforts. Over time, the TNACI continued to keep a close eye on the Laurel Dace by studying their environments and behaviors. Several rescues have been conducted where teams would go to Bumbee Creek and take several fish into their care for further monitoring and research. Through their ongoing observations in the wild, the TNACI was also able to take fast action to save the Laurel Dace when circumstances became drastic.
“Over the past 10 years, we have been very closely involved with Laurel Dace Conservation. We’ve done status surveys, habitat studies, and studied their behaviors. We’ve also brought them here into our care to try to understand how to spawn them, just in case the need ever arose. Unfortunately, last Fall in 2024, the need did arise,” said Dr. Anna George, the Vice President of Conservation and Education at the Tennessee Aquarium.
Dr. George serves as a leading member of the Laurel Dace conservation team and has been a part of the journey since the first rescue. During an extended drought in the summer of 2024, it was feared that the Laurel Dace could be moments away from full extinction without the help of human intervention. That July, the TNACI took action and travelled several times to the home of the species to begin an emergency relocation. Dr. George explained how, as the dry season continued, the conservation became more drastic.
“When I talk about the drought, we’re talking about a creek that’s normally free-flowing with water, and instead, there were just puddles. It was stagnant, algae-filled puddles, and honestly, we’re not sure how the Laurel Dace were even surviving given how bad the conditions were on the ground.”
The emergency relocation became a life-saving success for the Laurel Dace. By September, the TNACI was confident that they had relocated every single Laurel Dace that they could catch into their care. The fish were kept in the TNACI facility until they could ensure the creeks would be an inhabitable and thriving environment for the fish again.
At the end of September in 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through North Carolina and East Tennessee, causing an excess of rainfall, allowing for the creeks on Walden Ridge to fill once again. Although conditions were improving, the Laurel Dace were kept in the TNACI’s care over the Winter season to guarantee the creek’s condition would continue to stay steady and flowing. After consistent weather patterns, the decision was made to conduct the first Laurel Dace release in March of 2025.
“That was a really fun day. It’s always great when you get to release an endangered species, but particularly when you’ve been safeguarding them. We were out there with several partners two different weeks in a row,” Dr. George says. She explains that, “We chose the time we did because March is before the Spring spawning event happens, so we wanted the fish to have about a month in order to stabilize back in the river and get their bearings again before they had to start on repawning.”
Around 50 adult Laurel Dace are still kept at the TNACI facility for observations and have had notable success during the spawning season while in human care. Around 200 baby fish join the population after this spring’s spawning season, and another large release is planned for October of 2025.
Although the Laurel Dace has seen immense improvement over the past year, conservation and awareness remain at the forefront of several minds. With recent surveys showing that population numbers continue to grow, TNACI seems hopeful for the future of these small but mighty fish. The Laurel Dace shows that although small in size and numbers, they share a big story about the importance of conservation and the role each of us can play in protecting the wildlife that lives in our own backyards, without sometimes even knowing it.
Dr. Bernie Kuhajda and Caroline Bailey gearing up to catch the Laurel Dace on Bumbee Creek at Walden Ridge. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo By Mackenzie Sweat). 
Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, Teresa Isreal, and Caroline Bailey walking Bumbee Creek at Walden Ridge with their gear. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo By Mackenzie Sweat) 
Dr. Bernie Kuhajda from TNACI writes down measurements of the Laurel Dace at Walden Ridge. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo By Mackenzie Sweat) 
Caroline Bailey from TNACI measures the Laurel Dace for data at Walden Ridge. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo By Mackenzie Sweat) 
Teresa Isreal ties her boot on the bed of the truck. TNACI prepared for a long day collecting data of the Laurel Dace at Walden Ridge Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo By Mackenzie Sweat) 
Teresa Isreal releasing the Laurel Dace in Bumbee Creek at Walden Ridge. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo By Mackenzie Sweat)
Meet the Storytellers
Addison Middleton is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga studying Communication with a minor in Marketing. Middleton serves as the Head Editor of Rising Rock for the Fall 2025 semester. She has developed skills in writing, photojournalism and social media throughout her academic career and plans to continue to expand in her professional experience. Middleton uses these skills as an outlet to explore storytelling, mass communication and her creativity. In her free time, Middleton enjoys socializing and exploring the community. After college, she plans on pursuing a career in Public Relations to continue building relationships and giving a voice to others. To contact Middleton, email her at sdd415@mocs.utc.edu.
Emily Mitchell is a graduating senior at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga majoring in Communication with a minor in English Rhetoric & Professional Writing. She is a driven visual storyteller with particular proficiency in all things video production. Mitchell’s passion for video creation has been evident since high school when she started making YouTube videos in Adobe Premiere and After Effects, but didn’t fully blossom until she first picked up a camera in her college courses. She sees videography as a powerful language and strives to tell meaningful stories through her frame. Currently, her primary experience includes interning with the City of Chattanooga’s Parks & Outdoors department and serving as a videographer for Rising Rock. When she’s not behind a camera or a laptop, she enjoys reading, running, and spending time with her four cats. To connect with her, email her at gfk827@mocs.utc.edu.
Mackenzie Sweat is a senior majoring in communications with a minor in marketing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She currently serves as one of the Student Marketing Interns at UTC, where she works as an email marketer. She also serves as an editorial photographer and social media chair for Strike Magazine Chattanooga. Mackenzie is a visual storyteller with a passion for photography, having started her own freelance photography business, Mackenzie Jane Photography. She manages every aspect of her business, from social media to providing personalized photography services, editing images, and maintaining strong client relationships. After graduation, Mackenzie hopes to pursue a career in fashion marketing while also exploring photography. To contact Mackenzie, email her at jrv211@mocs.utc.edu, or to view her work, https://my.readymag.com/edit/5633262/preview/.
Sydney Banks is a junior studying Communication at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is an honors student in the Brock Scholars program, serves as the Sports Editor as well as a staff photographer for the University Echo, and is currently a marketing intern for the Institutional Advancement staff at the Hunter Museum of American Art. Through the tenderness of visual and written storytelling, Banks strives for her work to honor the narratives that often go unseen. This belief is reflected in her written pieces and creative media projects, as well as through her interests in journaling and photography. She also has a deep passion for music and often leads worship through guitar and vocals for Cru, a UTC campus ministry. After graduation, she intends to pursue a career in journalism or public relations to continue her passion for telling stories in a professional setting. To have your story told through her language or lens, contact her at hcc634@mocs.utc.edu.