HURRICANE HELENE CAUSED SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IN EAST TENNESSEE, IMPACTING AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND WATER RESOURCES. FLOODWATERS DEPOSITED SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SEDIMENT ON CROPS AND SURROUNDING AREAS, WHICH MAY AFFECT SOIL HEALTH, WATER QUALITY, AND AGROECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE HELENE FLOODING ON AGRICULTURAL SOILS AND WATER RESOURCES USED FOR IRRIGATION. BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL PRODUCERS AND EXTENSION AGENTS, WE WILL COLLECT SEDIMENT SAMPLES FROM AFFECTED FARMS TO ANALYZE SOIL TEXTURE, PH, TRACE METALS, AND MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION. ADDITIONALLY, WATER SAMPLES WILL BE TAKEN FROM NEARBY SURFACE WATERS TO ASSESS POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION RISKS TO THE PUBLIC AND TO CROPS GROWN, AS SURFACE WATERS IN THIS REGION ARE COMMONLY USED FOR RECREATION BUT ALSO FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES.OVERALL, THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE FARMERS WITH THE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO SAFELY MANAGE THEIR FIELDS AND WATER RESOURCES IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HELENE, THEREBY IMPROVING BOTH CROP RECOVERY AND LONG-TERM AGROECOSYSTEM RESILIENCY. ULTIMATELY, THE PROJECT WILL GUIDE BETTER FLOOD RECOVERY PRACTICES AND IMPROVE THE RESILIENCE OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS TO FUTURE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS.