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Introduction to Coal Creek
Aquatic Invertebrates
(Looking for Bugs and
Critters in Coal Creek)
Read
article in the
Clinton Courier News
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Hunting bugs and critters on a
Saturday morning in Coal
Creek = FUN
Being served Krispy Kremes by a
famous retired heart surgeon = PRICELESS
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What happens in Coal Creek does NOT stay in Coal Creek.
Coal Creek flows into the Clinch River. On Saturday, 14 July 2007, we
had a field class to inform and educate anglers and non-anglers about the aquatic
invertebrates (critters) and fish found in Coal Creek, a tributary of the Clinch River tailwater.
We were joined by special guest Sam Snyder from
the University of Florida in Gainesville who is writing his doctoral
dissertation on watershed conservation efforts. Sam has selected Coal
Creek as his success story and is spending the week with volunteers to
interview them and gather data.
We also learned more about the
history of Coal Creek
by chapter member Barry Thacker. |
| The class included a general overview of invertebrate taxonomy and ecology
focused on those invertebrates found in Coal Creek. We got our feet wet and learned
which ones are also found in the Clinch River, how to collect and identify them,
and their importance to the diet of trout. The class was conducted by John Thurman of the Clinch River
Chapter and Charlie Saylor with TVA, who are professional aquatic ecology
associates. We also learned about the on-going Coal Creek Fish Restoration Project
that is being led by UT and TVA. |
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John Thurman goes over the list of
species found in Coal Creek today |
SUMMARY OF THE DAY'S
SCIENTIFIC RESULTS:
The group conducted an inventory of aquatic invertebrates in Slatestone
Branch and Coal Creek adjacent to school property. "Bugs" were identified
and placed into one of three categories: sensitive to pollution, somewhat
sensitive to pollution, and pollution tolerant.
This cursory biological monitoring exercise revealed that upper Coal
Creek has a good water quality rating. |
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As shown in photos below, we continued our day
at the Blue Hole in historic Tennessee Hollow, then on to Cross Mountain
Miners' Circle Cemetery. Sam was given a tour of Militia Hill,
Briceville Church and cemetery, and Leach Cemetery to learn more about Coal
Creek history. We also visited one of our
bank stabilization projects
at the Hayes' property. |
Sam Snyder learns how to hold a
fish way out in front of you to
make it appear larger... |
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BLUE HOLE AT TENNESSEE HOLLOW:
After our search in Coal Creek next to Briceville School, we
drove to Blue Hole in Tennessee Hollow for a history lesson from Barry
Thacker about the site where the
Coal Creek War began.
When we arrived, a group was building a small dam across Blue Hole to hold a
Baptism service there the next day. The Blue Hole has been a place
where church groups come for their baptisms for over 100 years.
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| We then drove to Cross Mountain
Miners' Circle Cemetery where many of the 84 miners who perished in the
Cross Mountain Mine disaster of December 9, 1911 are buried. |
BANK STABILIZATION PROJECT AT HAYES' PROPERTY:
Barry Thacker discusses the
bank stabilization
project at the Hayes' property with Sam. |
 Sam
makes a visit to Cross Mountain miner Eugene Ault's headstone at Briceville
Cemetery. Eugene's farewell message is carved on his headstone:
"Air is not much now. All be good and I aim to pray to God to save me and
all of you. Tell Clarence to wear out my clothes. Give Bessie Robbins a
stickpin of mine. Tell her goodbye." (Clarence was his brother and
Bessie Robbins was his girlfriend) |
| As we have learned over the years,
you never know what surprise is in store during a day in Coal Creek.
While we visited Leach Cemetery with Sam, we ran into Becky Wills Haunert
and her husband and son while they were doing more research on their family
history. The Haunert's live in Indiana. Becky is related to H.A.
Irish who was killed, and his son Dore Irish, who survived the Cross Mountain
Mine Disaster. We took her to visit the site of the mine opening where
the disaster occurred.
CROSS MOUNTAIN MINE DISASTER SITE: |
 Barry
points to the entrance of the old Cross Mountain Mine |
 Becky
and her son Nicholas standing in front of the abandoned Cross Mountain Mine
in Briceville |
PARTICIPANTS:
Bates, Tom
Brown, Steve
Douglas, Terry
Geiger, Dick
Hahn, Scott
Harper, Joe
Hatmaker, Stone
Jenkins, Mary Jo
Jenkins, Bob
Jenkins, Jenny
McMahan, Denny
Moore, Carol
Oates, Frances
Saylor, Charlie
Snyder, Sam
Thacker, Barry
Thurman, John
Toyohara, Hiroshi
Wollard, Ron |
CLINCH RIVER TROUT UNLIMITED
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