pic 5 beaver dam

All the pics on this page right now where shot by "Olymp"=picture numbers.

beaver dam about to become a sediment basin under current proposed strip mine.

Basin 10 location

We walked to the opposite side of the pond/pit to the bench where mining is proposed to occur.

Location 1:

Observation: We found several waters of the State that were not marked by the state. The area of the GPS coordinates was characterized by numerous pools and small seeps.

General GPS location: N 36 32.109, W 083 57.326

Seep 1 – Photos: Olymp 4, Nikon 5

Wetland 1 – Photos: Olymp 5, Nikon 6

Seep 2 (flowing off the high wall) – Nikon 7 and 8

Ephemeral stream – approx beside seep 1

Nikon Picture 9?

Wetland/seep/ ephemeral stream

• in area of downed trees, close to ephemeral stream
• Nikon Picture 10

Rock Formation on proposed highwall – Nikon pic 11

Pond/ Wetland – feeds into Wetland 1, Nikon Pic 12

pic 7 wetland

Wetland in proposed mine area.

pic 10

Don't forget you can tap on any of the below images to make them larger. Maps soon to follow. This pic is of the logging road they mucked through a stream in prep of mining the site.

Location 2:

Undisturbed Intermittent/ perennial stream – proposed skip

Observations: Upstream of road; Dr. Etnier found aquatic life here

Turbidity: 20 JTU

GPS: N 36 32.124, W 083 57.373

Plants along and near bank: Trillium, blood root, sassafras, stinging nettle, trilliums are blooming

Pictures:

Nikon 13 – 15

Olymp 8-12

pic 13 sediment

This is between me and the scout in the background on the below picture. Sediment is the number 1 problem with Tennessee streams. This is in a ARAP permit area.

Pic 16 thanks to the scouts

This is a proposed mine area. Its plowing through one of the most diverse areas I have seen. Bloodroot, trillium, sassafras, ginger, magnolia. The three days of scouting on April 25,26 and 27 are the result of a collective efforts of scientist, lawyers, mountain huggers and other assorted riff raff. In the back is one of our hard working scouts who has just sank in cold mud up to her calves. Our scouts waded through pits, came home covered in mud and poison ivy, ran up highwalls, hiked for miles, mucked through wetlands, caught aquatic insects, photographed, and in general inventoried 3 proposed strip mines here in Tennessee. Thanks to yall.

pic 17 3 peak MTR project

Three peaks proposed to be removed. The blue are retention basins to strain the water through.

Location 4:

Description: Wetland

- flows into pond or pit

GPS N 36 32.124, W 083 57.373

Nikon 20

Back on other side of the road where Doug and Jeff are waiting with Phil:

Olymp 17 – Phil Boggs pointing at where all this is on the map

Nikon 21 – pond/bench/wetland in fog, taken from the road

pick 27 highwall

Highwall. GIS to follow.

Off Permit Area

Observations: Buckeye Springs Mine 1 at top of ridge; as drop down toward exposed red highwall see drain to the right – permit # 2905

Olymp 27-29

pic 29 4 strip mines

The prairie you see is a reclaimed strip mine. The first cliff you see right above the road is a highwall from stripmining. The highwall above is is from strip mining as well. And indeed above that is the 4th strip mine. The grass is fescue, the trees pine. Compare this picture with the diversity you see in the natural forest below.

pic 32 map where we are

This is the map of the proposed 10 mile long strip mine. All the wetlands below are in this project area. The gentleman is pointing at our location in that 10 mile strip you see.

pic 34

Pre mine logging in proposed mine site.

Buckeye Springs Mine 2 Site

Bottle H?

GPS: N 36 32.511, W083 49.762

Observations: TDEC is either calling this stream a wet weather conveyance or did not record it. No ARAP is being required. Dr Etnier found aquatic life here. There is a waterfall further up the side of the mountain (also not subject to an ARAP ) and a wetland area by the road.

Olymp: 32-38; 35 is of the waterfall where the mining will be. None of this is covered by an ARAP

Nikon: 42-43 logging in bat habitat & in waterfall

pic 35 not a stream

This stream is not listed in the ARAP permit for this mining site. It has been logged through and is about to get mined through. It will not get a buffer zone of any sort under the current permit application. It is not a stream, these are not the droids that you are looking for.

pic 36 wetland

Edge of extensive highland wetland complex to be mined through.

pic 37 wetlands

More wetlands in proposed mine area.

pic 38

Stream in proposed mine area after they logged through it. TDEC might declare this appears to be a perennial stream--it runs year long. They logged through in advance of applying for a mine permit.

pic 41 more wetlands

More wetlands in proposed mine area. Don't forget you can tap these photos to make them bigger.

Buckeye Springs Mine 2 Permit Area

From the location just detailed, we walked further up the road. TDEC identified no ARAP areas in this part of the mine and presumably no waters of the state. We found several waters of the state described below.

Location 1

Wetland/ rill area

GPS N 36 32.453, W083 49.835

Nikon 45, 46 – marsh plants are present

Going up the road

Bat habitat logging both sides of ridge – Nikon 47-48

Before and after mining – view from the road along the proposed mining bench Nikon 49

Location 2:

Small Wetland

GPS N 36 32 428, W083 49.840

Olymp 41-42

pic 42 wetlands

Wetlands in the proposed mine area.

pic 44

Can anyone ID this lizard? There were tons of wetlands all over the mine site and I found her a few feet from one I couldn't cross.

Location 3:

Description: Strong ound of running water coming from proposed bench area; Chris saw a waterfall there but could not get to it, observable wetlands inhabited by a lizard

GPS N 36 32 342, W 083 49.839

Olymp 43-50 (lizard)

pic 48

Can anyone ID this guy? Please email me if you can. I found this lizard by some wetlands in the proposed mine area.

pic 53

This is a creek AKA a wet weather conveyance.

Location 5:

Small wetland

GPS N 36 32 363, W 083 49.824

Nikon 51

Moving on

Olym 52-54 bennett's fork

Back to where we started:

Nikon 52, showing where water from first stream flows into road and then down into stream on the other side.

pic 56

This is on my right. Standing in the same place and turning my head you see the next two pics below. On those below pics is what is planned for this logging. Notice ALL the trees are still here? This is suppose to be logging independant of the mining operation. Its not suppose to be mine preparation. But in all the logging pics I show notice one thing--the loggers forgot to take the trees. All the logging I show is purely a matter of preparing the hillsides to mine.

KY Richline Mine 2

Now we're going to the 26 acre Ky Richline Mine 2

First we go up the Jellico Strip mine (Nikon 63-64) but we realize we're on the wrong seam - the KY Richline 1 mine is on the seam above (going up the side of the mountain), so we follow this seam to where it ends and the KY Richline Mine 2 will begin.

Nikon pics 65-73 show the KY Richline Mine 1. The Richline Mine 1 is being reclaimed. There are large boulders, and bare patches in the seeded areas.

Olymp 56-62 – KY Rich Line Mine 2 pics and before and after shots showing Mine 1

pic 60

This is on top of the highwall beneath in in the photo below. I am standing in the same place. The map beneath it the guy is pointing to where I am standing. This highwall goes on for miles.

Pic 60

This is the other side of the mining. On one side are the trees (above) and on the other is this. This is to continue down the mountainside. Eventually mine spoil is to be piled up against this face, then grass seed will be planted on it.

Pic 63 Where we were in the above pics.