Progress Report 7

Progress Report No. 7
(April 24, 2000)

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At a public meeting of the Anderson County Commissioners on April 17, 2000, members of the Coal Creek Flood Prevention Committee (no relation to CCCSI) presented a petition to have Coal Creek dredged to reduce flooding. According to a newspaper article in the Oak Ridger from April 18, 2000, "the chairman of the Coal Creek Flood Prevention Committee commented on an initiative by the Coal Creek Clean Stream Initiative to improve water quality. He said the community is not opposed to the actions of the group but he does not want that group to get monies that are needed for the creek cleanup" to reduce flooding.

After the public meeting, the administrative assistant to the Anderson County Executive asked CCCSI representatives to meet with Anderson County officials and to conduct a tour of the watershed. On April 20, 2000, CCCSI representatives met with the County Executive, County Commissioners, the Anderson County Engineer, and representatives of the Coal Creek Flood Prevention Committee. An environmental reporter from the Knoxville News-Sentinel also attended the meeting and watershed tour. Details of the meeting and tour are included in the article on Coal Creek in the Sunday, April 23 edition of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Action items from the meeting and tour are as follows:

Representatives of the Coal Creek Flood Prevention Committee now support the CCCSI efforts to educate children about the environment, mentor students so they can go to college and obtain high paying jobs after graduation, seek assistance for improved dental/health care, and design and obtain grant money to build measures to improve water quality from abandoned mined lands and thereby reduce the potential for downstream flooding. Representatives of the Coal Creek Flood Prevention Committee have now decided to accept the CCCSI offer from March 2 to meet and discuss win-win options for each group. After the future joint meeting between the two watershed groups, we will report back to Anderson County officials informing them as to what assistance we need to improve the quality of life in the Coal Creek watershed.

Anderson County will assist with the Beech Grove Falls clean-up effort on Watershed Day. Volunteers from the Tennessee Coal Association, OSM, TVA, TDEC, and others will meet at the parking area between the two railroad bridges on the north side of Highway 116 (next to Shop-Rite). Shuttle vehicles will take volunteers between the parking area and Beech Grove Falls where they will be stationed to pick up trash. Bags, gloves, etc. will be provided. No children will be involved in the Beech Grove Falls clean-up due to potential safety hazards (i.e. tripping, slipping, snakes, etc.). The Beech Grove Falls clean-up will be held between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon on Watershed Day (April 29, 2000). As with the rest of the Watershed Day activities, the Beech Grove Falls clean-up will be a rain-or-shine activity. A map of the parking and clean-up area follows this report.

After the meeting with Anderson County officials, CCCSI held a planning meeting at Briceville Elementary School. Dream Contest entries were collected from both Briceville Elementary School and Lake City Elementary School. Selected entries have been posted on the web site at www.coalcreekaml.com (Dream Contest). Participants in the Watershed Day activities can vote on winners of the Dream Contest at the CCCSI exhibits in Lake City and Briceville. Action items from the planning meeting are as follows:

	The BSA, TU, ASCE, and CCCSI exhibits will run from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on Watershed Day in both Lake City and Briceville. Other exhibits will run from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Stream electric shocking by TVA/TDEC/TWRA will be held from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Libraries and friendship centers at both locations will be open at various times on Watershed Day. A specific schedule of events and maps are included on www.coalcreekaml.com (Watershed Day).
	The Briceville PTO will sell drinks in Briceville and the Lake City Boy Scouts will sell hot dogs and drinks in Lake City on Watershed Day. The Boy Scouts will be camping in the ball field beside the pavilion on Friday night. This will enable them to get up early, cook breakfast over a campfire, fish, and collect their bag of garbage before they have to man their exhibit at 11:00 am.
	CCCSI representatives will be at Briceville Elementary (Tuesday morning, April 25), Lake City Middle (Wednesday afternoon, April 26), and Lake City Elementary (Thursday afternoon, April 27) to inform students and teachers about Watershed Day activities. CCCSI representatives will also use this time to recruit 21^st Century scouts, trout fisherman, and engineers.

Progress Report No. 7 (April 24, 2000)

Progress Report No. 7
(April 24, 2000)