Resources: Biological Assessment

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Baseline Study Executive Summary, Kevin Morse, PhD.

Five Mile Creek Bioassessment Study: Baseline Evaluation of Stream Health Using Fish Communities
Journal of Alabama Academy of Science Vol. 78, No. 3-4, July/October 2007

Five Mile Creek Bioassessment Study: Baseline evaluation of stream health using fish communities
MS Thesis  Louis Viamonte, Master of Science University of Alabama Birmingham  2007

Bioassessment of Fish Populations upstream and downstream of two public wastewater treatment plants and investigation of the possible presence of estrogenic chemicals in the effluent. 
Proposed investigation by Dr. Rob Angus, UAB June 1, 2007 – November 1, 2007

Acid Mine Drainage in Black Creek: Coal Mining and the Elements
Emily Mathis, Samford University Biology Thesis April 2007

Eutrophication: Causes, effects, and possible solutions in reference to Alabama’s Five Mile Creek
Emily Pate and Gretchen Kroeger

The Correlating Effects of Acid Mine Drainage and Bacteria
John Lambuth and Alex Nguyen

Biological Assessment Committee

Dr. Mike Howell, Chair
The biological assessment committee consists of Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership Coordinator Francesca Gross and invited academics and professionals in biological assessment.

The goal of the committee is Inventory and analysis of biological features in the Five Mile Creek Watershed including flora, fauna and aquatic inventory.  Long term water quality monitoring and GIS mapping of resources and problem areas.

The purpose of the council is the formation of a consortium of local scientists for undergraduate and graduate research in the Five Mile Creek Watershed.  The partnership needs the assessments as a baseline and ongoing inventory of the biological resources of the watershed, in an effort to monitor the health of the creek.  The future of the Five Mile Creek Greenway from Center Point west through Graysville, depends on improving and maintaining the health and beauty of the watershed.  The acid mine drainage unique to coal mining presents an additional surface water quality problem in the Five Mile Creek watershed.  Assessment, monitoring and remediation of several AMD hot spots are part of the long term care plan for Five Mile Creek.

A long term water quality monitoring program will be designed using existing data and monitoring points and the expertise of the council.  Funding will be sought for the implementation of the plan.

The long term vision:  Five Mile Creek as a study site for biological study at many levels from a seasonal fish diversity survey to a GIS information base on areas of critical habitat.  We want to match your research interests with our monitoring and investigation needs.  The watershed faces major changes in the next 5 years as the construction of Corridor X and the Northern Beltline criss-cross the watershed.  The greenway design is in the planning stages and some trails have been funded and anticipate building in the next several years.  We plan to integrate the rich mining history, unique geological and biological setting and education from K-12, post-secondary and general public. 

Funding:  During the initial stages of assessment of needs for the project, Cawaco will pursue funding for requested technology (GIS), equipment (water quality monitoring equipment) and stipends (for student researchers).  We will also write a water quality monitoring plan and seek long term funding.

Committee Members:
W. Mike Howell, retired, Department of Biology, Samford University
Betsy Dobbins, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Samford University
Charles A. Jones, Director, Env. Affairs and Safety, Sloss Industries Corporation
Robert A. Angus, Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, UAB
Ken R. Marion, Animal Natural History and Aquatic Environmental Biology, UAB
Giang Tong, UAB Doctoral candidate
Justin Moman, UAB graduate student
Nelson Brooke, Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Larry Barwick, ADIR – Abandon Mine Lands, Birmingham M&R    
Jeff Gillespie, Surface Mining Reclamation Specialist, Office of Surface Mining
Lynn King, Jefferson County Environmental Services
Kevin Morse, Jefferson County Environmental Services
Bridget Shealy, Watershed consultant
Scot Duncan, Assistant Professor of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College
Peter Van Zand, Adjunct Professor of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College
Megan Gibbons, Assistant Professor of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College
Andy Gannon, Associate Professor of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College
Abner Patton, Patton Geologics