PROGRESS 2

PROGRESS REPORT NO. 2 (March 5, 2000)

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I've decided to borrow from the history books in attacking the AML problems in Coal Creek. Specifically, when the French tried to dig the Panama Canal, they sent in excavation crews and canal digging equipment. Most of the Frenchmen caught malaria/yellow fever and died. When Americans took on the job, we spent years draining swamps, finding a cure for malaria/yellow fever, and building the necessary infrastructure before we dug the first bucket of earth from the canal.

In applying this approach to Coal Creek, the librarians in Lake City and Briceville have told me that they have received grants from Bill Gates (Microsoft) to install new computers in their libraries. Unfortunately, they are not computer experts. The most enthusiastic volunteers I have found for CCCSI are UT engineering students, who are computer experts. I am trying to arrange for UT engineering students to help set up the new computers in Lake City and Briceville and to teach the library staff how to use the computers and the INTERNET. The UT engineering students can volunteer to hold training classes to teach residents and local students how to mine information from the INTERNET. During these computer training sessions, they will provide information on coal mine drainage (CMD), CCCSI, and get feedback from the folks attending the training sessions.

UT also has a Water Resources Research Center which trains K-12 teachers in water quality/benthic sampling and analysis (Adopt-A-Stream program). The teachers and their students select locations on their streams to conduct routine monitoring. The main benefit from this effort is in making the teachers, students, and their parents aware of water quality issues. I will be working with Ms. Ruth Ann Hanahan from UT and the principals of Lake City Elementary, Lake City Middle, Briceville Elementary and Anderson County High Schools to get this program started. I will use these contacts to provide information on CMD and CSSSI also.

In addition, the following tasks have been completed this week:

	I met with Jonathon Burr and Mark Penland of TDEC. Jonathon explained data he had gathered on Coal Creek that Tim Eagle had passed on to me previously. In summary, Coal Creek is in much better condition today than it was 10 years ago. TDEC has worked with local residents to eliminate/reduce sewage discharges to Coal Creek. Also, Lake City is upgrading their sewage treatment plant to reduce problems. Based on F coli and E coli monitoring, Coal Creek is not impacted as severely by sewage as it once was. Coal Creek is currently classified on the 303(d) List as "partially supporting", but could be upgraded to "fully supporting" on the next inventory. This is good because Coal Creek is improving, but bad for qualifying for grant money. Jonathon believes that addressing the CMD problems is the right place to focus efforts because TDEC will continue to work to reduce sewage impacts to Coal Creek. Jonathon and Mark have agreed to participate in Watershed Day. Jonathon will conduct an actual demonstration in Coal Creek to show how streams are shocked to identify and quantify fish populations. This should be a big hit with everybody, especially the kids. Mark has a traveling exhibit that he will man on Watershed Day. Jonathon also suggested that I contact Greg Upham with the USDA regarding the availability of grant money from their 319 non-point discharge program. I will do this at a later time.
	Another concern gathering interest in the Coal Creek Watershed deals with flooding. The Clinton Courier News has published three articles about the potential for flooding on Coal Creek. These articles were initiated in response to a 30-page letter to the Editor written by Mr. Floyd Hatmaker. I talked to Floyd for about an hour the other day and found out that he was part of another watershed group in the 1960's and 1970's that got grant money to dredge and widen Coal Creek from Lake City to Briceville. TVA did the work and Anderson County agreed to maintain the channel. Mr. Hatmaker contends that Anderson County has not lived up to their part of the bargain. Mr. Hatmaker wants the county to widen the creek from Lake City to Briceville. I told Jonathon Burr about this and he said that TDEC has given approvals for Anderson County to do some isolated removal of sand bars and other limited obstructions. Jonathon said that he does not believe that TDEC will ever approve major excavation in the creek like was done 30 years ago.
	I have provided flyers on Watershed Day for distribution to BSA, TDEC, the Mayor's office/library/schools in Lake City, and the library and school in Briceville. So far, TDEC, OSM, TVA, UT, TWRA, ASCE, BSA, and the Lake City/Briceville Libraries have agreed to participate in Watershed Day activities.
	I talked with Mr. Todd Johnson, engineer for Anderson County about being a partner with CCCSI and participating in Watershed Day. Todd is setting up a meeting with me and the County Executive for a decision. Todd also suggested that I contact Ricky Rose and Albert Slusher, the Anderson County Commisioners for the Coal Creek area. I will do this after I talk with the Anderson County Executive.
	I reviewed the web sites of the Tennessee Environmental Council and the Tennessee Clean Water Network, as suggested by Danny Ellis of OSM. I may contact them directly in the future, but I don't see any benefit at this point.
	I attended a meeting of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF). The Tennessee Chapter is trying to establish wild elk herds in the Smoky and Cumberland Mountains. One of the speakers was from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife (i.e. TWRA counterpart in Kentucky). He discussed Kentucky's success in establishing wild elk herds in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. An important aspect of their success is that they select areas for the herds where the tops of mountains have been mined for coal and returned to grass land for grazing by the elk. This keeps elk in the mountains so they won't damage agricultural land. The Tennessee Chapter of RMEF had about 250 people at their meeting and banquet in Gatlinburg. I got some good ideas from them on public education methods, fund raising activities, etc. For example, Kentucky will hold a lottery next year. For $5 you get a chance to win a permit to kill an elk. Kentucky hopes to fund their program from their yearly elk hunting permit lottery program.
	I wrote a letter to Mr. Gene White, who has authored two books on the history of Coal Creek, asking for his assistance in CCCSI.
	I took my flyrod to Coal Creek on Saturday to do some of my own monitoring the old fashion way. I fished from the Highway 25 Bridge to the Highway 116 Bridge in Lake City. Good looking stream if we can remove the thin layer of silt that covers the gravel/cobbles/boulders and get people to quit dumping their trash. I caught only one small trout, near the Highway 116 Bridge on a #20 bead-head pheasant tail, but the dang chubs wore out my #16 dry wooly worm fly. Sunday afternoon, I fished Beech Grove Fork downstream of the falls. Again, what a great looking stream except for the silt cover and trash. I saw some fish rising near the railroad bridge crossing, but they would not hit any of my dry flies. I did catch a 4-inch fish (no clue as to what it was) on a Tellico nymph.